GET THE BEST FROM YOUR SAILS

High-tech laminate sails sound appealing but conventional woven sails remain a better all-round option for cruising – as long as you take care of them...

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Although sailcloth technology has advanced significantly in recent years, the basic principles of its manufacture haven't changed in centuries, with warp fibres (running along the cloth) being bent around fill, or weft, fibres (running across the cloth). These yarns snake over and under each other (known as ‘crimp’) and when the cloth is put under load, they straighten out, resulting in ‘stretch’. Most modern woven sails are made from polyester, also called Dacron, originally introduced as a replacement for cotton in the 1950s. Being highly durable and economical, Dacron is ideal for cruising sails. Spinnakers and cruising chutes, meanwhile, tend to be made from woven nylon which has an excellent weight-to-strength-to-tear ratio.

CRUISING LAMINATES

Many people associate laminate sails with high-tech competitive sailing, but cruising laminates are also available for coastal sailing. Strong, light, but expensive, they are a hybrid of woven and laminate materials with the woven fabric bonded to both sides of the interior laminate to promote durability and UV resistance. Cruising laminates tend to last for five years. The benefit is that their shape will remain consistent throughout that time.

CHAFING CHALLENGES

Extended choppy passages at sea can create a good deal of chafe between a boat's sails and its rigging. One solution lies with your use of the halyard. explains Jeremy Smart, from North Sails in the UK. He also advises using spreader patches to protect your sails. To make an effective spreader patch, wait for a calm day and, with the sail hoisted and eased out onto the spreaders, hoist a crew member aloft to mark the correct locations at the luff and leech ends. Don't forget to measure the spreaders as well. This will give you the proper length for your sail patch.