hi there we had our sails made by neil tasker at barracouta sails
tarren point ,good job at a fair price ,he accually made the originals
on our boat and they were still ok after 21 years of use cheers ray

Craig Phillips from Phillips sails - www.phillipssails.com.au/

He is very good to talk to, and will take time with you. He made us a main and jib and I believe he has worked overseas with the Oracle sailing team.

Well, the idea is to shake the guys hand and look into his eyes when he comes to my yacht to measure it.
If I couldn't do that, I would not give him a thought. So mail order is out the window. How would I be able to deal with a possible corrections if it does not fit, warranty issues etc.
I would like to keep my money here in Oz - if possible - too, even if it cost a bit more than a sail from who knows where. It would just make me sleep better.
Electronic mail, computer design all wonderful but there is nothing - I have to emphasise - NOTHING to replace the human touch.

Don't write Fareast Sails off until you have investigated them. Their service and advice was outstanding. When I bought my main it cost me about $1350 delivered. Nearest Oz quote was $3300. And that was made in Hong Kong.
Tasker sails are made in Asia.
You will do better having racing sails made in Oz by a specialist. They can get it right for you but at a cost. A mates No1 headsail for his S&S34 was $6000.
McDiarmid has a good reputation.

I hope i did not cause any confusion ...wording was a bit awkward
I did not use either of the taskers
Being from Melb i used a melb based sailmaker ...DOH

Just heard about baracouta today at MHYC. One of my old mates recommended him, allegedly he left one of the big lots few years back going on his own. Can't remember his name thou.
Yeah, why not? I'll give him a call.
The saving on those sails were mentioned are indeed immense.
I got a UKHalsey-made brand new genoa furler which came with the yacht, was - allegedly - made in Brisbane for $1350 and is - this is my opinion - made for a price not for quality. This mob had a lot in Sydney as well, but it went belly up recently. Wonder why???
Mine is a 28footer so prices are more moderate, in case of a main approx. $5-600 difference between the "whoknowswherefrom" and the "lot just around the corner".

In Sydney the best options for cruising sails are:
South: Barracouta Sails (Yowie Bay, Neil Tasker)
North: Hood Sails (Brookvale, Ian and Ian)
Harbour: McDiarmid (Gladesville, Shane as Ian retired last year)(note: all sailmakers on the Harbour are somewhat arrogant, but best tradesman of the lot).
None of the above will be the cheapest available, but all will listen and support their product.

Hi I am a sailmaker down south. We regard ourselves as pretty flexible and successful. A lot of the local Australian sail lofts use offshore manufacturing for their sails. The loft we use CSF is well run and it has proved to be a good relationship for us. We concentrate on design, service, repairs and quick turnaround sails, the machines are still whirring, there is always something being made on the floor, having said that we are now starting to do a bit more in house with the AUD dropping. One thing about some of the cheaper options on the market, I have a favourite anecdote where a prospective client and I were talking about how some of his quotes were cheaper, and why? Cheaper material or cheaper labour? The loft marketed itself as a modern progressive loft. He asked for some pictures of the loft, just to see where it was being made. He showed me and they were very impressive indeed but were of another loft!

I will be out coaching, will get some shots if I can.
see you on water.

And value for money is even better.

Sadly the value for money component of the deal is sadly lacking in some industries, they are foisting Asian rubbish on us in a lot of cases to the point where you end up paying more if you count the broken things you have to replace rather than if you had been able to buy one good one in the first place.

Just occurred to me. The yacht sitting on the bottom here is Galatea. Obviously not the same as Tony the sailmaker but it's an unusual name I thought. Yacht has recently been scrapped. The yacht on the right is mine.
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We had our sails made by Doyle Sails on Lake Macquarie and were very happy with them. Peter McNeil did a great job. We alsu had Doyles at Somersby make our sails on pur previous Nantucket and they also did a good job, so may be worth talking to them in Sydney. Price was very competitive at the time as well.

If you are still looking for a sailmaker in the Sydney area, I can recommend Ian Short at Caringbah.
Your sail will be designed and built in the loft, so your money stays in Oz.
I just picked up, (today), a new #1 jib which I only ordered last Tuesday, Pentax radial cut, at a price that is well under the above quoted S&S 34 #1 price.
My boat is a fractional 32'er. As he made a main for me 2 years ago, I did not shop around for a price.
If you are after personal service from the guy who will actually build your sail, from scratch, it is worth giving Ian a call.