Paul Lees is the founder of Crusader Sails, which has been sailmaking for 50 years. He took part in the 1979 Fastnet
Having owned my 1984 Sadler 29, Pasque, for four years, and cruising with family and, more recently, small children on board, we began to get to know her foibles. She likes to heel a fair amount, readily going to 25º or even 30º of heel by the time she’s powered up; she makes a moderate amount of leeway, and she develops quite heavy weather helm unless the main is reefed very early. With a modest beam and an unbalanced, skeg-hung rudder, some of this down to the late 1970s design, but it’s unfair to blame many of her quirks on her lines.
The sails, though mechanically still perfectly sound, with no rips or tears, were of an unknown age and were starting to look very baggy, with a lot of belly, and stretches in some odd places.
I am no expert on sails, however, so I asked Paul Lees of Crusader Sails in Poole for a professional opinion, and to see what he could suggest to improve how the boat sails and handles with her current canvas.
Ultimately, I was beginning to think that it might be time for me to take the plunge and get new sails, but it would certainly help if I could make the current ones last another season or two.
Having slipped out of Lymington on a warm October day, we were rewarded with a consistent Force 3,
