kiwi sailmakers

Just wondering who would be the go to sailmakers for beach cat sails. It seems to me that with the exchange rate a north American customer may be able to get better than the usual budget sails for a good price. Maybe off season pricing too.

 

As a kiwi after some sails for my Duo 480 cat, after a distinct lack of interest from local sailmakers I approached Chip at Whirlwind Sails, San Diego who made my sails up exactly to measure , for a good price. He is a beach cat sail specialist. I cant reccomend him enough.
I think the local guys here are after the hi tech, big bucks stuff, to be honest. My experience , anyway.

cheers

 

Not NZ, but Ben Kelly who is now the QLD manager of Quantum sails in Brisbane is arguably the foremost multihull sailmaker in the country.His sails have been major contributors to local and international racing successes.

The website is https://www.quantumsails.com/lofts/brisbane and Ben's number is 61 410 584098

 

I'm not trying to be negative about Ben Kelly, but what has he done to place him as the best multihull sailmaker in Oz, ahead of Glen Ashby (sailmaker, America's Cupper, Olympic medallist and multiple world champ), Andrew Landenberger (sailmaker, Olympic medallist and world champ), Steve Brewin (part-time sailmaker, multiple world champ), Goodall etc? Is there something I'm missing???

 

Well generally Ashby, Landenberger, Brewin and Goodall focus more on beach cat sails? Quantum does more of the big multihull sails.

 

Thanks for the responses guys, i am particularly interested in the guys who focus on beach cat sails.

 

Yep, but the OP was also asking about beach cat sails. One wonders how anyone could have proof that they are better than Ashby, Landy etc at beach cat sails unless they have proven that their sails can win world titles etc.

 

I don't need world championship quality sails, just decent quality recreation type sails made by someone who sails beachcats so isn't going to cut them like a keelboat sail. We have a few small lofts here in the us that make reasonably priced recreational sails, pretty cheap actually if you have a Hobie 16 or other popular cat and don't mind a white sail. Problem for me is I have very much a historic beachcat, a Pacific cat 19 which started in production in 1959, mine is a 1970 boat, so it has a quite large, very low aspect main, 24' x 11' with huge roach and lots of battens so will not be a cheap sail to make and I want someone who knows what they are doing to make it.
I dropped the ball and didn't have it made here over the winter when you get off season discounts, so it occurred to me that if you have off season discounts down there coupled with the favorable exchange rates and sailmakers who are sailors it could work out well.
Of course sails may be generally more expensive there and may not save me anything by I wont know without getting some quotes but need recomendations. I will try some of the Aussie ones suggested but havn't seen any kiwi ones yet so keep em coming.

 

Steve, I already gave you all the answer you need. The sailmakers here want the big $$$ stuff. Give Chip an email, he's an expert on that sort of stuff

 

I happen to know that Ben Kelly has a NEW Nacra 5.4 main that he will sell for around $500 if that size suits you.

Despite what CT249 thinks, I did the original website for Ben when he traded as Sailtech before joining Quantum. His work was superb and there were many winners across many multihull classes

 

I will certainly give Chip a call next week, apparently he was chief sailmaker at Hobie before setting out on his own so is the right kind of sailmaker. We actually have quite a few smaller lofts here that do a lot of beachcat sails but I just want to explore if off season discounts (if they exist) combined with the weak AUD and NZD might give the opportunity for savings compared to buying locally.

 

I don't know the dimensions of a Nacra 5.4 main, I will look into it but I know it wont work. My main is seriously old school, 24' luff x 11' foot with huge roach and a lot of battens, the boom hangs well past the stern, its very classic. Ive not seen another cat with that sort of aspect ratio, which is why it is going to be a custom sail and needs someone who knows how to cut this type of sail, Skip Elliott of Elliott Pattison sails made the original stock sails and I suspect if i have anyone here make it, i will just get through this summer and order from him in the fall.

 

I didn't say anything against Ben. I didn't say his work wasn't superb. I didn't say he didn't have many winners across many multihull classes.

However, there are other sailmakers who do superb work and who have more winners at world level. For Ben to be the best means that guys like Glen Ashby - a multiple world champ, an America's Cup sailor and an Olympic medallist - must be inferior to Ben. That is a VERY big call to make without very solid evidence.

 

CT249,

At least in the A-Class

- Glen's sails have a reputation for being very difficult to trim correctly. However IF you can get it trimmed well then they are supposed to be incredibly fast. Basically you almost have to be Glen Ashby to get Glen's sails to work well.

-Bruin sails have a very good reputation for being both fast and easy to trim.


In the US for a one off odd ball sail my first call would be to Randy Smyth. He only builds multihull sails and has a lot of experience with experimental craft.

Next up would be Jim/Peasy Glaser who again have lots of multihull experience. Are incredibly helpful, and a pleasure to work with.

 

That's interesting, Stumble. I think we had a Brewin main on the Taipan that was also very fast but noticeably harder to use than the Goodall sails. It's such details and intricacies that (IMHO) mean that claiming anyone is "the best" is a stretch.

We're now looking to move into a strict OD cat so we can ignore that sort of detail and just concentrate on getting the best out of the class sails. That will be a nice change.