How to Select the Best Sails for your Boat
Sail making is part art and science. Sails are made of individual panels sewn together to hold a curve created by the wind. Although sails today are designed on a computer, they are still for the most part sewn by hand. Your choice in sails is determined by what use you intend for your boat.
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Instructions
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Know that day sailors and weekend cruisers will typically have sails made of Dacron which is soft and easily handled so that it can be bagged without too much effort. A typical cruiser will carry a couple of jibs, a large one for light air and a smaller working jib. Higher winds require a heavier cloth. Since a genoa is used in light air, on a 30 foot sloop it could typically be made of 3 ounce Dacron, while the working jib would be 5 ounce. Your main should have at least one line of reef points. Ideally, if you cruise extensively on the ocean your main should have two reef point lines and you should also carry a storm jib.
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Consider a furling system. A self furling jib can be a joy. You don't have to hank on the sail each time before you go out. In heavy winds, you can take it in, creating a make shift storm jib. It's not the ideal solution because it does shift the sail's center of effort upward, but it's a lot easier to execute this change than coming forward to swap a jib in heavy seas. Make sure that the edge of the sail is protected by an ultraviolet cover so that the sun doesn't deteriorate the Dacron. Furling mains also exist, but you can't have one with battens, the flat wooden sticks which give the sail shape. Without battens, you give up speed. You can however install a system of lazy jacks that will allow you to use battens on your main, while dropping it easily. Furling systems and lazy jacks are a major advantage if you decide to single hand your boat.
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Be aware that racers have a range of sails, starting with multiple jibs. The jibs are swapped downward to a smaller sail when the sideward force starts to exceed the forward force. Typically an ocean racer would carry two genoas of different weights, the lighter one used for lighter winds, with the heavier genoa used as the winds freshen. There could be as many as three other jibs in progressively smaller configurations down to a storm jib. In a racer the sails are cut closer to the deck to avoid spilling air. This configuration cuts the view to leeward, but on a racing crew somebody is assigned to pay attention to the water forward of the sail. On a cruiser, the foot is cut higher for better visibility.
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Know that sail cloth varies for racers as well. On a racer, Dacron is often treated with a resin to reduce sail stretch. The resin stiffens the cloth, making it hard to hold. If it's not bagged properly it can develop creases. Spinnakers are made of nylon also coated by a resin. In the 1980s on racers, Dacron began to be edged aside by Mylar, which is more expensive and harder to handle but stretches less. Many racing sails today are made of Kevlar, the brown, low stretch, hard to puncture cloth that is the main component of bullet proof vests. Unfortunately Kevlar can be brittle as well. If not treated carefully, both of these expensive sail cloths can lose their shapes prematurely.
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Consider turning to a used sail shop if you are on a budget. Minney's Yacht Surplus, just outside of Newport Harbor in California has the motto, "We make boating affordable." Every sail in stock is listed with the dimensions of the luff, leech and foot along with the sail's condition. Details are at http://www.minneysyachtsurplus.com/. If you are in the neighborhood drop by. It's like a tour through your favorite uncle's attic. Ebay also sells used sails.
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Tips & Warnings
Be leery of buying used sails designed for racing, even if they were originally configured for your model of boat. There might not be much life left to them.
