need a new radial sail

[Rolfe'd]

So, Im gonna be getting a new radial sail soon, and have heard (very) little about the new mark 6 sail. All I know is that supposedly there is more fullness near the leach. I will be getting a North.

Questions-

#1- Assuming North is making the mark 6, what are the pros and cons of the mark 6 over the mark 5?

#2- Other than putting the two side by side, how can one tell the difference between the mark 5 and 6, and how would you request one or the other from APS, etc.?

 

[ScowLover]

The older sails don't have the blue corners. Finding an older sail is going to be tough, but The Boat Locker in Westport CT still has one new Mark 5 in stock. (No, I don't work there anymore). I know the change was to make the weight range a little different, but I cannot recall off the top of my head the specific details.

 

[OILCOUNTRY]

The Mrk 6 has a better cut to it so that the leach can open when you apply the cunningham and aide in depowering the sail and is better suited to the lighter weight person and can be nodiced by its blue corners. I do not beleve that the mrk 5 is still in production. when i first started sailing a radil i was around 130 pounds and when the wind came up I was def fighting the boat, when I made the switch to the mrk 6 I really nodiced a difference.

 

[Rolfe'd]

wait, I have heard way to many different things about the mysterious blue corners.

So, THE ONLY sails with the blue corners are mark sixes?

Also when was the change made? My understanding was that it was fairly recently, maybe 1-3 years ago.

My current racing sail (soon to be a practice) was bought by the previous owner is 2002, and has blue corners, so is it a 5 or 6? Yesterday I was using my practice sail (waaaay past its prime) in 15-23, it was purchased in 1997 and has no blue corners, and seemed to handle poorly; bending the boom far more than normal when depowered and reacting much more violently to puffs and shifts, also seemed to stall easier and on a close reach, it was very tricky to keep the luff full above 20 kts.

 

[Mrgone1111]

Rolfe'd, I have been meaning to ask, did you make it to Augusta? I did not see many Lasers, but never made it over to that area of the Club.

Cheers,

Goneman

 

[Pinner]

Mark V to VI was made in the spring of 2002.

A Mark V with the blue corners was a Hyde. A Mark V w/o blue was North Sri Lanka or Canada. All Mark VI's have blue corners

Interesting dynamic at 2002 worlds w/ the bigs sailing the V and the smalls sailing the VI.

 

[Rolfe'd]

Alright, thanks.

And scowman, yes, I was there, I won the lasers out of two (fackin rediculous), all my buddies either took the weekend off or switched to sunfish.

 

[Mrgone1111]

Alright, thanks.
And scowman, yes, I was there, I won the lasers out of two (fackin rediculous), all my buddies either took the weekend off or switched to sunfish.

We should have got you an MC. It was a blast to race in 47 boats! I saw you get your trophy! I ended up seventh in the MC's.

 

[BiggieShackleton]

There hasn't been a MK V built since 2002. Anyone you get a Radial Sail from now will provide MK VI sails...unless you know of someone that has an old one leftover in stock, like the Boat Locker. As Pinner said the V was supposedly better for bigs, but with so few out there anymore it is a fairly mute point.

 

[Rolfe'd]

Thanks, I just assumed the VI was much newer.

And scowman, idk how well that would have worked, I weigh like 135