Whilst out racing do you ever stop and look at the sails and wish you knew more about them?
There are a huge variety of sail cloth types and also a huge variety of sail makers offering the latest design and the latest technology to boat owners. It is literally a minefield! What sail fabric is best for racing? How will the sail will be built? and of course, how expensive will it be?!
Sail Cloth
Sail cloth types can be broadly categorised into cruising or racing. The key difference is that cruising sails are built for endurance and racing sails are built for speed! The most popular cruising sail fabric is Dacron, which is a woven cloth and is very durable but heavy. However, it is prone to stretching after a season or two’s use and therefore loses its shape very quickly. Dacron sails will last forever if looked after well, and serviced regularly. Normally, cruising sails will made by stitching or gluing together cut panels to make an overall aerodynamic shape.
Racing sails are far more technical - with endless variations availble. But generally they are made of a laminate membrane which is a combination of a film plus a fabric (such as Taffeta) or low-stretch, low weight internal fibres (such as Carbon or Aramid; the main aramid fibres are Kevlar or Mylar). The fabric and fibres can be used in combination with each other to make either a more durable sail or a more lightweight sail. The laminates that use internal fibres (rather than just fabric) are the most expensive to make as the fibres themselves and the production process are at a very high cost.
The picture below shows sail-cloths in increasing durability.
Type A is a film-aramid-film construction. The film restricts stretch in all directions, and the kevlar fibres provides a low-weight shape. This sail cloth is lightweight and high-performance - but only in inshore racing in light-airs. It isn't very durable and doesn't last too long. Where the fibres appear black they are carbon. Carbon is stronger and lighter-weight than kevlar, but shatters easily and needs to be treated gently. The cheapest of the three.
Type B incudes a layer of taffeta within the sandwich ie film-fibres-taffeta-film. The additional layer of taffeta adds increased stregnth and durability to ths sail, but it only a thin layer of fabric helping to keep the sail lightweight. This sail produces great results in both inshore and offshore racing conditions - and is the most expensive of the three.
Type C is taffeta backed, it has a thicker layer of taffeta which is so strong it doesn't require the extra layer of film, so it is only 3 layers thick; film - fibre-taffeta. This thicker taffeta is highly puncture and chafe resistant and perfect for heavy weather or offshore sailing. However, it is a heavy cloth and limits performance in llighter airs. It is mid-priced.
Sail Construction
Racing sails can be built using panels, but also can be made in one piece using a specific process called thermo-molding. As sails are not built to be completely flat, this molding process makes it possible for sails to be made three-dimensionally.
North Sails, one of the world’s leading sailmakers, uses a moulding process called 3DL, which had become the benchmark in high-quality racing sails. As they are not made of panels, it means that there is less stitching, less glue, and therefore less weight. The shape of the sail can also be adapted to suit each yacht type specifically, and therefore sail design becomes an even greater art! Their latest innovation 3Di, uses tapes made of micro-filaments (thinner than a human hair), layered and thermo-moulded using the 3DL process, thus removing the need for the film coating. These state-of-the-art sails are hideously expensive, ultra-high-performance, but not very durable.
Whilst a set of cruising sails will last a decade or more, racing sails are only expected to last 2-3 years, dependent on the amount of use and how they are treated. Laminate and carbon fibre sails will break down almost immediately if badly treated, but careful use can easily see them last a couple of seasons!
Care Top Tips
The top tips for keeping racing sails in the best possible condition are:
· Avoid flogging at all cost. Hoist the sails quickly and trim accurately. Once a fabric has stretched there is no going back!
· Don’t exceed recommended wind range for the sail. This is the quickest way to destroy a sail, full stop.
· Minimise chafe. Make sure that your spreader patches are in the right place and don’t drag the sails across the deck or car park!
· Protect from the Sun. U/V light degrades laminate film so keep the sails out of the sun when not in use. Always remember the boom cover!
· Store sails dry and folded in their bags.
Sailing Logic's Choice
Our Reflex 38’s have a sail wardrobe of 5 headsails, 1 mainsail and up to 4 spinnakers. A good quality racing Mainsail will cost up to £6500, a No 1 Genoa £4500 and a spinnaker, £3000.
We have just ordered a new main and No1 for Visit Malta Puma - and we have chosen a Type B (from above), combining a mix of both aramid and carbon fibres. It is a North 3DL sail, created using the thermo-moulding process for optimum shape, strength and durability.
Jaguar's main which was bought in 2011 is also a North 3DL, but more similar to sail Type A (no fabric) but with an increased density of fibres for additional strength.
So, the next time you are helping to sweat the main up or are changing a headsail on the foredeck, remember that you are hoisting a sail that is worth a similar amount to the average family car!!
