Hi I have a Nacra 5.0 and am wanting new sails. I was really impressed with the sails that whirlwind has to offer but for some reason they do not make 5.0 sails. My question is does any one know of a company that makes square head sails for Nacra 5.0. Also i was wondering if the new 500 sails would work on a 5.0 and if they are available for purchase? Any input is appreciated.

Taipan 4.9 sails are grommet to grommet, the same. Many of the Taipan folks went to the new bigger square top so there may be some used ones of the old design. You have to make adjustments for the boom; Either add a boom or have a batten pocket added. The jib works, too, except that the jib block attachment point must be changed. An F16 spinnaker would be a great addition to the Nacra 5.0 since it has spreaders and can stand the load. I'm working on a Nacra 5.0 rebuild and will have photos soon.

aw perfect, seems like you dont hear that much from the 5.0 so its nice to hear that someone is doing a rebuild. for the Taipan sail would i need a Taipan boom or could others work?

Taipan boom is just a tube, nothing special. It allows outhaul and inflicts pressure for the mast to rotate.

I have a worry I have not measured for yet. Usually, boomless boats have the rear beam behind the clew plate so the main sheet set pulls back on the foot of the sail to provide outhaul. Boats WITH a boom have the beam in front of the clew plate causing forward pressure on the boom to rotate the mast. The Nacra 5.0 Seems to have a very small tramp. I don't know yet what the angle of the main block set is, canted forward or backward. Actually, I've never raised the main yet! Still a work in progress...

i see what your saying.. if you want to PM about your rebuilding process when ever you get it near completed, id appreciate it. Im planning on doing a few upgrades to my 5.0. maybe we can share ideas and tips

I was just talking about this with my local Nacra dealer (atlanticboatandsupply.com). You can buy the 500 sails. Just contact your local performance catamarans dealer, or you could try contacting http://www.performancesails.com/, they are the company that makes the new sails. Did you contact whirlwind or just look at the website? I am surprised they won't build you a sail. EP sails would be a good choice as well.

have you tried calling chip buck at whirl wind and see if he can make your sails? or are you going from what the web site says.... Chip has made one offs before... i even sent him my SC19 sail so he could use it to make one for anouther customer....

My boys sailed the prototype 500 sport at Texel and loved it. Vink was going to tweak the mainsail a bit for production after that.
You could do a lot worse than getting a set of 500s sails for the 5.0. Should add to the value of the boat as a factory upgrade.

Paul

I like the looks of the 2008 Nacra 500 Sport sails instead of the old pinhead and overlapping jib. What's that curvey line at the top of the main?

I wish I had one of these boats nearby to measure and snap a few photos. I can't afford to buy a new boat but I'm not above stealing their upgrade ideas as they change the old 5.0 into the new 500.

The same as the curved lines at every corner of the jib and main.

Did you happen to get a quote for the factory sails from Nacra. I was just basing that whirlwind didnt have 5.0s cause its not on their website.

No I didn't ask, I just know they are available. You'll have to call someone for a quote.

Whirlwind will make them. You may have to give Chip you luff mesurement and foot length. I had him make a special jib for an FX1 that went down to the spinn pole like the Tornado and he did an outstanding job with just mesurements I gave him. The guy truly gives a $#it when it comes to making a good sail.

Colored trim around the reinforced areas.

No, not the white reinforcing patch. I mean the dark line that splits off of the top batten and loops down under the second batten.

David, look closely and you will see those same lines at each corner of the main and jib. It looks to me like the material in those areas has a different bias to spread the load in the corners. The curvey lines are the borders of the different materials.
I, too am resurrecting a 5.0. I'm not sure if I'll finish by the end of the season, but I'm getting close. I got new sails, which I have not gotten up yet either. I'd love to compare notes as we go along. I got a lightly used jib through someone on the catsailor forum, but I could not find a used main after a few months so I went ahead and bought a new one from Skip Elliott at http://www.epsails.com/
Before you think about putting a 500 sail on a 5.0, talk to the folks at Performance Catamarans (Nacra). Bottom line, they said you could physically do it, but it would not be optimal. The boat dimensions are different. Call them & talk about it. I think Bob (?) was the person I was referred to there.
Good luck!