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THE
RACE STARTS HERE.....
Some
multihull sail cloth options etc and a few notes:
1.
Woven Dacron.
CRUISING ONLY. There is a cost benefit. The sails
are easy to use and easy to service.
They
are always crosscut construction. They will not retain
their shape as well as laminate sails and they are
a bit heavier. They are a good option for cruising.
Laminates
are a better choice for racing or for use which combines
cruising with occasional racing.
2.
Pentex Laminate. This
is a good choice for cruise / race use. The latest
materials are supple,relatively light in weight ,
and very tough.
This
is the most popular option.
Compared
to some other laminate
( e.g. with a kevlar or carbon element) the Pentex
laminates have excellent UV resistance and structural
longevity. We often use MAXX Penn multiaxial fabric.V
High tech crosscut.
3.
Cruising laminate. These
sails look very much like woven dacron but the material
is a structural laminate sandwiched between outer
skins of dacron taffeta, making it very tough indeed.
It demands the sails to be radial construction and
the result is rugged and long-lasting.
Not the best racing option but excellent for a long
term cruising application. The price is the same as
for Pentex laminate.
4.
Kevlar or hybrid kevlar/carbon laminate. The
best racing option. Often used as a multiaxial laminate
so not only great structural/ technical product, but
they look fabulous.
For
furling racing headsails consider using a 'Voyager'
race fabric, which combines thehighest tech racing
laminate with a protective taffeta skin.
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