We are new to sailing and need to replace the mainsail for a Northshore 27 we recently bought. We find the idea of measuring the mainsail a bit daunting. Can anyone help with mainsail measurements for this yacht? Also we are a looking at a cost effective sail for cruising, ideally we would like 2 reefing points and a fully battened sail. I understand reefing points and battens can be added if we buy a sail that doesn have these. Does anyone know if that is correct? We are in Sydney. Thanks
sailexchange.com.au has a sail database there with dimensions for many including the Northshore 27. They can also recut anything they have in stock to suit.
Any local sailmaker will likely come down and measure for you if you're buying a new sail.
Adding reef points and/or battens is always possible but may not be cost effective.
An Etchells main is a close fit. Reefing points used to cost $200-300 to add into them. I've used them for a boat of similar dimensions and they work pretty damn well even for overnight offshore work. Just be aware that they are "hard finished" dacron and will be a bit stiff to fold. They don't work on masthead rigged boats but the NS27's fractional rig is like the one on my boat.
The best way to get a cheap one is to wander down to the local Etchells fleet one race day and ask around.
Yes Etchells mains have been directly fitted and also cut down and fitted to many fractionally rigged as well as masthead yachts - for sure as Chris says they are hard finished. Need to get the luff curve to match your mast right - for a fractional rig it could work ok but for a masthead rig with a stiff mast it could result in a way too full sail especially the bubble off the luff. Realise you are not racing. Andrew Chapman at www.chps.com.au can do a cost effective luff cut down as he has done for me in the past but if the sail needs a luff curve flattening as well it will probably not be cost effective. And reef points added are $200-300 as per Chris.
