Racing Sails
Shape
When talking about racing sails, at the end of the day, the performance of a sail
comes down it's SHAPE and it's ability to maintain that shape when loaded up under pressure.
So to design a sail with the right shape, it's first important to understand how the yacht to
loads up and places pressure on the sails.
It's also crucial to understand how you as a helmsman drive the yacht and your crews abilty to trim it.
A fast sail for you may be a slow sail for someone else, it all depends on your ability
to concentrate and react for long periods of time
How a sail is made will also influence it's shape, a radial cut sail is far superior to a cross cut sail
because the more joins the sail has the more fluid the angle change
You can buy the latest and greatest thing out but if the interaction between you and the person designing the sail is minimal
the result is likely to be sub optimal. You maybe buying a golden brick
This is why the relationship between you and your sail maker is vital to get the most out of your yacht.
Stability
If shape is what makes a sail great or not, a sails ability to maintain it's shape is therefore integral to its performance.
This is where fabric choice matters. A carbon fibre will hold it's shape when loaded up where a woven polyester will stretch.
A yacht weighing 5ton will stretch a polyester sail where a dingy weighing 30kg probably won't.
Sailing around the world in large ocean swells will place different strains and rigours upon the sails than those that race around the harbour.
Some fabrics are tough and will last multiple years and others are good for a single regatta before performance is lost.
It's important to undertand what it is you want to do with your sail and under what conditions you intend to use it, as it is this that will best inform your choice of fabric
Cross Cut Dacron
Radial Cut Polyester
Radial Cut Kevlar/Aramid
Radial Cut Carbon