Part of managing a sailing program of any kind, cruising or racing, is learning how to get the most out of your equipment. From deck hardware and bottom paint to rigging and sails, something always seems to need replacing or fixing. Luckily, when it comes to sails there are a few inexpensive things you can do to help you extend the sail life a little longer — and reduce the environmental impact of disposing of old sails, too! In this article I share some of my suggestions for keeping your sails ready season after season.

1. GET YOUR SAILS INSPECTED

Sail inspections can bring to light not only torn stitches or tired webbing, but also underlying issues that may be causing more damage to your sail. For example, broken stitching on the luff of the sail could indicate too much halyard tension. Dimples in your spinnaker could be the result of the crew pulling it down by grasping the middle of the sail, instead of using the tapes. Adjusting for these common issues can prevent further damage to the sail and extend its usefulness.

Annual inspections should be part of every program with the goal of maximizing the life of the sail. Catching and fixing a few small problems (especially if the sail is older) can also prevent catastrophic failure on the water. Oftentimes, repairs will extend the life of your sails, and save you money over time.

To start, get in touch with your local Quantum Sails Loft and their service department. You can schedule an on-the-boat inspection, or you can remove the sails yourself and schedule a time to drop them off at the loft. Once your sails are inspected, a service team member will reach out with any repairs that are recommended, as well as an estimate of the cost of these repairs or improvements. Our recommendations will also take into consideration other factors, like if you are planning to go offshore soon, if the racing season is around the corner, or if the boat is going into storage for a while.

2. RECUT YOUR SAILS EVERY FEW YEARS

All sails stretch and lose shape over time and through use. If you’re experiencing the tell-tale signs of stretched sails — an inability to point, difficulty steering, or lack of power under sail — it doesn’t necessarily mean you need new sails. Many sailors don’t realize sails can be recut to bring back up to 90 percent of their original shape and extend their life at a fraction of the cost of new ones — and without the waste of disposing of fixable cloth. Typically, one or two recuts can be done over the life of a sail. Recutting sails has been a common practice in professional programs for years, some programs will even adjust and recut sails between race days!

You’ll want a handful of good sail shape photos to take to the loft along with your sail. Check out our How to Photograph Sail Shape article to learn how to get the best shots and start your recordkeeping — bonus points if you take photos of your sails on an annual basis! If you’re curious about the recut process and benefits, this article outlines what you need to know.

3. HAVE YOUR SAILS PROFESSIONALLY REPAIRED

You might have saved the day with your quick-fix when the spinnaker caught on a turnbuckle and started to rip, but did you remember to take it to the loft for a proper repair afterward? Onboard sail repairs are great when you need to fix the sail and get back to the dock safely, but they’re not meant to be permanent. You’d be surprised how easy it is to forget you have a few strips of duct tape holding part of your sail together when it’s packed out of sight, and out of mind. As you can guess, ignoring damage will not end well for the sail, or for your budget. Repair for real, and possibly avoid replacing.

4. CHECK YOUR RIG TUNE

If your rig tune is out of whack, it can significantly affect sail performance. Before you throw in the towel with your current sails, check to make sure the issue isn’t your rig. Have an expert sail with you to see what adjustments might remedy the problem. This is especially important for cruisers who don’t regularly tune their rigs for conditions the way a race program might.

5. CONSIDER SAIL ADD-ONS

There are a number of sail add-ons and updates that can help improve functionality and extend their lifespan.

UV covers on all your sails provide an important, and money-saving barrier from the damages caused by the sun. “Almost all of the sail degradation we see in our loft is from extended UV exposure — even if the sail blows because of a different structural issue, oftentimes the problem was originally caused by sun exposure,” says Alan. Think beyond a mainsail cover — your headsail and downwind sails need protection, too.

