F18 Spinnakers

Hi,
In our *really windy regatta, my son had trouble with the spin halyard cleat during a set and the spin wrapped up on a main batten. Yep, finish the sad story yourself <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />. I'll fix the wrecked my new one , but now I need to get another. Anyone want to weigh in on their favorites?

Glaser Sails in Huntington Beach is looking to become the North American F18 loft. I've heard very good reviews of their spinnakers from the likes of Jeff Newsome and Dan DeLave. In fact, Jeff kept his Glaser 'chute when he sold his boat - he anticipates a new F18 sometime in 2009 and plans to use "The Black Pearl" on the new boat.

Prices are high - expect to pay a touch over $1K for just about anything, and up to $1.5K at the top lofts. The good news is that the latest nylon fabrics are holding up very well. Polyester is talked about as a possibly higher-performance spinnaker fabric, but I'm told you lose some durability.

I say prices are high, but I was floored when discussing comparative costs of sails and maintennance between F18s and some of the high-end dighys like the I14. Cats are still the best bang-for-the-buck by an unbelievable margin. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jay and Pease just built a new spin for the HT for me, paid $950 for it, and I'm very pleased with its shape and performance.

Dave