MacGregorSailors.com

Hi all,

Just picked up a '97 X and spent a few weeks out on the water getting familiar with it. Unfortunately we had our jib sail start coming apart at the Leech I suspect due to UV exposure as I understand the sail cover that came with it is new (meaning it was probably left in the sun prior to that). Also, I've now realized it is a hank on sail on a furler (using sail slugs) and the bronze hanks damage the sail if you try to reef it. We managed to tape it up and to my amazement it lasted the remainder of our holidays, however I am now shopping for replacement sails, or at least a jib. The current sails are Doyle but see no particular reason to stay with them. I see a lot of chatter about Judy B sails and the graphic designs I've seen are very cool however I think I'm after something a little more basic. I'm pretty new to the whole sailing thing having only sunfish experience prior to this so think I would like to stick to a jib only as opposed to a 150 Genoa for the time being. The options I've explored are...

Looking at a roller furling 100 jib only...

Judy B sail 120-X- $674.61 - http://www.hydesailsdirect.com/Macgrego ... /38925.htm
Doyle Sail quoted me $815 - No UV edging
BWY - Standard 5 Oz Dacron replacement - $350 http://bwyachts.com/web%20catalog%20312 ... or_26x.htm

Has anyone used the BWY sails? Are they decent? Price wise they seem a no brainer. Any other recommends?

BWY is going to be a stock mass produced sail. If you are going to keep you boat and want a better longer lasting product got with JB or Doyle.

I replaced my sails a couple years ago through BWY, and they were Doyle. I have no complaints.

Bought both head and main sails off Judy and they are far superior and sail better than the stock sails. Worth the extra $$ IMO

yukonbob wrote:Bought both head and main sails off Judy and they are far superior and sail better than the stock sails. Worth the extra $$ IMO

Same. Judy B's sails were a big improvement.

azav8tor wrote:I replaced my sails a couple years ago through BWY, and they were Doyle. I have no complaints.

Yes Doyle makes the stock sails however if you have them make a cusom sail for you it is far supirior!!! You will get somthing for the extra money!

Ditto - AND I have a pirate logo - son loves it.

yukonbob wrote:Bought both head and main sails off Judy and they are far superior and sail better than the stock sails. Worth the extra $$ IMO

dlandersson wrote:Ditto - AND I have a pirate logo - sons loves it.

yukonbob wrote:Bought both head and main sails off Judy and they are far superior and sail better than the stock sails. Worth the extra $$ IMO

Wow! Did Judy B do your pirate logo? Cool!

I have one of her headsails and it's MUCH better than stock Macgregor sails in every way. I can share another positive vote for Judy B.

With that said, I hear BWY replacement sails are not the junk OEM quality stuff that Macgregor ships with the boat.
Judy sometimes has a backlog for delivery and if time is an issue, I would consider BWY sails as well.

--Russ

Yes she did - son and his friends really get a kick out of it.

And then (on the CD player) we have the soundtrack to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RisL9l8HzmM

RussMT wrote:

dlandersson wrote:Ditto - AND I have a pirate logo - sons loves it.

yukonbob wrote:Bought both head and main sails off Judy and they are far superior and sail better than the stock sails. Worth the extra $$ IMO

Wow! Did Judy B do your pirate logo? Cool!

I have one of her headsails and it's MUCH better than stock Macgregor sails in every way. I can share another positive vote for Judy B.

With that said, I hear BWY replacement sails are not the junk OEM quality stuff that Macgregor ships with the boat.
Judy sometimes has a backlog for delivery and if time is an issue, I would consider BWY sails as well.

--Russ

azav8tor wrote:I replaced my sails a couple years ago through BWY, and they were Doyle. I have no complaints.

Thanks azav8tor, interesting to note they are Doyle. Per the BWY website, the "BWY exclusive" sails are manufactured in Seattle, the quote I received from Doyle says they are manufactured in Point Edward, Ontario. BWY advertise that the Standard replacement sails are a "definite upgrade from the factory sails", "Design features as well as shape and draft have been optimized to enhance the sailing characteristics of the various MacGregor, Venture, and Tattoo Models." The factory Mac sails were 3.9 oz Dacron, vs the standard BWY 5 oz Dacron. I think the BWY sails are still a step up from the factory originals and the price is very attractive. If these sails have been working well for others I think I'll probably go that route....though it seems tough to tell what BWY will actually ship if they are shipping Doyle and yet say they are exclusively manufactured for BWY in Seattle. Will have to give them a call and find out the story.

dlandersson - my kids would love a pirate logo and the theme song to boot! Just not sure I'm willing to spend an extra $300+ for it, though I'm sure the sail is probably better as well. Maybe when I upgrade to a Genoa.

