Blog

Jeremy Flynn – Corby 33 – Reefable #3

by Andrew Wood | 09/10/2019 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Hello Andrew New sail has great shape and looks solid....very happy. Given that it will probably be pretty sporty conditions when I come to put in the reef. Do you have any tips/advice or could you point me the way of any resource on the subject of slab reefed jibs? I...

Minack Theatre Scan

by Andrew Wood | 26/06/2019 | Loft News | 0 Comments

Solo Sails have been working closely with the Minack Theatre in west Cornwall for the last few years and more recently we have been requested to use our scanning technology to create a 3D interactive model of the this beautiful theatre. We cannot show all of the work...

Antony Roberts – Jeanneau SUN ODYSSEY 37 – Furling Mainsail and Genoa

by Andrew Wood | 13/05/2019 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Hi, I bought a set of sails from you for my Jeanneau so37 Due to family circumstances I couldn't use boat last year, but they’re on now and look superb and wow, they have transformed the boat. My old sails were not damaged but just tired so I did try hard to justify...

Peter Dunham – Lagoon 400 S2 – Code Zero

by Andrew Wood | 05/04/2018 | Cruising News, Customer Testimonials, Loft News | 0 Comments

Hi Andrew, First picture of code zero in its element. I have some great drone shots I’ll send in due course as well. Question: what are the recommendations for wind speed limits up and downwind before we furl it? Thx [video width="3840" height="2160"...

Hugh Kilpatrick – Nicholson 43 – Radial Laminate Mainsail

by Andrew Wood | 04/04/2018 | Cruising News, Customer Testimonials, Loft News | 0 Comments

Andrew I’m sorry - I should have let you know earlier. Work has got in the way until now, so we’ve just had a few days on the boat. The sail is absolutely first class - it feels more powerful. The sail cover is good - the lazy jack holes don’t line up perfectly but...

Solo Sails Kite still going strong

by Andrew Wood | 24/07/2017 | Cruising News, Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

Fantastic photo from local photographer Robin Chiffers of a three year old Solo Sails Spinnaker still looking good during the annual Penzance sailing club regatta in Mounts Bay.

Boat cover from 3D Scan to fit.

by Andrew Wood | 04/07/2017 | Cruising News, Loft News | 0 Comments

Solo Sails use the latest scanning technology to create highly accurate covers. Having scanned this beautiful little sailing lugger, we set about digitally designing the cover so that the main panels including seam allowances and sailmaker's marks can be plotted and...

Ian Boston – Pogo 1250 – Full Set of Racing Sails

by Andrew Wood | 04/06/2017 | Customer Testimonials, Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

Dear Andrew, "All the sails fit perfectly, and the shape of the main now looks fantastic. I've shared some photos in [1], the modified sails start after the shot of the unmodified main head with the tape measure. The main now really responds to halyard tension with...

Marcelo Saguier – Pogo 2 – Full set of Racing Sails

by Andrew Wood | 23/01/2017 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Hi Andrew, I’m very happy with the sails, I was training with some pogo 3 and Ofcet with 20 knots and i’m very fast, also upwind i have same VMG. The dedication and professionalism in the design and construction, without any doubt are reflected in the speed. Many...

Phil Clough – Django 6.70 – Code Zero

by Andrew Wood | 12/01/2017 | Customer Testimonials | 1 Comment

Hi Andrew firstly, I love the code 0 you made for Zigzag (my Django 6.70) it works great as well as looking the business 🙂 boat is now back home in Poole after a great cpl of weeks day-sailing her back from Concarneau. can I ask, the thimbles you used on the torsion...

Bespoke Sailcloth Balcony Panels

by Andrew Wood | 12/01/2017 | Loft News | 2 Comments

And now for something completely different ... Solo Sails recently made a set of sailcloth panels to fit a new decking balcony area as a bespoke alternative to the common glass panels. This lightweight solution provides a bright, fun feel to the area and adds to a...

Kelvin Hull – Dufour 40 Performance – Hydranet Radial Mainsail

by Andrew Wood | 11/01/2017 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Andrew, Sail fits fine and looks great thank you. I need one of those Velcro strops to hold down the clew. Did you say that you were going to put in a Cunningham? Also, for your future reference. The sail ties are a bit short. They are fine once the sail is down and...

