Roller Furled Drifter Repair

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Recently some friends came back from a sail with a blown-out genoa, and have asked me to attempt a repair. The boat is a 27' C&C with a roller furler.  The damage is a horizontal tear that started in the center of a panel and tore out to the seam an either side.  The sail is made out of a rip-stop nylon, not Dacron.  
My questions (so far!) are
a) What weight fabric is typical for a sail of this size?
b) Is the best fix for this a patch, or is it better to replace the entire panel?

Thanks for any input.
-Sue

Edited by Sue2 - 01 August 2014 at 9:09am

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Sue2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 12 April 2010 Status: Offline Points: 164	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sue2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Roller Furled Drifter Repair Posted: 30 July 2014 at 3:05pm
	Recently some friends came back from a sail with a blown-out genoa, and have asked me to attempt a repair. The boat is a 27' C&C with a roller furler. The damage is a horizontal tear that started in the center of a panel and tore out to the seam an either side. The sail is made out of a rip-stop nylon, not Dacron. My questions (so far!) are a) What weight fabric is typical for a sail of this size? b) Is the best fix for this a patch, or is it better to replace the entire panel? Thanks for any input. -Sue Edited by Sue2 - 01 August 2014 at 9:09am

Jeff Frank Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Sailrite Employee - Expert Joined: 22 April 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 20	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jeff Frank Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 30 July 2014 at 3:35pm
	I would use a 5oz Dacron tape of an appropriate width to make sure you can sew into intact fabric on either side of the tear, typically part #22108o or #22109 will work well. Cut the tape to length, seam to seam, overlap the seam with the tape then sew around it with two rows of zig-zag stitches. Flip the sail over and cut out the material about 1/16 to 1/8 inside your stitches and up to the seam on either end. Use v-69 thread 20203 and seamstick 20306. Best Regards, Jeff Frank

Sue2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 12 April 2010 Status: Offline Points: 164	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sue2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 July 2014 at 10:15am
	Thanks, Jeff! I think I may have some of that tape on hand, although probably not enough. Is that a better choice than matching the rip-stop nylon fabric? I misspoke in my first post - this sail is a light air Genniker or Drifter. The material is definitely Nylon, but I'm not sure of the weight. -Sue Edited by Sue2 - 31 July 2014 at 7:41pm