Wet_Feet wrote:

azav8tor wrote:I replaced my sails a couple years ago through BWY, and they were Doyle. I have no complaints.

Thanks azav8tor, interesting to note they are Doyle. Per the BWY website, the "BWY exclusive" sails are manufactured in Seattle, the quote I received from Doyle says they are manufactured in Point Edward, Ontario. BWY advertise that the Standard replacement sails are a "definite upgrade from the factory sails", "Design features as well as shape and draft have been optimized to enhance the sailing characteristics of the various MacGregor, Venture, and Tattoo Models." The factory Mac sails were 3.9 oz Dacron, vs the standard BWY 5 oz Dacron. I think the BWY sails are still a step up from the factory originals and the price is very attractive. If these sails have been working well for others I think I'll probably go that route....though it seems tough to tell what BWY will actually ship if they are shipping Doyle and yet say they are exclusively manufactured for BWY in Seattle. Will have to give them a call and find out the story.

dlandersson - my kids would love a pirate logo and the theme song to boot! Just not sure I'm willing to spend an extra $300+ for it, though I'm sure the sail is probably better as well. Maybe when I upgrade to a Genoa.

Hi all,

We build our Mac26 sails out of Challenge High Modulus 6 oz dacron. It' costs a bit more, but it's going to have a more stable shape than generic 5 oz dacron when it's new and hold it's shape years longer than generic 5 oz dacron. The difference in how the boat handles will be noticable by the time the sails are one season old.

High Modulus dacron will hold a "new" shape longer than generic dacron. Generic dacron stretches out sooner. It's that simple.

If you want to save money and you intend to keep the boat longer than 1-2 years, you should buy the best sails you can afford. Otherwise you'll be sorry in two or three years when the shape deteriorates and the sails are old prematurely.

Roger - and the Pirate logo is on my RF Genoa

http://youtu.be/aXum10dY2j8

I can't speak to a price (prices swing up and down) - but you can't take it with you - and our kids are kids just once. I STILL remember my summers on the beach as a child.

Wet_Feet wrote:dlandersson - my kids would love a pirate logo and the theme song to boot! Just not sure I'm willing to spend an extra $300+ for it, though I'm sure the sail is probably better as well. Maybe when I upgrade to a Genoa.

Hey all,

Just thought I would update with information I received from BWY regarding their sails. They advise that all of their sails are made with Challenge High Modulus Dacron which has less stretch than standard Dacron making for a sail that holds it's shape longer (except for their performance cruising sails which are a 5 ply - dacron | mylar | fiber | mylar | dacron laminate) . They are manufactured to a BWY spec in a local Doyle loft in Seattle. Think that about makes up my mind to go with the BWY sails (sorry Judy). The kids will have to make do with a Jolly Roger Flag.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Cheers,

Wet_Feet wrote:Hey all,

Just thought I would update with information I received from BWY regarding their sails. They advise that all of their sails are made with Challenge High Modulus Dacron which has less stretch than standard Dacron making for a sail that holds it's shape longer (except for their performance cruising sails which are a 5 ply - dacron | mylar | fiber | mylar | dacron laminate) . They are manufactured to a BWY spec in a local Doyle loft in Seattle. Think that about makes up my mind to go with the BWY sails (sorry Judy). The kids will have to make do with a Jolly Roger Flag.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Cheers,

Hi all,

The 26x weighs in at 4000 pounds with waterballast.
In my opinion, 6 oz is the minimum weight I would recommend for a Mac26X mainsail, based on experience and the guidelines printed by Challenge.
I wouldn't recommend 5 oz dacron for any boat over 20 feet and 2500 pounds.

Please forgive my blatant self-promotion, but I think Hyde Sails Direct comes out on the top of the list when doing an apples-to-apples comparison. Of course, I am biased Please understand that I think the people at BWY are great folks, and very well-respected members of the MacGregor community.... but I still think my sails are a better deal. I honestly don't think you can buy a better sail at any price. The Hyde brand is synonymous with quality for over 50 years.

Here's a brief comparison of the mainsails for a 26x, using info published on the websites.
http://bwyachts.com/web%20catalog%20312 ... or_26x.htm
http://www.hydesailsdirect.com/Macgrego ... s-603w.htm

$695 plus shipping (BWY)
5 oz Dacron
2 reefs
4 partial battens

$735 free shipping (Hyde Sails Direct)
6.03 Challenge High Modulus Dacron
2 reefs
one Full batten , three partial. (add $22 for 2Full, 2 partial)

$995 plus shipping (BWY)
6 oz dacron
2 reefs
4 partial battens.

Cheers,
Judy

I just bought my new 26M RF Genoa from Judy. The few extra bucks is well worth the investment. I ordered my new sail and received it in less than four weeks. I am so impressed with the looks, quality and increased performance, I will get all my future sails from Judy!!!