Patrick Corke – Gem Micro – Radial Mainsail & reefable Jib

by Andrew Wood | 25/07/2016 | Customer Testimonials | 2 Comments

Hi Andrew, Thank you for all the effort you put into my sails. They set beautifully, with fine entries and open leeches. They fit the limited space just as I had hoped, and the boat is pointing higher and footing better. They really are a top quality job. Computer...

Hugh Kilpatrick – Nicholson 43 – Race Spinnaker

by Andrew Wood | 05/07/2016 | Customer Testimonials | 3 Comments

Hi Andrew I just wanted to let you know that we unpacked the spinnaker at Ardfern on Thursday morning before bundling it into the bag and setting off. We had a trial run on the way up to the start in about 20 knots true and we absolutely flew up to Oban,...

Lizzy Foreman interview – No-Frills-Sailing.com

by Andrew Wood | 07/12/2015 | Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

An interview by Lars Reisberg with Lizzy Foreman from http://no-frills-sailing.com/ Lars Reisberg : Lizzy, first of all, my congratulations for the completion of this year´s MiniTransat! Some 2.500 to 2.800 miles of solo-sailing all across the Atlantic Ocean – what is...

Paul Burn – Pogo 2 – Full Sail Inventory

by Andrew Wood | 30/06/2015 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

"Dear Andrew, A quick note to say thank you very much for the sails - kitting out a Mini from scratch has been fairly daunting - but really pleased to at least have peace of mind with the sails, knowing they all fit the boat well and really nice quality. And thanks...

Mr T Robertson – Gaff Tops’l – Steel Expedition Yacht

by Andrew Wood | 28/01/2015 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Andrew The sail has arrived, fits well (always a worry because there is no way of directly measuring the gaff angle) and the sail looks good. Many thanks. I will send you a photo of it when I get one with an interesting background Regards Trevor. Iron Bark's...

Mr T Hunter : Furling Genoa : Cobra 850

by Andrew Wood | 16/01/2015 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Hello again. Sorry for the long delay. I have been meaning to email for the last six months. I thought that you would like to know that the sail you made for me has been excellent. Over the 25 years that I have had the boat, I have had several genoas but this one is...

Boat Show Sail Quote Price-Match

by Andrew Wood | 07/01/2015 | Loft News | 0 Comments

It's that time of year again when all the big lofts head over to the boat show in order to drum up some orders for the winter ahead, and for the customer, a good chance to snap a bargain price for that 'well needed' set of new sails. When we started Solo Sails, we...

New UK based marine trading site

by Andrew Wood | 05/12/2014 | Loft News | 0 Comments

A new marine 'Ebay' style website for members of the public to buy and sell their Marine equipment has just been launched. From the justboatstuff website... "The first dedicated UK based 'Just Boat Stuf' auction site. Run by sailors for sailors, supporting sailing...

Sail Design Software Downloads Page

by Andrew Wood | 04/12/2014 | Cruising News, Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

We have just made a page with some free software available for download. The page includes a free analysis program from the Sail Design software leaders BSG Sailpack. SailPack vision allows you to analyse your sails flying shape from photographs taken whilst sailing....

New Sailmakers Forum and eCommerce website

by Andrew Wood | 18/11/2014 | Loft News | 1 Comment

We are pleased to have been involved in the development of a new global forum and trading centre specifically designed for the sailmaking industry called SailDesigner.net which is about to be launched this week at the METS 2014 trade show in Holland. The...

Toby Isles’ Mini Transat Qualifier Video

by Andrew Wood | 10/11/2014 | Customer Testimonials, Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

Toby Isles has just released this fantastic video of his single handed Mini Transat qualifying passage that he completed earlier this year on his RG650 'Mintaka'. Every Mini Transat competitor has to complete a 1000 mile, non-stop single-handed route in order to prove...

Lizzy Foreman makes her new sails

by Andrew Wood | 20/10/2014 | Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

This week at the loft, we're lucky enough to have the pleasure of a visit from Lizzy, she is down to help design and build her next batch of sails for her single-handed Mini Transat campaign. So far, we have designed and cut a radial mainsail to be constructed out of...

