New Genoa Sail - Add Foam Luff?

[JSilver]

I am looking to replace my 135 genoa and have contacted a couple of different companies for quotes. Both Doyle and Precision Sails are the lowest price with similar delivery time. One company is suggesting that we add a foam luff and the other suggested not to add it. Can anyone offer an opinion on whether we should add a foam luff to our new sail. We typically sail in New Jersey.

[wolfe10]

Depends on how much of the time you will be sailing with a partially furled jib vs fully out.

The foam luff will give slightly poorer performance upwind with the jib fully out and quite a bit better shape with it partially furled.

So, YOUR sailing conditions will dictate the answer.

[russp]

Based on my experience, any slight loss of performance fully out is more than compensated by having way better looking (and presumably better performing) sail when partially furled. Mine looked awful pre foam luff, looks great post. Of course balancing that, if you are furling then you already have too much wind and so performance doesn't matter (pointing maybe), whereas if fully out you want 101% performance so you might have to decide if you are either highly competitive, or anal about your sail shape!

[william vanwagoner]

I purchased a 135 Genoa from Quantum Sails with a foam luff about 4 years ago and will never go back. The foam luff makes all the difference in the world. When fully deployed I don't experience any difference in performance from the old non-foam luff roller furling genoa. However, in Long Beach CA we frequently see 15 knots or better, often north of 20 at which time furling with half decent sail shape is absolutely wonderful. Without the foam luff sail shape was terrible with some bagginess which is the last thing you want trying to point in higher winds.

[JohnNorton]

Regarding new genoa: I have purchased from Precision sails and have not always been happy. I had to send back a mainsail- and they tried three times to get it right, never did. I previously had bought a genoa from them which had the foam inserts and this sail did seem OK. But I have advised others to go with Doyle- or North Sails. -My saving a few (or a lot) of dollars was not the best choice; a dacron sail last a heck of a long time.