First time I've dealt with them. So impressed with Gary Saxbys quick
no mucking about responses committed to a new number one today.
Bit more expensive than Fareast quote but feel pretty confident it will be bees knees.

BB, is you're current number 1 old and tired, or are you chasing a different weight cloth ?

Old, tired and heavy, Wire luff,disintegrated leech line , cringles eroding .Could be original stretched no.2 . Previous owner had never used it . I have new main , 3 (jib) and assy and wanted something bigger in light winds to balance boat and get more drive to windward.
After advising Gary at UK the Sonatas characteristics of narrow,low bal/disp. hence tender solo sailing he has suggested a flatter cut and around 6 Oz. I have gone with a premium Dimension Polyant Dacron.

He made me a genoa years ago wich is still in good nick.

He is no God but perhaps one of the last ones whom one can trust and won't cost the Earth.

If you go for one make sure it is furnished with Wichard hanks instead of piston hanks. They worth the extra cost as they make the bending of a sail a breeze and don't rust shut.

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Bananabender said..
Old, tired and heavy, Wire luff,disintegrated leech line , cringles eroding .Could be original stretched no.2 . Previous owner had never used it . I have new main , 3 (jib) and assy and wanted something bigger in light winds to balance boat and get more drive to windward.
After advising Gary at UK the Sonatas characteristics of narrow,low bal/disp. hence tender solo sailing he has suggested a flatter cut and around 6 Oz. I have gone with a premium Dimension Polyant Dacron.

Sounds like a great choice. Make sure you put your seatbelt on first outing, it's going to be like you turboed the poor girl!

I bought a new no1 heavy for the surf to city one year which of course meant on the day it glassed out! I was persevering with my existing no1 (which was a light air sail but old and stretched ) when we got to Jacobs Well. After tacking back and forth for a good 45 mins to get past the boat ramp, the crew spat the dummy and insisted on the new heavy no1 being hanked on, with me as the doubting Thomas. As soon as the sheet was pulled on, the boat just lit up, romping past the other poor souls we'd spent hours with crossing each other in the fickle wind and narrow passages.
I was speechless, I was sure the much heavier cloth was a much bigger negative than the stretched shape of my existing wafer thin sail.
i realised that day how big the delta is between a stretched sail and a new.
I'd be like a kid waiting for XMas if I was in your shoes! Can we get a sail report for your first outing?

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sirgallivant said..
He made me a genoa years ago wich is still in good nick.

He is no God but perhaps one of the last ones whom one can trust and won't cost the Earth.

If you go for one make sure it is furnished with Wichard hanks instead of piston hanks. They worth the extra cost as they make the bending of a sail a breeze and don't rust shut.

+1 for the Wilchard hooks.
Just watch them on a rope forestay, they have a nasty habit of piercing the forestay if you're not paying attention when you hank it on.
The tip where the spring clip meets is like a rigging needle, will easily bite into the rope.
With soft forestays, go up one size more than recommended, it mitigates this issue a lot.

Wichard Hanks, just be careful if you leave spinnaker halyard in bow as well. Can catch in them with the spring loading.
Well done on the choice of local sailmaker.

gary does my hole wardrobe and has done for the last 30 years I also sail with him on the cat a great guy honest and very knowledgeable

Many thanks for Wichard recommendation and tips Gallivant / Shaggy. Where have they been all my life ! Seriously though I've never considered them but for soloing they might be the answer to my prayers in bending on the sail AND threading the downhaul. I run it from the cockpit through a small block beside tack up through the top two hanks to above the forestay halyard shackle and its a real pain with piston hanks.
I plan on taking a spare pair of shorts for first try out Shaggy as expecting some interesting moments.
Thanks Galatea I'm pretty comfortable with choice.
Having a quiet drink with son-in-law last week and mentioned I might replace the Sonata with something a bit bigger , white and more ballast.
He asked the question no one should ever. "How much have I spent on her since I got her" quick mental calc. Holy hell might hang on for 12 months and buy new no1. My reply " ( laugh ) more than I'll ever admit"

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Bananabender said..
Many thanks for Wichard recommendation and tips Gallivant / Shaggy. Where have they been all my life ! Seriously though I've never considered them but for soloing they might be the answer to my prayers in bending on the sail AND threading the downhaul. I run it from the cockpit through a small block beside tack up through the top two hanks to above the forestay halyard shackle and its a real pain with piston hanks.
I plan on taking a spare pair of shorts for first try out Shaggy as expecting some interesting moments.
Thanks Galatea I'm pretty comfortable with choice.
Having a quiet drink with son-in-law last week and mentioned I might replace the Sonata with something a bit bigger , white and more ballast.
He asked the question no one should ever. "How much have I spent on her since I got her" quick mental calc. Holy hell might hang on for 12 months and buy new no1. My reply " ( laugh ) more than I'll ever admit"

never keep a record otherwise you wouldn't do it

I had a cutter stay where l used the Wichard hanks with great success. The genny was on a furler.

Never had a soft fore stay, it might be a problem with that, indeed.

The spinnaker halyard on the bow? Hmmm... not on my yacht. Though l heard this problem mentioned by some, however, the Wichard hanks make sail changes sooooo much easier and faster it is a given.
I wonder why is such a 'secret weapon' overlooked by most? The cost factor - it is only a few bobs difference - could not be the reason.

I had a 'down to the penny' record of my spending. I am reckless.