Lizzy Foreman’s ‘Log Blog’ – Les Sables – Les Acores

by Andrew Wood | 22/08/2014 | Racing News | 0 Comments

Alone in the Atlantic: 2,540 nautical miles of solo racing complete Taken from Lizzy's Blog http://www.lizzyracing.com/blog/alone-in-the-atlantic-2540-nautical-miles-of-solo-racing-complete Racing my little 21 foot boat, 'Hudson Wight' (633) someway across the...

Sail Design Service : ANON

by Andrew Wood | 08/08/2014 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Hi Andrew, Thanks so much for the info. I would like to thank you for an excellent design service and can we get it into production asap. My rough calculations give a 2% increase in speed for a 1% [IRC] rating increase so it appears to be going in the right direction...

Lizzy Foreman completes Leg 1 Les Sables – Les Acores

by Andrew Wood | 01/08/2014 | Racing News | 3 Comments

Big congratulations to Lizzy for completing the first leg of the single-handed mini Transat race from Les Sables to the Azores! This mammoth race is the best qualifying race for the Mini sailors who want to compete in the Mini Transat race as it prepares the skippers...

We’re looking for a new Sailmaker’s Apprentice

by Andrew Wood | 16/06/2014 | Loft News | 3 Comments

Solo Sails are currently looking for two enthusiastic apprentices to join our small team of friendly sail makers. Sailmaking is a rewarding, practical job and is especially interesting for anyone who is already involved in the sport of sailing. It's particularly...

Amazing Aerial Video Footage of Lizzy and Nikki’s Mini’s under sail

by Andrew Wood | 20/05/2014 | Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

Mini 6.50 from LPB Aerial Imagery on Vimeo. A group of Mini 6.50 race from Hamble to La Trinite. Nikki Curwen and Lizzy Foreman sail solo. This is fantastic aerial video footage of Lizzy and Nikki sailing single-handed in the 2014 Solent 650 race.

Lizzy Foreman Sets off on her 1000 mile non-stop Solo Qualifier …

by Andrew Wood | 13/05/2014 | Racing News | 2 Comments

'Bon Voyage' to Lizzy Foreman who has just set off on her thousand mile, single-handed qualifying passage for the 2015 Mini Transat. For safety reasons, every mini sailor who wants to enter the main Mini Transat Event (a single-handed race across the Atlantic), must...

Great first race results for Toby on his Solo Sails powered RG650

by Andrew Wood | 06/05/2014 | Racing News | 0 Comments

Big congratulations to Toby Isles on finishing 2nd in his first race of the season aboard his new fully Solo Sails powered RG650 Mini Transat!! The 2014 'Solent 650' was a small fleet with three British entrants, one German and one French and was a great race to watch...

Lizzy Foreman’s Solo Sails are now branded and looking great!

by Andrew Wood | 05/05/2014 | Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

Lizzy Foreman's new Mini Transat campaign just upped a gear last week as she officially launched her Mini campaign on the Isle of Wight with fully branded Solo Sails and hull by Grapefruit Graphics under the name of Hudson Wight, her tittle Sponsor. After the official...

Solo Sails Sponsor Lizzy Foreman’s Mini Transat Campaign

by Andrew Wood | 21/04/2014 | Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

We're very proud to be helping young British solo sailor Lizzy Foreman power her solo racing project by providing sails during her two year Mini Transat campaign. In partnership with Dimension Polyant who will be supplying the highest quality performance sailcloth,...

New Solent SKZ Sewing machine installed

by Andrew Wood | 21/04/2014 | Loft News | 0 Comments

We are very excited indeed to have received and installed our new Solent Offshore SKZ sewing machine. The addition of this medium to heavy weight 'top of the range' sewing machine to our quiver of machines, enables us to take on another sailmaker, as well as speed up...

Top Down Spinnaker Furlers

by Andrew Wood | 26/02/2014 | Cruising News, Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

We are now supplying the full range of Karver KSF Top Down Spinnaker furlers which make the deployment and retrieval of spinnakers, code zeros and cruising chutes pretty much child's play. Unlike traditional code sail furling, the spinnaker furler starts from the top...

