At Neil Pryde we have been using foam strips instead of wide pads for the last 25 years or so. We use up to six or more strips that are one-inch wide and five-eighths of an inch thick and sewn into the luff. These start out parallel to the luff but as you go out from the luff we form them in an elliptical shape that matches the shape of the draft built into the sail. As the sail rolls up, the head and tack naturally roll tighter than the middle because of the shape of the sail. The elliptical shape of the luff pads fills the belly of the sail so it rolls evenly with the tack and head. This keeps the sail flat as it rolls up which flattens the sail while reducing the area.

This system works so well that we now can build a sail that is powerful when rolled all the way out for light wind and then can be reefed as needed to remove area and power. We mark the sail with three reef points and then help owners to figure out the preset positions for the genoa cars, which have to be moved forward as the sail is reefed to maintain the correct tension on the leach and foot.

With this system you can build a nice powerful 140-percent genoa that will work well even when reefed down to less than 100-percent of the fore triangle.

For sailors who want to step up from a basic Dacron headsail to get better performance, what are the best options?

Dave Flynn: The decision on a performance headsail will depend a lot on the size of the boat and the owner's budget. There are two steps above Dacron and both are laminated composite sails with inlaid fibers for reinforcement. Composites for cruising applications consist of two exterior skins of woven polyester (taffetas), which provide some strength but more importantly all around durability against chafe and UV, sandwiching a fiber grid designed to bear the primary loads, and a sheet of polyester film (Mylar) to address secondary loadings. Polyester or Pentex fibers in the sandwich provide the first step up in ability to resist stretch and better shape holding. If an owner wants to go to the next level, high modulus fibers can be used. Vectran, carbon and Technora, or a blend, are common choices for high-performance cruising sails.

For larger boats, the high-tech laminates really make sense because the sails will retain their shapes under the much higher loads. But even middle range cruising boats can benefit from a high tech headsail since it will dramatically affect upwind performance. A composite sail provides better control; it will reduce heeling and works better on a roller-furling unit. Off the wind, a composite sail doesn't really help very much.

Neil Pryde uses multiple foam luff strips which makes the genoa flatter as it is reefed.How high should the foot and clew of the sail be off the deck for dual-purpose sailing–cruising and rallies?

Bob Pattison: On most cruising boats, the roller furling drum is above deck so the genoa tack starts 15 to 18 inches off the deck. Clew height from there depends on the size of the sail and the length of the genoa tracks, basically the geometry of the boat.

Since upwards of 80 percent of all cruising and offshore sailing is off the wind, cruisers really don't need a true upwind sail that is low to the deck. An upwind genoa starts to lose efficiency as it is eased off on a reach because the top of the sail falls off and loses power and the leech becomes slack. A genoa with a higher clew will work better on a reach. Plus it will give you better visibility forward, will work better in a much wider range of wind angles and won't catch water that breaks over the foredeck.

If you have ever sailed a cutter rig with a high-cut Yankee and a staysail, you will know how good a Yankee is reaching, even in a strong breeze, since it holds its shape as it is eased. So for a typical cruiser who may be also interested in entering an offshore event, we would suggest a fairly high clew. And for long offshore work, a cutter rig with a staysail and Yankee makes a lot of sense, too.

If you were building a genoa for a circumnavigation, what type of sail would you recommend?

Butch Ulmer: First, I would specify a woven Dacron sail instead of a laminated sail because you will be able to find someone to repair Dacron just about anywhere in the world. You won't find many who can repair high-tech composite sails. I would specify the best Dacron available with a weave that fits the sail shape.

I would increase the weight of the fabric to improve durability and reduce the likelihood of UV damage. Then we would set out to overbuild the sail to make it as strong and durable as possible. I would consider using a heavier-than-usual sail thread and then would most likely go with triple stitching instead of double rows of stitches.