Mains, Jibs, Genoas, Code Zeros, Screechers, Spinnakers.
Potomac Sailmakers is a NeilPryde Agent. In the past year we have successfully completed many new sail projects. All were made for us by Neil Pryde and not one complaint! See completed new sails projects for a list.
Most of our sail work is done in Dacron, Nylon for spinnakers and Laminates for racing sails.
New sails are designed locally and depending on size and type, are built locally or at one of our partner Neil Pryde Sails manufacturing sites. At the recent US Sailboat Show in Annapolis we shared the tent with NeilPryde. We received so many compliments on the quality of the Neil Pryde Sails that we lost count. NeilPryde Sails are have exceptional quality and are very cost effective. Stop throwing money at patches and old baggy sails, order a new sail now!
Construction
Crosscut construction is easiest way to build any sail. It essentially involves stitching together horizontal panels of cloth that are stacked from the foot to the head.
Tri-radial sails are constructed with panels radiating from the three corners of the sail. The panels orient out from the Head, Clew, and Tack and align the warp fibers with the primary load paths of the sail resulting in a more durable sail, which retains its flying shape for longer than traditional woven polyester sails.
This is important the radial-construction option accommodates the higher loads placed upon larger or more performance-oriented sails.
Materials
Neil Pryde works closely with Challenge Sailcloth and Contender USA in developing the fabrics that will represent the best performance, longevity and value to our customers. All of our woven fabrics that we use in our sails, come from these two suppliers. Challenge Sailcloth products are used for both locally made and Neil Pryde made sails. Through an aggressive manufacturer quality control system, and then through Neil Pryde’s own in-house testing procedures, which include INSTRON strip testing and visual testing for flatness, the fabric we use day to day is consistently the best we can buy. We have samples in our loft and can recommend a cloth that matches the the sailing environment you most often encounter.
Racing Laminates
Neil Pryde utilizes three suppliers for our racing and cruising laminated fabrics; Dimension/Polyant, Contender USA and Bainbridge Int. These three supply our Pentex, Carbon Fiber, Maxx Fabric, and Spectra cloths. In addition, Neil Pryde make use of the new racing ‘string’ type sail technology such as the Dimension D-4 product and our own LPS Sail Technology.
UV Cloth
Click here to view our Stock Sunbrella colors for UV Covers
Nylon
The Challenge .75oz and 1.5oz rip-stop nylon are the industry standards for Spinnakers when it comes to performance and durability. In addition we stock the full range of colors! This material has been used in a very wide variety of boats both cruising and racing and continues to prove itself day in, day out.
.75oz Performance
- New finish yields 50% less porosity
- 20-30% tighter weave than some coated fabrics of the same weight
- Now in 60” goods
- Best finish for seam taping racing sails
- New Process gives the least shrinkage
- *Ocean Blue not available in .75oz
1.5oz Durability
- Actual weight 1.68oz
- High count 70 denier construction
Sail Control
We sell ATN and ChuteSCOOP brand spinnaker socks. For a Code 0 zeros, we use Selden furling systems. Genoa furling systems rarely fail and most customers already have solid furling systems. Although rare, we still do conversions.
Measuring
Do you want to avoid a poorly fitting sail? Then avoid ordering new sails from “online” shops which are often not real lofts. This is important because many “online” lofts simply take the book specifications and make the sail. In our experience, every boat is different. Even production runs of the same make and model have small variations. This is especially true for used boats. One never knows if the former owner(s) replaced the roller furler, or had a de-masting and has a new mast that is a bit longer or shorter or has a different track!
We go the extra steps by measuring the boat and sail and working with you to understand the type of sailing you intend to do and just as importantly where you intend to cruise.
We repair all makes and types of sails
Thread, UV-Cover, bolt-rope, and hardware are also very important components of any sail and we pay particular attention to these in new sail construction as well as in repairs.
