Submitted on October 17, 2001 by Patrick Fiorentino

Question: In general terms. As we go up the line how does price increase. For Example if a 4800 Series is $1000. How would each of the following fall in.

General Terms is fine, ie this line is 10% more etc.

Answer: Hi Patrick, The various product lines for North Cruising sails vary differently depending on the size and type of sails. For instance, the jump in price from a 4800 series dacron mainsail to a spectra mainsail could be significantly different than from a 4800 series genoa to a spectra genoa. Paneled sails ( dacron, spectra or SNL ) are priced based on the cost of the fabric plus factors that relate to the complexity of the sails construction. If the sail is very complicated, for instance a fully battened mainsail with 3 reefs, the construction factors will account for a higher percentage of the cost than the fabric type. On a simple sail like a headsail with no battens, the differences in fabric cost will have a larger effect on the sail price.

Different categories of fabric have different breaks in fabric application. A sail made from the SNL fabric group might jump into a heavier (more expensive) weight while a comparable spectra sail might not. In short, it would be misleading to try to give you a % differance in price between the product categories. In very general terms, the cost of the product groups for upwind sails would stack up as follows, from least to most expensive:

4800 Polyester
Premium Nordac
SNL
SR Spectra
Marathon
Gatorback Spectra

G-Series sails are downwind sails made of nylon products. They are not comparable with the other product categories. For more specific pricing information for your boat, you should contact a North Sails sales representative. Once you fill him in on the sails you are interested in he can provide you with the exact fabric alternatives and their associated costs.

Regards,
Dan Neri

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