SAILS AND SAIL TECH

Composite sails, loadsupporting downwind sails, soft wingsails... investigates the latest developments

Elaine Bunting

When you look at aerial photos of the J Class, the TP52S or the Maxi 72s it’s impossible not to be struck by the aerofoil shapes of modern composite sails. Stiff, strong and efficient, modern bladed sails at the elite end of yacht racing have transformed pointing angles and speeds, and the technology has steadily spread to regatta sailors.

Deck gear and rigging have undergone an even wider ranging evolution. Textile rigging, soft shackles and spliced attachments, plus new furling systems, have transformed how many of us rig and set our sails. We are now on the cusp of another step forward, looking at the prospect of superstrong all-round sails that can handle a wide range of wind angles and speeds, perhaps in future suitable to be trimmed by automated control systems. Some of these innovations are futuristic, some in the here-and-now.

Ken Read, president of North Sails, is probably the world’s most famous sailmaker. The Volvo Ocean Race skipper, J Class helmsman and America’s Cup pundit has hands-on experience at every level. The big revolution of his time at North has been 3Di, a moulded composite material made of unidirectional spread filament tapes, pre-impregnated with adhesive, and made into a one-piece membrane.

3Di has gone through several generations of refinement, shedding weight along the way. The latest top end racing material being