Hi Bill, This may be late in the game as I do not know when this stream started, but (for others who may read this) I am with Simon with the recommendation for a third reef. We use our third reef maybe twice a season and when we do it is great to have: easy to put in, powerful (we often use it when we "have" to go upwind), not overwhelming to the boat or the people managing it, great shape for drive to get through seas, etc. When used going downwind, the main with third reef allows the boat to be balanced in a way that having just headsails drawing makes more difficult. In hindsight, I do not believe I would ever have gone to the trouble of a trisail in any of the times we have flown the third reef over the last 2 decades (no survival storms thank goodness). I also think that recent thinking with regards to best practices in heavy weather tactics (running off with a Jordan Series Drogue), further undermine the arguments for a storm trisail.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Bill
It’s not exactly close to Whitehaven but we have always been happy with Owen Sails who are based just north of Oban.
Simon

We're now in Whitehaven, Cumbria and the sails referenced below (with third reef in the main!) need some repair work done on them. Any recommendations as to where we should go? Last time we were here I sent them off to Banks Sails (to put the third reef in!) but wondering if there's a decent sailmaker closer. Mostly it's just repair of stitching, though I'm thinking about shortening the solent by a couple of inches as I have no halyard adjustment possible as is...

Appreciate any insights...

Bill Balme

Bill,
I have to say I think you might have done! It 's so much easier to reef down to a third reef than fit a trisail in a rising wind. For tradewind ocean crossing then you have the option of twin headsails so third reefs are less important. However for cold heavy winds in the higher latitudes my preference would definitely have been for a third reef. Sorry.
Simon

Did I mess up?

We are buying new sails this year - and they 're about done. We opted for 2 deep reefs in the main. Should we have gone for 3?

We will be sailing across oceans (starting with the Atlantic next year) and have plans to do some high latitude sailing in 3 or 4 years time. We do have a trisail and storm jib, so my rationale was we 'd reef the main to 47% on the second reef and then launch the trisail for stronger winds.

Good move or stupid?

Bill Balme