Sail Cloth Is Key To Better Performance – Start Here

Advances

Today advances in fabrics through research really benefit sail cloth (foils) and laminates. In the past the foil material was subjected to distortion from the wind. This lead to reduced aerodynamics and lower speed.

Another hurdle that has been overcome is developing tri radial foils rather than radial. The difference is that previously similar size pieces of fabric were woven together giving a less efficient area for the entry / exit of the wind.

Nowadays according to the point in the sail where the fabric is, it is cut to specific requirements of enhancing the performance of the wind. They are tri radial as they are attached to the boat at three points.

Computer Aided Design

When the fiber is translated from computers a technique called geodesics has been invented. The optimal 3D curve is replicated to 2D. The result is a pre curved sheet, which is precision cut from sail cloth by laser. The result is a curved, wind efficient sail.

Here are some common sail types

Spinnaker

Clearly what suits one type of sail does not suit another. It’s useless making a spinnaker out of mainsail fabric and vice versa! Spinnaker fabric is a derivation of nylon, often referred to as ripstop. It is between half an ounce to three ounces per square yard in weight. That depends on what is required. Light wind or heavy, thirty foot weekender or fifty foot racer.

The characteristic of the fabric in sail cloth is that it is not universally strong in all directions. This is why it is interwoven in order for wear and tear to be minimized. The development of tri radial sails means that the stress in the sail is directed to run along the seams on the outside rather than into the center.

Main

In order to maintain the main, battens are incorporated in the design. They aid sail shape and durability by reducing flogging. Another factor to remember is the use of quality hardware at the luff end of the battens. This reduces jamming and so wear.

Different cloth are used on different boat lengths. Mylar tends to be used in boats of fifty foot or less. Its characteristics lend themselves to the foil area necessary. It is light, strong and durable. Most yachts will have Mylar on board. Dacron is used on board forty foot yachts or larger, again for the same reasons as Mylar. Finally Spectra is most often used on yachts over fifty foot in length.

Genoa / Head

As the similarities of the main and the genoa are closer than those of the spinnaker, the fabrics used are the same. What is different is the shape and size of them. In the same way you can reef a main, there are different sizes of genoa, depending on conditions. Genoas are designed around the lay out of the deck. Contributory factors, include the shrouds, the mast and the spreaders.

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