Jeanneau X-Grid Mylar Taffeta sails option

[J349er]

Looking for feedback on Jeanneau's X-Grid Mylar Taffeta performance sails option. Anyone sailing with those? Are they built to last? Are they a worthwhile option?

Thanks.

[petera]

The X-Grid sails are good but it is wrong to say that they are performance sails, as they have the same size as the standard dacron sails. But the quality is good and the sail works good. 
However, if you are looking for more performance I would suggest that you contact the local sailmaker in order to design with bigger sail. Generally speaking, a new jeanneau-boat is "under-rigged" = you can increase the sailarea.

For a Sun Odyssey 379, as an example, the selftacker, the dacron as well as the X-grid has approx 23 sq-meter area.

I contacted a local sailmaker in sweden (that only design the sail and then order from China - CFS) and they designed a 29 sq-meter sail. ie some 6 sqm bigger sail and that you can call "Performance". In this instance, I paid the same price as if I had ordered x-grid sails in stead of standard sails to my 379. (this means that I have two sets of sails now for the price of one x-grid).

The same goes for the main sail. The original dacron sail (area of 33,5sqm and not 35 as Jeanneau had advised) was increased by this CFS G2 Membrane and have now 36,5 sqm. (http://www.boding.se/segel/storsegel/g2-membrane/)
 

[J349er]

Actually, on the new SO 349, the main performance is 34,1 m2 vs 30.7 m2 for the standard Dacron, so, that is 10% increase. It also comes with Selden's MDS track system and for $3,550, is a pretty good buy. I priced out performace sails for a 349 at local sail lofts and they all come at much higher prices than Jeanneau's performance sails option. My only concern is that one of the sailmaker tells me membrane fabric (as X-Grid Mylar on Jeanneaus) is not durable and sails will need to be replaced after 3 years of moderate use. He is also saying membrane fabric shrinks 10% after a few months.... Jeanneau's performance sails description specifically mentions that the X-Grid is designed for durability and performance so, I hope it will last at least as long as Dycron. Any thoughts?

[MalcolmP]

I have just had a new fully battened main made in Vektran cloth by Peter Sanders. Only fitted it last weekend - he has increased the roach quite a lot but I don't have the % increase but it looks quite significant as the sail goes out well past the topping lift direct line.

Also had the Selden MDS cars fitted - really pleased - only used the sail once so far but the cars were easy to fit and friction looks like it should be a thing of the past, they are well engineered and very neat being internal to the mast.

Cant comment on the fabric yet but the Vektran looks like it should be a good compromise between traditional Dacron and laminates.

That price of $3,550 looks really good in my view (much better than UK after market prices)

[petera]

The sails from Jeanneau comes from Tecnique Voile. Without knowing anything if this french sailmaker, they are probably same as everybody else...assuming not much difference generally speaking.

It is great to hear that the performance sail on the 349 is 4 m2 bigger, thats good and reflects the name performance better than on my 379.
If you order the standard sails to the 349 and in addition also order performance sails from a local sailmaker, overall do you then pay more for these 2 sets of sails, comparing with if you exclude standard sails and order Jeanneau´s X-grid?

I would go for taking the standard sails (main & genua) and order extra sails after say a year. Instead I would add on a gennaker. When I ordered my 379 last year I took the standard sails plus a 110m2 gennaker on Seldens gennaker furler GX15 and after the first season I ordered the new performance sails (main & selftacker = all in all same size with the new main+selftacker as with standard main and genua). These are still new in their bags and will be on the rig after 1st may:-)

Sail the boat one year and then decide what you want, off course unless you want to race with the boat.

If I had decided to knock off the sails completely from Jeanneau and buy all sails from locals direct I understand that I would have got a credit for some say £700 from Jeanneau. I would say that the standard sails are worth taking with that thinking.

 

[J349er]

I'll have to check but I think the price they give may on performance sails on a new boat factors in the fact that you are not getting the stock sails. I assume that pricing on performance sails maybe quite higher. I did order the asymmetrical rigging option so, gennaker is definitely in my plan.

Best.