A woven sailcloth comprising warp yarns and fill yarns and having one or more of (i) a 1% warp of at least about 125 and/or a warp efficiency of at least about 17, (ii) a plain weave in which the ratio of fill yarn count to warp yarn count is about 1.1:1 to about 1.8:1 and the ratio of warp yarn density to fill yarn density is about 1.2:1 to about 1.9:1, and (iii) a weight of at least about 7 and at least one of a 1% warp to 1% fill ratio of at least about 4:1, a 1% fill to 1% bias ratio of less than about 1:1, a 1% warp:1% fill to 1% fill:1% bias ratio of at least about 1:1, a 10 lb. warp to 10 lb. fill ratio of less than about 0.5:1, a 10 lb. fill to 10 lb. bias ratio of at least about 1:1, and a 10 lb. warp:10 lb. fill to 10 lb. fill:10 lb. bias ratio of less than about 0.5:1; a sail comprising panels of sailcloth at least one panel of which is woven sailcloth as described; a method of making such a woven sailcloth comprising weaving warp yarns and fill yarns, which can comprise a reinforcing yarn and can be weaved in a ripstop pattern, in a plain weave in which the ratio of fill yarn count to warp yarn count is about 1.1:1 to about 1.8:1 and the ratio of warp yarn density to fill yarn density is about 1.2:1 to about 1.9:1; and a method of making a sail comprising assembling panels of sailcloth, at least one panel of which is woven sailcloth as described and wherein said at least one panel of woven sailcloth is assembled into the sail with load paths oriented along its warp yarns.