Sailing Triteia · video

What this video covers

James, sailing an Alberg 30 with over 16,000 miles on his original sails, visits the Rolly Tasker sail loft in Phuket, Thailand, where Sven and his team inspect the worn canvas and recommend a full replacement set from Contender Warp Tech fabric — the same cloth used on Ocean Globe Race boats at 7.88-ounce weight.0:26 The old sails are serviceable but sun-yellowed; Rolly Tasker offers new sails as a test program in exchange for feedback upon reaching South Africa.1:06 The new suit matches the original cuts exactly: a 125% Genoa and a fully battened mainsail, with one key addition — a fourth reef James had long wanted after being unable to slow the boat in storms off New Zealand, the Bay of Islands, and Indonesia.1:30 The mainsail also gets a high-visibility orange top panel for rough-weather spotting.3:52 James rigs the fourth reef on the boom but plans to keep it soft-shackled rather than permanently led.6:31 On the passage across the Andaman Sea toward Sri Lanka in very light air, the tri-radial Contender fabric holds sail shape when the old sails would have collapsed, keeping the boat moving in near-calm conditions.9:26 A full performance comparison against the old cruising sails is planned after reaching South Africa.9:38

Boats in this video

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