Racing sails · Headsails

Racing headsails designed for your foretriangle

J1, J2 and J3, designed together by a sailmaker who races at international level, cut from your boat’s own measurements, in cloth made in Europe or the United States.

Why Kraken

What you are paying for

10+ years

Designed by a racer

Your sail is designed by an Australian or American sail designer with more than ten years of design experience who races at international level. Not a template, not a junior drafter.

Your boat

Measured, not assumed

We build from your boat’s measurements and how it is set up. Not from her factory brochure, and not a duplicate of the last sail someone made for a boat like yours.

EU / USA

Cloth you can trace

We name every cloth and where it is made. Our laminates come from Dimension-Polyant in Kempen, Germany and Putnam, Connecticut, and we make our Apex membranes ourselves.

See what a Kraken headsail costs for your boat

The wardrobe

Three sails, one wind range

The headsail sets up the airflow for the whole rig. Get the entry and the twist right and the main works with it. So racing boats carry more than one: each headsail is designed for a slice of the wind range, at the right depth and size for that slice, instead of a compromise across all of it.

J1

Light air

The biggest and fullest headsail, for power when there isn’t much wind.

J2

Middle of the range

For when the J1 is overpowered but it’s too early for the J3.

J3

Heavy air

Smaller and flatter, with a shorter luff, so you can keep the boat on its feet.

We design the three together, so each one picks up where the last leaves off. A Value wardrobe usually carries a J1 and a J3; Performance and Grand Prix add the J2.

Fit

Measured from your boat

Headsails are sized from your foretriangle: I, the height from the deck to the jib halyard, and J, the base from the front of the mast to the forestay. On a boat that has had a few owners, those numbers, the forestay and the sheeting have often changed from the brochure.

Your foretriangle: measured I and J, not the class drawing
Your forestay: luff tape to suit your foil, or hanks for a wire forestay
Your sheeting: clew height set in design so the sail sheets where your tracks are
Remote help measuring: a sailmaker works through it with you, and our cross-check tests every number against the others so nothing is missing or out before we design
Checked before cutting: you sign off the sail plan before anything is cut

Measurement	Where it is
I foretriangle height	Up the front of the mast, from the deck to the jib halyard exit
J foretriangle base	Along the deck, from the front of the mast to the forestay fitting
Forestay	Grooved foil or wire, and the foil’s luff tape size

Cloth

Six cloths, chosen by how you race

Two questions pick your cloth: where you race, and how far you want to go. Inshore cloths save weight. Coastal and offshore cloths get tougher faces, because headsails get dragged across the deck and stanchions. We name the maker, style and weight of every cloth, and pick the weight from your boat’s length.

Inshore racing

Buoy racing and short courses, where weight and shape matter most.

Value · Dimension-Polyant · Germany / USA

PX Lite Skin

A polyester laminate with X-Ply yarns off the threadline and Lite Skin faces. Resists abrasion better than film and dries fast. The most affordable way into a laminate racing headsail.

Weights: PX10, PX15 and PX20 Lite Skin
Trade-off: polyester stretches more than carbon, so the shape moves more as the breeze builds

Performance · Dimension-Polyant · Germany / USA

Carbon Sport film

Carbon load yarns on a black polyester scrim with Technora X-Ply and film on both faces. Carbon holds the designed shape through more of the wind range.

Weights: CS05 to CS20
Trade-off: film is the least durable face, and carbon dislikes hard folds. Roll it, don’t flake it tight

Grand Prix · Made by Kraken

Apex membrane, film faces

We make our Apex membranes ourselves: carbon and Twaron fibres laid along your sail’s own load paths, then laminated between film faces. The strings go where the force goes.

Colours: black, grey or white
Trade-off: costs more and takes about 6 weeks to build

Coastal and offshore racing

Longer races and more miles, so the faces need to take more wear.

Value · Dimension-Polyant · Germany / USA

PX taffeta

The PX polyester laminate with black woven taffeta on the faces. Taffeta takes knocks that would mark a film faced cloth.

