Sunfish racing sail vs recreational sail (measured)

Pippins

Member
I have read many posts about the difference between the racing and recreational sail. Out of curiosity I decided to pull a few old sails to compare them. The first two sails I chose were a North recreational sail from 2007 and a North racing sail from the 2008 worlds. I use a stake to tie the ends down and compare them for foot, luff and leach length. The sails were nearly identical. Same measurements within 1/2 inch ( 159 inch luff, 159 inch foot, 169 inch leach). In addition, the foot and luff rounds were the same as well. The material feels to be of the same weight and type. Panel construction and reinforcing details nearly identical. The only differences I could spot were the racing sail has the Cunningham grommet, a window, and additional reinforcing panels on the leach between the panels.

2008 North racing sail - 79 sqft
2007 North recreational sail - 79 sqft

Out of curiosity I pulled out a few more sails to compare.

1976 OEM recreational sail (complete with stars!) - 79 sqft - Measures identical to the 2008 North racing sail, noticeably lighter material, flatter cut with less foot and luff round.
2018 Intensity racing sail - 79 sqft - Measures same as 2008 North racing sail.
1980s no name recreational sail - 77 sqft - Measured slightly under the other sails - noticeably lighter material, much flatter cut with less foot and luff round.
 

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The race sail is cut with more draft in the sail
The dimensions on the booms are the same but is fuller and has more power. The adjustable outhaul and cunningham allow better shaping to take advantage of the fuller sail.
 
Not a sailmaker, but that's my understanding as well. I wonder how one can measure draft (easily).
 
I did measure the draft. Identical. The panel size, shape and locations were spot on as well.

The 2007 North recreational sail appears to be functionally identical to the racing sail.

The adjustable outhaul is part of the boom assembly and has nothing to do with the sail.

The Cunningham grommet is slightly closer to tack then the normal first eyelet on the the recreational sail. The recreational sail can be sailed with the Cunningham line through this eyelet, although ultimate durability will be comprised as the eyelet is small and will be more susceptible to pulling out.

This was really more of a fact finding mission for me as I've heard so many conflicting accounts of the differences.

From what I can tell with my small sample size, the recreational sails in the 70's and 80's were probably flatter but at somepoint that changed and they are now nearly identical.
 
I don’t know how to accurately measure draft either. For the most part since the late 90s, class-legal rec sails have had either 6 or 7 panels, and those sails usually look flatter. These are sails from 3-4 years ago
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@beldar boathead, I think the quickest way to get rough idea is to look at the foot and luff round (lay the sail flat and draw a straight line from tack to clue/head and measure the amount of extra material). Obviously these you have posted have a different panel layout then the ones I measured, the North recreation sail I have has the same panel layout as the race sail.

On a side note, the idea of a flatter rec sail has always bothered me. If the deeper race sail is faster it should be on the rec sail as well. It costs no more money to build the sail deeper. The only reason I can come up with is the average sailor maybe tends to the pinch a sunfish and the flatter sail allows you to go tighter to the wind.
 
I would have presumed the race sail to be a more dimensionally stable cloth. Dacron instead of nylon for instance. Kind of a surprise, your findings. Might be worth asking a proper sailmaker such as Quantum or North.
 
My guess is that North Sails finds it more economical to cut and construct the recreational and race sail the same. But the manufacturers of Sunfish recreational sails has not always been North, and they may cut corners in different areas, such as regular grommets vs spur grommets, stitch length and width, broadseaming, no corner reinforcement, etc...

From the 1980 WINDWARD LEG, Sunfish newsletter, information on the early days of race sail development by Hans Fogh. He added bi-directional panels at the head and clew, broadseaming to increase panel fullness, cut the foot and luff to match spar bend and add draft, reinforced the corners, changed the luff and foot grommets to spur grommets, reinforced the grommet/seam tape, developed fabric specifications to ensure cloth weave standardizations, and cut mylar patterns that were used to cut all of the race sails.
 
My guess is that North Sails finds it more economical to cut and construct the recreational and race sail the same. But the manufacturers of Sunfish recreational sails has not always been North, and they may cut corners in different areas, such as regular grommets vs spur grommets, stitch length and width, broadseaming, no corner reinforcement, etc...

From the 1980 WINDWARD LEG, Sunfish newsletter, information on the early days of race sail development by Hans Fogh. He added bi-directional panels at the head and clew, broadseaming to increase panel fullness, cut the foot and luff to match spar bend and add draft, reinforced the corners, changed the luff and foot grommets to spur grommets, reinforced the grommet/seam tape, developed fabric specifications to ensure cloth weave standardizations, and cut mylar patterns that were used to cut all of the race sails.
That Fogh sail only lasted until 1990, when the current racing sail came along. It’s even fuller than the Fogh was.

North’s rec sails were typically much different than the racing sails. But that is water over the dam as LP found a Portuguese sail maker to make racing and rec sails. While the racing sails seem the same as North, the rec sails use what looks like a new cut with 6 panels.
 
My guess is that North Sails finds it more economical to cut and construct the recreational and race sail the same. But the manufacturers of Sunfish recreational sails has not always been North, and they may cut corners in different areas, such as regular grommets vs spur grommets, stitch length and width, broadseaming, no corner reinforcement, etc...

From the 1980 WINDWARD LEG, Sunfish newsletter, information on the early days of race sail development by Hans Fogh. He added bi-directional panels at the head and clew, broadseaming to increase panel fullness, cut the foot and luff to match spar bend and add draft, reinforced the corners, changed the luff and foot grommets to spur grommets, reinforced the grommet/seam tape, developed fabric specifications to ensure cloth weave standardizations, and cut mylar patterns that were used to cut all of the race sails.
 

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