Opinions on sail materials

[dehler25]

I am looking for opinions regarding sail material preferences. Dacron has led the charge for a long time and has certainly improved, then along comes the rival laminate. I am loading it into a in mast furler so I am attracted to the slight improvement in the bulk that has to roll up in the cavity. Laminate supposedly keeps its shape better over its useful life, but is that life a lot shorter than Dacron? The Dacron is a lot cheaper in a cross cut than the TriRadial laminate but is it worth the difference?

 

[Jackdaw]

Laminated sails offer best bang for the buck to racers and performance oriented sailors. If you're mostly a cruiser (in-mast furler a good clue) then I'd stick with dacron. A good middle ground is to get a tri-radial sail cut with high-bias dacron (what North calls NorDac Radian). It will hold its shape better than crosscut dacron because the cloth is cut to better resist stretch in the long direction of the panels, and probably outlast a laminate, in condition but not shape. The next stage is a laminate with taffeta (a thin layer of dacron glued to each side for protection) covering. Now we're getting costly.

BTW, the biggest wear factor on laminate is flogging and other abuse. Dacron resists that treatment much better. Well treated laminates will last a LONG time.

 

[uncledom]

I was in the same boat, pardon the pun, and went to the sail maker my buddy gets his racing sails from. I like his sails they work well on Wednesday nites. Theses were my choices.

Cross-Cut Dacron Main 493 sq.ft. 7.5 oz $ 4,750.00

Tri-Radial CLP Laminate Main 493 sq.ft. $ 5,898.00

Either of these would be configured with the following:
— if Dacron Dimension/Polyant fabric, made in Germany
— if Laminate, Challenge, Pentex scrim, Double taffeta
— UV Dacron clew cover (much lower bulk than Sunbrella)
— Oversize clew cover so you don't have to roll as much sail into the mast.
— UV strip up the leech
— Radial corners
— Harken Clew Block
— Spectra leech line with the tail led to the bottom edge of the clew
— Draft stripes
— Numbers if desired
— Sail bag

I went with the laminate and would do it again in a heart beat. It should allegedly last ten useful years. It is on a hunter 41 that weighs 24,000 lbs with fuel only. I guess we run around 27,000 on any given day and those sails:
Furl in and out effortlessly compared to 6 year old dacrons
Hold a perfect shape even without battens
Allow me to really tension the foot which lets me keep full sail in higher winds with less heel
Are lighter in weight which is nice in fall and spring when I shoulder them
Lets my boat run to hull speed more times than not

If they had issues and were only 5 years old I would repurchase them in a heart beat. They make my big clunky cruiser a joy to sail and they look good doing it. Just my opinion.

 

[Anonymous 121765]

DE,
I found a material called Polyant Square some 15 years ago for my new main.
It's a rip-stop material with a 1/4" approx. square pattern to it.

I still use it with very little evidence of stretching vertically parallel to the leach.
There was a local racer Dennis Vellenga, that had a sail loft & he recommended it back then.

I am very happy how it has held up.

CR

 

[dehler25]

My 450 displaces about 26k dry. If I had had my druthers I would have had a furling boom, but the boat had the mast furler. I kicked up a price on Dacron as a cross cut for about 1800 and the laminate for 2500 so I guess at those prices if I didn't like the laminate I could get something different.

 

[meb135]

My 450 displaces about 26k dry. If I had had my druthers I would have had a furling boom, but the boat had the mast furler. I kicked up a price on Dacron as a cross cut for about 1800 and the laminate for 2500 so I guess at those prices if I didn't like the laminate I could get something different.

I am looking for opinions regarding sail material preferences. Dacron has led the charge for a long time and has certainly improved, then along comes the rival laminate. I am loading it into a in mast furler so I am attracted to the slight improvement in the bulk that has to roll up in the cavity. Laminate supposedly keeps its shape better over its useful life, but is that life a lot shorter than Dacron? The Dacron is a lot cheaper in a cross cut than the TriRadial laminate but is it worth the difference?

I went with a tri-radial laminate with taffeta for my furling main. No regrets. Furls in and out very easily and the increase in performance seals the deal.
Marc

 

[capta]

We have a tape drive main and though it is a well cut sail, it is sh*t. Huge bits of the laminate have been flaking off for years and I've had to have 3 panels replaced with Dacron.
All the newer more esoteric materials do not do well in the sun and should be washed and folded after use. If you want a long lasting, easy to care for sail, stick to the tried and true Dacron.