To race at Challenger events (and many open meetings) the sail must have been made by the official sailmaker for the class and measure according to the class design rules. Since 2019 the official Challenger sailmaker has been Pinnell & Bax. Sails made before 2019 can still be used for racing provided they were made by the official sailmaker of the time (these are predominantly Mouse Sails).
Recreational Challenger sailing during sessions run by Sailability groups or sailing clubs may be restricted or cancelled in stronger winds because less experienced sailors or physically weaker sailors may struggle to control the boat under the conditions, particularly during launch/recovery, especially with a leeshore.
Over the years a number of Sailability groups have investigated different ways to reduce the sail area of a Challenger so that the boats can continue to be sailed during their sessions when there are stronger winds. They can do this because:
The class association's recommended approach to reducing sail area is to cutdown an old sail by removing 750mm from the foot of the sail. This reduces the sail area by approximately 1.6m2 or around 20%. This work can be done by any sailmaker. In 2025 P&B charged under £100 (including VAT) to cutdown the old sail shown in the photos below.
Using a cutdown sail of this size, one Sailability group has found they can continue to safely sail their Challengers in winds with occasional F6 gusts on to a leeshore whereas previously the maximum wind strength allowed was F5 gusts. Under these conditions the boat still tacks well even with a buddy aboard. However, different venues with different sailors may want to remove more or less sail from the foot.
In many cases, as the length of the foot of the sail is reduced it will most likely be necessary to use a short length of line to attach the clew to the outhaul hook.
Remember, cutdown sails are not class legal so cannot be used for racing.