Submitted on March 13, 2002 by John Collins

Question: I believe I had seen an ad some time ago for a sail that you had for classic boats. I have a 1959 S&S Pilot fractional rig sloop. What sail from your product line would you recommend? John Collins

Answer: Hi John, North Sails makes three lines of woven polyester (Dacron) fabric. In general terms the three groups of fabric are targeted towards;

1) High aspect ratio, relatively high performance "NSP Premium",
2) more balanced weave "NSP 4800" fabrics geared towards long term durability and
3) "Oceanus Yacht Cloth", a specialty line of fabrics specifically engineered for traditional yachts.

We also manufacture a line called "Oceanus Ship Cloth" which has become the preferred fabric for square rigged ships around the world. Most likely you are thinking of the Oceanus Yacht Cloth. The finish of this line of fabrics has an off-white color and a very soft hand. It produces traditional looking sails that hold their shape nearly as well as today's high performance polyester fabrics.

Many of the outstanding yachts at last summers Jubilee Regatta in Cowes had new sail inventories made from Oceanus fabrics. The edges and corners of the sails can be constructed with modern techniques and leather chafe protection, or you can special order Oceanus sails with more traditional hand worked details. Any of the North Sails sales representatives can provide you with information about Oceanus sails specifically for your boat.

Best Regards,
Dan Neri

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