What a new sail really costs

A low quote can grow once shipping, import duty and broker fees are added. Ask every seller for the price delivered to your door.

Ours: the price on the page updates as you choose options, so you see the full price right away with no wait for a quote. Shipping is free to US addresses. Prices do not include import duties or taxes for shipments outside the US.

Cloth makes the biggest difference to how long a sail keeps its shape. Ask what cloth is used, its weight, and who makes it.

Ours: cut from Challenge sailcloth made in the USA and sewn with Tenara thread. Cloth weight is listed for each sail.

Reef rows, insignia, cunningham, draft stripes, telltales and battens are often extra. Check each one.

Ours: each sail page lists what is included in the price. Mainsails for boats over 18 ft include one row of reefs, and extra rows are priced on the page.

Ask how long the warranty is and what it covers.

“Our Inshore Sails, perfect for daysailing and short jaunts along the coast, carry a 3-year warranty. Our Offshore Sails are as tough as they come and feature a 5-year warranty.”

Ours: 3 years on inshore sails, 5 years on offshore sails.

If you are outside the US, ask every seller whether import duty and taxes are included in the price.

Ours: Prices do not include import duties or taxes for shipments outside the US.

Ask for a firm ship date, especially before spring.

Ours: every sail is a custom sail and ships in about 4 weeks. The one exception: we stock Sunfish sails, which ship in 3–5 days. Solid-color Sunfish sails are custom sails and ship in about 3–4 weeks.

A sail's depth and the position of its deepest point (draft) are set when it is designed, then built in by broad seaming: shaping the edges of each panel so flat cloth sews into a curved wing. Getting this right is what makes a sail set well.

Our designs are by Sandy Goodall. Sandy is a former partner in Elvstrøm Sails, the Danish loft founded by four-time Olympic gold medalist Paul Elvstrøm, where he was technical director and head of design. Our current sail designs are his, and he is still available for specific design questions.

Every sail is cut from Challenge sailcloth made in the USA and sewn with Tenara thread. Our sailmaking roots go back to 1982, when sails were still built by hand.

Sources: www.fxsails.com · ptwatercraft.com · elvstromsails.com