Training sails for Laser® * FAQ

-1- How does the i-Sails® for Laser® * sail compare to the official ILCA sail ?

-2- Why train with a i-Sails® for Laser® * sail ?

-3- May I race with my i-Sails® for Laser® * sail ?

-1- How does the i-Sails® compare to the official ILCA sail ?

Our sail is cut to fit the Laser® * mast. We use a different cloth than for the ILCA sail, a high end dinghy Dacron, in the same weight class (160 g/m2) , with a strong resin enduction . With this combination, our sail provides a feeling identical to that of the official sail, with better durability.

We can also special order sails in a heavier Dacron (250g/m2) suitable for rental fleets and sailing schools. (this version of the sail is not recommended to racers, as it somewhat alters the feel of the sail)

-2- Why train with a i-Sails® sail ?

If you have unlimited budget to buy official sails, stop here - Otherwise, read on....

You train to build up your sensations, and automatic responses to puffs, waves, changes in wind direction, etc, and to be able to set your boat and sail automatically. When you race, this training frees up your mind for sailing with your head "outside the boat" , watch the fleet, the puffs, adapt your strategy and build your tactics.

If you train with an old, blown up sail, you will practice the wrong behavior with the wrong settings, and will either be slow when you switch to your good, racing sail; or will spend your regatta adjusting your settings for your good sail.

With an i-Sails® sail, you can train without worries, and without spending a lot of money on (official) sails; and on race day, when you switch to your official sail, you can rely on settings and habits you learned when training with your i-Sails®!

-3- May I use my i-Sails® for racing ?

Possibly for your local and club non-sanctioned races. See with your race committee what they will allow.

Absolutely not for sanctioned races. The i-Sails® sail for Laser® * is not, and will not be, homologated for sanctioned racing.

Here is our suggestion: if you have friendly racing series with the same group regularly, why not update everyone and get them on a new i-Sails® for Laser? we will sell you a multi-sail pack at a discount and you will save a bunch on shipping.....

-4- Why do you have 2 versions of your Radial sail?

We have ben marketing our " Training Series"radial saill for several years, and like the other sails in that series, it is recognized for its cut and performance, up to those of the original sail, as well as its better durability.

We have decided in 2009 to launch an additional "Performance Series" version of that sail, because the radial cut stresses the cloth primarily in the warp direction, (rather than in the bias and fill (weft) for crosscut sails) - the high quality and strength of our cloth in the warp direction gives our radial "training Series" sail a slightly different feel, a bit stronger, particularly as it responds to cunningham tension - it requires a little more tension to achieve the same shape. This phenomenon appears on all radial training sails, and was reported by national level racers.

To meet the demand for those high level racers requiring a slightly "softer" sail , we have developed our "Performance series" radial sail, through several prototypes, using different, more stretchy cloth. Our radial sail "Performance series" is now the ideal sail for high level race training centers and top level youth. Note: this sail can not ne used for class-sanctioned official regattas.

* Laser® and the "starburst" symbols are registered trademarks of Performance Sailcraft Pty Ltd in Australia, LaserPerformance LLC in the USA and Canada and Performance Sailcraft Europe LTD in Europe. i-Sails is not an authorized dealer, distributor or licensee of either of these companies. We have no affiliation with them and our products are not endorsed or recognized by them.