Best for: club coastal and offshore racing, and plenty of miles
Trade-off: heavier than Lite Skin and holds more water

Performance · Dimension-Polyant · Germany / USA

Carbon Sport Lite Skin

The same carbon and Technora build as Carbon Sport film, with Lite Skin faces for a tougher, faster drying surface.

Best for: competitive coastal and offshore racing
Trade-off: heavier than the film version

Grand Prix · Made by Kraken

Apex membrane, non-woven faces

Carbon and Twaron fibres laid along the load paths, with non-woven faces on both sides to protect the fibres from sun and flex.

Colours: black, grey or white
Trade-off: the highest cost of the six and about a 6 week build

Design

Designed by sailmakers who race

Every Kraken headsail is designed by an Australian or American sail designer with more than ten years of design experience who races at international level. Your designer draws the three headsails as a set, for your foretriangle, your sheeting and the way you race.

1. Your racing: inshore or offshore, crew weight, wind range
2. Your rig: measured I and J, forestay and sheeting
3. Shape and layout for each sail's slice of the wind range, with the strongest yarns pointed along the load lines
4. Sign off: you approve the sail plans and spec before cutting

Build details

Up close

The parts of a Kraken racing headsail you’ll hoist, trim and change.

Luff

Luff tape for your foil, or hanks for a wire forestay in stainless, nylon or soft.

Tack

Load path aligned reinforcement and a stainless ring on hand-stitched webbing. Snap shackle optional.

Clew

Webbing takes the load to the ring. Soft clew or T clew ring optional.

Included on every racing headsail

Design to your measured rig, included in the price
Load path aligned corner reinforcement
Stainless corner rings on hand-stitched webbing
Adjustable leech and foot cords
Telltale windows, luff telltales and draft stripes
Spreader and stanchion patches
Sail numbers and country code
Zipper sail bag

Your choices

Luff tape or hanks (stainless, nylon or soft)
Horizontal reef on a hanked headsail
Soft clew, T clew ring or snap tack shackle
None, one or two telltale windows, and a vision window
Draft stripe, trim, webbing, thread and bag colours
Cloth colour on a membrane

Price your sail

See your price now

Pick your boat to see an instant estimate in each cloth. A sailmaker sends your full quote and sail plan within 3 business days.

Two-year warranty

On every racing sail, on top of your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

Built in about 4 weeks

Laminates about 4 weeks and membranes about 6 once the design is signed off, delivered worldwide.

Talk to a sailmaker

Questions before you order go to a real person at sales@krakensails.com.

Questions about racing headsails

How much does a racing headsail cost?

It depends on the size of your foretriangle and the cloth. Pick your boat to see an instant estimate for a J1, J2 and J3 in each cloth, then a sailmaker sends your full quote within 3 business days.

Do I need a J1, J2 and J3?

Most crews start with a J1 and a J3, which cover light air and a breeze. Add the J2 when you race through the middle of the range often enough to want the right sail for it.

Inshore or offshore cloth?

Inshore cloths save weight for buoy racing. Coastal and offshore cloths have tougher faces, because headsails get dragged across the deck and stanchions over long races.

Why do you need my measurements?

Because boats change. Forestays, foils and sheeting get replaced, and a sail cut to brochure numbers can be out where it matters. We work through the measurements with you remotely and cross-check them before anything is cut.

Where is the cloth made?

Our laminates are made by Dimension-Polyant in Kempen, Germany and Putnam, Connecticut, and we make our Apex membranes ourselves. We name the exact cloth and weight on every quote.

How long does it take?

About 4 weeks for laminates and about 6 for membranes once the design is signed off, then shipped worldwide.

A$ prices include GST. As a proudly Australian company we keep our tax here, and Australian businesses paying their tax help support Australian sport. US$ prices are before local taxes and duties.

Your boat. Your measurements. Your headsails.

See an instant estimate now, or talk it through with a sailmaker first.