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Submitted on August 12, 2004 by E. Berns

Question: What is the recommended wind range for a typical 0.75 oz Nylon poleless cruising spinnaker?

Thanks,
E. Berns

Answer: Hi, the wind range for .75 oz fabric is dependent on the size of the boat and the apparent wind angle that the sail is being used in. The fabric is strong enough to be used on a 35-foot boat in 25 knots of wind as long as the apparent wind angle is aft of the beam. When the sails break, it is always the result of the sail flogging and impacting something hard, typically the end of a spreader during a roundup. In that case, it doesn't really matter what weight nylon the sail is made out of. The spreader wins every time.

So, a more relevant question is, "what wind strength and angle is the maximum for good steering control of the boat?"

Regards,
Dan Neri

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