UK Sailmakers’ Winter Service Program is more than just washing and storing sails. Your sails will go through a comprehensive inspection to make sure they will be up to the job in the upcoming season. We check over stitching, batten pockets, seam integrity, cloth condition, webbings, hardware, and more, making recommendations regarding repairs or replacement if necessary.
If you think we’re kidding, photographer Kath Moulden caught these dramatic sail failure shots at the first races of the Fremantle Sailing Club’s Inshore Summer Series. For a sail to blow-out this dramatically, there must have been warning signs before this happened. As it turns out, the owner of this boat had just purchased it and he was sailing with “what he had.” If this sail had been brought in for UK Sailmaker’s Winter Service, we would have seen those warning signs and the sail’s owner would have been advised that the sail was in poor condition and was no longer strong enough for heavy weather sailing for which it was designed.
Severe sail failure can ruin a day of racing, not just for the boat owner who will have to pay for a major repair or replacement, but for all the crew members who gave up their day to join the team. And, if losing one day of racing on the water due to sail failure is not bad enough, think of what could happen if a sail failed during your family’s summer vacation cruise if one of your “go-to” sails is no longer available. Realizing that most family cruises take months of planning and effort, a disappointed family is probably a worse situation than a disappointed race crew.
If you live in the northern hemisphere, avoid severe sail failure…and severe disappointments…next year by bringing your sails in to UK Sailmakers for winter service now.
