When do i need a new sail

If you are very competative and you race in a ton of regattas every year and practie alot then you might get a new one every season or more. If you arent so competative and you only race in a handful of regattas a season and practice on the weekends you might get one every other season. if you dont race and you just like to cruise around occasionally it doesnt matter how stiff it is so use it till it rips or is really nasty and old then get a new one.
 
As soon as you are sufficiently bothered because somebody else has a nicer sail and is passing you and your ego says, "That guy shouldn't be passing me. It must be the sail."

Then you are out a few hundred dollars and the sail may or may not solve your problem ( mental and sailing).

Of course if you can manage to use the old sail just to "give the guys who aren't as good as me a chance," you can save a lot of money.

But sooner or later you need to get a good enough sail so that your friends won't be complaining that "his old rag is so wasted he can't point, he squirts out the back of the fleet, and we don't get to race with him." ( our lovcal example is vernon whpo has 27165 wand sails it with the original sail. He is actrually a [pretty darned good sailor but he doesn't really "race" anymore even when he starts and goes around all the buoys.
 
I always define a "race sail" as the best one I can afford. Before marrage and children a race sail was brand new or almost brand new. Now not so new.
 
A new sail won't make a difference in club races, but in large, regional races it will. Go out and find someone with an almost new or new sail and do some sail testing. sail upwind for a while, then switch boats so you're sailing the new sail and he has yours. If you can keep up, it's fine. If you can't, you probably need a new one.
 
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