Twisted Flow CFD simulator software

by Andrew Wood | 11/02/2014 | Loft News, Racing News | 0 Comments

We are very excited to announce the latest development of our In-House CFD R&D program in collaboration with ODS Engineering http://www.ods-engineering.com/ enabling us to recreate fully modifiable 'Twisted Flow' studies in our CFD analysis software. Wind tunnels...

Spinnakers Are The Work Of The Devil!

by Andrew Wood | 24/01/2014 | Loft News | 3 Comments

When I grew up in Penzance, my father used to get his sails made and repaired by the local sailmaker Albert Willoughby, a traditional sailmaker, who’s ‘lost in time’ loft was hidden away down a dark secret alley in the backstreet’s of Penzance. As a small boy, Albert...

Dimension Polyant Introduces UVi Sailcloth Technology

by Andrew Wood | 23/01/2014 | Loft News | 0 Comments

DIMENSION-POLYANT® has developed a new UVi® technology to improve the UV stability of their premium woven polyester sailcloth styles by up to 15%! Application of the UVi® technology in the finishing process increases the resistance to degradation from UV light by 10 –...

Dave and Merry : Spinnaker Launch Bag

by Andrew Wood | 22/10/2013 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Andrew, Just a note to let you know the sail bag arrived safely (and very quickly). I also want to tell you that I am very impressed with the quality and attention to detail. Every time the spinnaker is launched and retrieved, I'll be giving you thanks!...

Mr Harding : Sigma 38 : Hydranet Radial Mainsail

by Andrew Wood | 23/09/2013 | Customer Testimonials, Racing News | 0 Comments

Andrew a pic of our very nice mainsail... "Sailed to Poole and back with the new main , I really like it , and I find it incredible that you can make such a nice looking sail having not made any other sigma [38] sails before..." Hydranet Radial durable Race Mainsail...

Mr J Rorke : Classic Gaff Cutter : Asymmetrical Gennaker

by Andrew Wood | 31/08/2013 | Cruising News, Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Hi Andrew, Took the genie out of the bag yesterday. Sea like a millpond. hardly a breath of wind but we were soon sliding along at 2 to 3K ! Kept it up for an hour when with a little more wind we were creaming along at more than 6 K ! Fantastic ! Thanks, Joff Classic...

Mr Mercer : Achilles 24 : Furling Genoa

by Andrew Wood | 26/08/2013 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Dear Andrew, It has been a mad few months for me with a daughter's wedding plus my son's this weekend. However I have been remiss about saying how pleased I am with the new genoa for my Achilles. The shape is excellent and pointing looks good and I can't wait to try...

Mr and Mrs Taylor : Sail Laundry

by Andrew Wood | 02/07/2013 | Customer Testimonials | 0 Comments

Hi Andrew, Just thought we'd let you know that we were delighted with the sail you had cleaned for us last winter. I don't know who does the cleaning for you, but it's the best we've had done, they even removed the mouldy bits which no one has achieved before! Molly...

Geoff Duniam : Mini Transat : Pentex Solent

by Andrew Wood | 26/06/2013 | Customer Testimonials, Racing News | 0 Comments

Hey Woody, I really liked the sail - great shape, good power, very forgiving (important when you're dog tired, as we know!) and I thought very durable.

R & J Barton : Furling Genoa : Hunter Horizon 30

by Andrew Wood | 29/04/2013 | Customer Testimonials, Racing News | 0 Comments

'Morning Andrew, Just to say our first race with Katisha went very well. With winds up to 18kts she was slightly overpowered at times but nothing we couldn't handle, (we didn't reef). The overall performance was much improved than with the self tacker We did win the...

New CNC Cutting Machine Installed

by Andrew Wood | 18/02/2013 | Loft News | 0 Comments

We are very proud to announce the installation of our new Aeronaut Elektron cutting table at our Solo Sails loft in West Cornwall. Our new cutting machine has been producing the most accurately cut sails we've ever built so far. We're very excited about having full...

Mini Transat 659 Leads UK Mini Fastnet start

by Andrew Wood | 17/02/2013 | Racing News | 0 Comments

Mini Transat AUS 659 Leading the start of the 2012 UK Mini Fastnet fleet with a Solo Sails headsail. Geoff on Mini 659 (second Mini Transat off the start line) during the start of the 2012 UK Mini Fastnet from Plymouth, sporting his new Solo Sails double reefed Solent...