Reefing points are a great add-on, especially if you often find yourself sailing in conditions that require a reef or two. Have a talk with your sailmaker and discuss what types of conditions you’re sailing in, and they can make a recommendation for any additions of reefing points so that when the wind kicks up and you need to batten down, you’re not flogging your sails until they’re damaged. Spreader patches can also reduce friction between the leech of your headsail and your standing rigging during tacks. When placed correctly, they can help extend the life of the sail by protecting one of the more vulnerable spots.

Torsional furlers are a less budget-friendly option up front, but over time will save you quite a bit of wear and tear on your downwind sail(s). They work in the same way your conventional headsail roller furling system works, except that instead of aluminum foils wrapped around a fixed stay, a torsional rope is used, and the tack is fixed to the drum at the bottom. This way, when the breeze comes up you can crank down on the furling line instead of fighting and pulling against a ballooning sail. As a bonus, once the downwind sail is furled, you can take the whole furler down, and it too can be protected from the elements over time.

6. STORE OUT OF THE ELEMENTS

Any time you can remove your sails is time you can save them from UV, moisture, and temperature exposure. If you’re going out of town for three months and can put the sails into climate control, that will equate to at least three more months added to the sails’ total lifespan. Quantum Sail Lofts offer climate-controlled storage, and while they’re here, they can also be inspected if desired.

Optimal storage will be out of the sun, and have both temperature and humidity control. If you’re storing your sails below deck, but with no air conditioning or dehumidifier to keep the conditions safe for the sails, it’s hardly better than being outside exposed directly to the elements. When possible, make sure they’re stored correctly.

7. LOOK BEYOND THE SAIL

It is important to look at the health and setup of your boat’s entire system in order to get the most out of your sails. Not all systems are created equally, and having the right sail handling system for your needs will help reduce stress on the sails. Roller furlers are great for easily and smoothly using your headsail, especially if you have a novice crew or sail short-handed. Mainsail handling systems, such as the Dutchman and an in-mast or boom furling system, can also come in handy and help to reduce wear-and-tear on your sail. Anything that can improve the ease of handling, especially when you are sailing short-handed, will over time reduce the strain on the sail and extend its life.

Of course, the right system needs to be in good shape. If the sail handling system is failing, you’re at risk of damaging your sail. Similarly, sun-rotted lines or finicky winches pose threats to sails under load, as do sticky tracks and tired blocks. Invite your sailmaker or local rep to your boat for help identifying problem areas or to discuss options for improving your sail handling systems.

You shouldn’t give up on your trusty sails just because you’re starting to experience performance issues or they’re getting older. Call your sailmaker and explore a few of these ideas when you're evaluating your inventory for the season. If you decide a new set of sails is the right solution, use this information and the expertise of your sailmaker to ensure your sails are set up properly and you're using best practices and sail care services to maximize their lifespan and protect your investment.

This box score from the Norfolk Tides (AAA affiliate of the Orioles) is INSANE!

The team features three MLB Pipeline Top 35 prospects, including No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday.

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles lead MLB with 27 home runs. They’re pacing the American League with 100 runs scored through 17 games. The most impressive aspect of it all?

Nearly everybody in Baltimore’s lineup is mashing right now.

Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Ryan O'Hearn all went deep in the Orioles’ 11-3 victory over the Twins at Camden Yards on Tuesday night, marking the fourth straight game in which the O’s have slugged three-plus homers. It’s the first time they’ve had such a streak since May 21-24, 2013.

“It just feels like whenever we’re clicking, this is the kind of night we can have,” said Henderson, who belted a two-run home run in the second inning. “Just being able to put one of these nights together is really fun, and it just shows what this offense can do.”

It has been five or six years since we last addressed the dreaded topic of racing in light air. Probably because it is one of my least favorite things to do. But it is getting to be that time of year (certainly here on the Chesapeake Bay), and there are going to be plenty of races where we just don’t have a choice. So, in no particular order or relevance, here are some thoughts on winning in “sub-optimal” conditions.

