Intensity Sails - any good?
Hi,
Looking for a replacement H16 jib and Intensity Sails have a great deal on them for $199 (+Shipping) for 5.9oz (that seems very heavy material to me), does anyone have any experience with them? I am not a hard core racer just mess about on my old H16 but here in Australia second hand sails are hard to find, and its going to cost about $80 to ship one in from the US so figure might as well spend $200 on a new one vs $100 on a used one, but cant find any mention of people using Intensity Sails.
Thanks
Anthony
used them to buy a harness . Waited a bit due to it being on backorder , but they kept me informed of shipping date and was received with no issues. They did offer to cancel the order at any time if delay continued . Seemed very honest to deal with and had the best price by far.
Though not cats, we launch these off a beach!
#14 in this Force 5 image is an Intensity, #2098 is class legal Cullen Sailworks sail. It isn't my sail, but I have used it a few times. You can see the geometry isn't quite the same, but its a fine sail.

http://vimeo.com/64361203
3:10 its reefed 3:15 you can see the points

optikid wrote: http://vimeo.com/64361203
3:10 its reefed 3:15 you can see the points
That was confusing, I thought you meant the Force 5 sail also.
The reason the Hobie sail in the video has reef points is that reefing is a race requirement for the Everglades Challenge where the video was made.
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Damon Linkous

for when the wind goes from really bad to insanely bad. Last year's Everglades Challenge kickoff (@ fort desoto) was a 30 knot run (all downwind)
at least 1/2 dozen time we have been camping on the spoil islands, and sunday morning it's blowin 25+.
not so fun sailing home with a full tramp stuffed with camping gear (and a dog in my case).
I have sailed jib only, and bare pole only several times. a small storm main would have been nice
optikid wrote: But what is the second row of reef points for? Its on the pics on their website to
MN3

optikid wrote: But what is the second row of reef points for? Its on the pics on their website to
I doubt the reef points are standard on the Intensity H16 sail.
That particular Hobie 16 sail in the video is the same boat in this picture.
and has had the two reef points added to meet the WaterTribe Reefing Rule which states.
Reefing Rule for ALL Class 3, 4, 5, and 6 Boats: All sailing classes must have a safe and efficient reefing, furling, or recovery system for all sails. You must know how to use your reefing system and it must be fully rigged and ready to go before you launch. If there is a small craft advisory at the time of launch and you don't have all reefs in your sail, you will be immediately DQed.
Reefing is highly recommended but not required for standing sails less than or equal to 12 sqft.
At least one reef point is required for standing sails less than or equal to 36 sqft. Having two reef points is highly recommended for these sails.
At least two reef points is required for any standing sail greater than 36 sqft.
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Damon Linkous

Do the stock Hobie sails come with reef points? I don't see them in the pictures, and my sail set (early to mid 2000s old) does not have them. My sails from 30+ years ago did.
How many racers have reefing grommets on their sails, or is that not a widely adopted rule (bad for traveling racers)?

yelkenli1 wrote: Do the stock Hobie sails come with reef points? I don't see them in the pictures, and my sail set (early to mid 2000s old) does not have them. My sails from 30+ years ago did.
How many racers have reefing grommets on their sails, or is that not a widely adopted rule (bad for traveling racers)?
Factory Hobie sails haven't had reef points for decades. The rule I quoted is strictly for the special case of the WaterTribe races. http://watertribe.org/
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Damon Linkous
DamonLinkous wrote: All sailing classes must have a safe and efficient reefing, furling, or recovery system for all sails.
All sails? So everyone with a jib has to have a roller reefer too?
This is an expensive regatta.
Back in the day, the single reefing point on Prindles and Hobies was in the third panel. I only had to use it once on my 16, but it sure stretched my dacron sailcloth.
If I had to reef again, I don't think I would bother with a point in the second panel. Reefing a cat is a survival technique, not a performance decision.
One of the other sailors thought that the middle grommets needed to be tied tight and subsequently ripped them out of his sail in a big blow. He was on a H16, and because his jib was attached to the boom all across, he thought it necessary to tie it tight. Destroyed a very nice Tequila Sunrise main.

Getting back to the first comment, I use an intensity sail for my Laser. Intensity sails are actually highly regarded in the Laser world. The sails are well made and hold up very well, although not class legal. I don't have any experience with their Hobie sails but I would expect similar results.
If their Hobie sails are anything like their Laser sails, go for it! The price is great and the product is really sturdy. It may be a little heavier than the factory material, but that's not such a bad thing if its just a cruise around boat.
AJ Sawyer

All sails? So everyone with a jib has to have a roller reefer too? This is an expensive regatta.
This is not really a regatta, this is a multi stage race around florida
"The race circumnavigates Florida and covers roughly 1200 miles including a 40-mile portage connecting the St. Marys River to the Suwannee River."
and it's not ony for "stock" boats - http://thebeachcats.com/forums/viewtopic/topic/14141
MN3
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