There are many books that will tell you how to get the best performance from your boat and even cruising sailors should read up on the basics of sail trim before using new sails. Remember your new sails will be a very different shape to your old set and you will probably have to move your sheet leads, re-mark halyards and use different tensions. However, a few of these books will tell you how to get the most from your Bainbridge Sailcloth so here are a few tips.

Before you use your new Sails:

• Tape up all split pins and sharp edges especially lifeline rigging screws on the pulpit.
• All DIAX headsails must be fitted with spreader patches. These should be made from sail number cloth available from your Sailmaker.
• Spreader ends should have boots or be taped up. Rollers can also help prevent sail wear.

Sailing Tips:

• Flogging damages the fibre and the finish of your Bainbridge Sailcloth. Minimise flogging whenever you can. Always keep some sheet tension on the sail while furling or reefing. Avoid extended motoring with sails hoisted.
• Do not use sails above their designed wind range or hold sails up when they should be reefed. The load on sails increases dramatically with wind strength and over loading sails reduces their ability to return to the design shape.
• Be careful with halyard tension particularly on light laminate headsails. If a tight ridge or band of cloth appears behind the mast or foil it is too tight.
• When tacking avoid backing the Genoa onto the spreaders and skirt the Genoa before it catches the stanchions.

And back at the dock:

• Mainsails stowed on the boom should be flaked and be protected from UV by a breathable acrylic sail cover. Always slacken the mainsail outhaul to release the tension off the cloth in the foot.
• Furled headsails must have a sacrificial UV strip or a cover that does not allow any of the sail to remain exposed. You should release the halyard tension to relax the cloth in the luff of the sail.
• Sails should be rinsed with fresh water and dried but not by hoisting them and letting them flog!
• Roll or Fold. Don’t stuff! Loosely roll down from the head and store in a ‘sausage’ bag. On boat over 30ft this is impractical so sails should be loosely flaked and stored in a zip-up boom length bag.
• Spinnakers are the most important sails to rinse and dry after use as Nylon absorbs water and will become heavy.
• UV light damages sails so only leave them in the sun for as long as it takes to dry them.
• Inspect your sails for damage. Small tears can be fixed with self adhesive sail number cloth but always get sails repaired before something small becomes something big!