Genoa Titanium

for racing sailboatscarbon

UK Sailmakers pioneered loadpath sails with the Tape-Drive® construction method three decades ago. In loadpath sails, the aerodynamic loads are transferred from the sail’s cloth (usually a Mylar film or skin) and seams to bundles of high strength yarns that run continuously between the corners of the sail. UK Sailmakers’ Titanium® loadpath sails are made with a grid of continuous carbon yarns running unbroken between the three corners of the sail; those yarns are laminated between two layers of 3D-shaped PET film layers. The PET layers are the epidermis of the Titanium sail that protect and hold all the layers together. In the Titanium construction process, the loadpath yarns are laid dry-without glue-to reduce weight and to prevent the carbon yarns from becoming brittle. Further, by not coating the yarns with glue they are lighter, remain more flexible, and make the sails more durable (by 15-30%). The results: happier foredeck teams and more satisfied owners who are not replacing their misshaped and broken sails as often. Until recently, Titanium sails’ PET film was unprotected on their exterior surfaces. This made them susceptible to damage caused by tacking plus damage caused in normal sail handling. