I am new to Sailing, but have had two seasons of lessons on Solings at a club on Boston Harbor. Hence, I am still on a learning curve. Last year, I bought a 1981 DSII and the curve suddenly got steeper... I was relieved to have found this website. Since the DSII is my first Sailboat, I spent most of last season cleaning it up and did not launch it until 09-21-2001 due to excess layers of anti-fouling paint and a heavily oxidized layer of Gel coat. ...It was a short season. Which brings me to my issue: The Brown / Yellow / White paneled "DS" insignia Main (no hull numbers) that came with it is original, old, ugly as sin, and completely shot. In February, after shopping around for awhile, I bought a new Main from "The Sail Warehouse". The price for Rolly Tasker's "Standard / OEM" Main Sail was great @ $435.00 which included one set of reefs. It's 100% Dacron composition, has a nice coat of resin, and the boltropes and cringles are well attached. Given the price, their catalog was pretty specific in stating that it is a "Cruising Sail". Specifically, the specs do not match DSA regulations. The Luff, @ 21' 4", is 10" in excess of the Mast Band 2<>3 measurement of 20' 6"; the Leech, @ 23', is 1' 3" in excess; and the Foot, @ 10' 2", is 2" in excess of the Boom Band measurement of 10'. Therefore, it cannot be used for racing, which is fine since my ability at this stage is far from sailing competitively. My logic here is that I really don't know this boat very well yet, and I feel that I just need a "workhorse" Sail which can take some beginner's mistakes and accidental abuse without having to worry about damaging a significant investment as I overcome the performance learning curve. A lot of you guys have advocated saving your "good Sails" for optimal conditions or organized events. Although it seems that it would make for a great light air Sail, I am wondering if it will be too much Sail in heavier wind? In other words, will I need to be reefed constantly? Moreover, as a beginner, am I going to develop some bad habits using this Sail that I will only have to "break" when I eventually spring for a regulation Main? Therefore, I would be grateful for some feedback from anyone whom has some experience with a Sail with similar specs? Or, should I just bite the bullet and order the $725.00 regulation Main that Norm Cressey quoted to me at the New England Boat Show, here in Boston, in February?
Larry Driscoll (ldriscol-at-aol.com)