ATTITUDE

We need to embrace the fact that light air racing is often a bit of a crap shoot. I am the worst at this. Sailboat racing has enough uncontrollable variables in the best of conditions. The lighter the breeze the greater the number of variables, most of which are out of control. Be prepared for having the breeze die just after you have established an unassailable lead while you watch the whole fleet sail up to you. Or maybe seeing the time limit expire just as you approach the finish line. These and other tales of woe come with the territory. You just have to laugh and accept the injustice of it all. The good news is that sometimes we are the lucky ones and get that last puff that puts us over the edge. Remember that in light air it is never over.

RACE COMMITTEE

It is easy to hate the race committee in light air. Why are they trying to run this race? There is no wind. We just had a 50-degree shift. What are they thinking? Keep in mind that they are struggling just like you. Getting a course set up and a start off in light, shifty conditions is hard. They are volunteers doing their best. The overriding goal is to try to get a race off. Now this may be wrong, but it is driven into them. Hopefully when they see that the last two classes to start are still on the line mixing with the class that is trying to start, they will see the error in their ways. It is okay to not start a race or abandon one. Sometimes wind, the key ingredient we all depend upon, just does not cooperate. Above all, have a heart and sympathize.

Quantum Sails’ Dave Flynn breaks down key factors to take into consideration when sailing downwind to help get your angles, jibes, and speed up to snuff. With some practice and keeping track of what works in different breeze ranges, you’ll be ripping downwind in no time!

WHAT ANGLE SHOULD I SAIL AT DOWNWIND?

It can be useful to divide sailing downwind into three modes: under 10 knots true, 10-14, and over 14.

If you own a relatively standard mono-hull, the magic true wind angle is around 140 degrees in 10 knots of wind or less. In 10-14 the optimum angle quickly becomes broader, somewhere in between 140 and 155 degrees true wind angle. Once there is more than 14 knots of breeze, you should be sailing as deep as you can with control. The only exception to the rule is if your boat has a very high horsepower-to-weight ratio, in which case you may sail slightly tighter angles on average. In 14+ knots it will actually pay to head back up into the low 140s. If your boat is light enough, it will begin to plane and surf in this much breeze.

What if you don’t have instruments capable of providing true wind angle? Notice, apparent wind angle was never referenced. This is because the optimum apparent wind angle changes rapidly with relatively small changes in wind speed.  A typical displacement mono-hull will see the optimum apparent wind angle range from 90 to 130 degrees as the velocity increases from 4 to 10 knots. This makes the apparent wind angle simply too volatile to be useful. The true wind angle remains virtually constant over this same range. Hence, it’s power.

Quantum Sails Annapolis’ Dave Flynn boils down years of industry knowledge into a few easy to check bullet points to help you know when to replace your sails. Here’s the quick list for reference, and read on to get the full explanation and breakdown on structural integrity versus sail shape life. 

If you are experiencing any of the following issues, it may be time to consider replacing your sails:

If you can take an existing tear and extend it with your fingers.

You are having difficulty furling or rolling your sail (particularly with in-mast furling mainsails).

Your upwind performance is suffering, particularly your ability to point.

Your have excessive heel or weather helm.

You seem a little bit off the pace relative to your usual competition.

Your sail looks like this (See Photo):

Unfortunately, no sail will last forever. They are consumables. Much like the tires on your car, your sails need to be part of your regular maintenance plan. How long a sail lasts before it needs to be retired depends on the type of sailing you are doing and how demanding you are in terms of optimum performance. In the high-end grand prix and one design world, sail life is counted in hours. This is not because the sail is falling apart, but because it is the extra boat length or two that make the difference between winning and being in the back of the pack. New sails are always faster, if only by tiny amounts. Club level racers without unlimited budgets still need to recognize that sail shape deteriorates and plan to replace the most used sails in the inventory on a regular basis. If you start with a new inventory and replace a sail, or two, a year you will be well ahead of the game. For cruising sailors, the answer is more complicated.

In cruising, the sailor should have two main considerations. The first is from a structural standpoint. How long will the sail remain intact as a triangle? The second relates to sail shape. How long will the sail function as a critical airfoil, capable of driving the boat well and being effective upwind? This question is the tougher of the two.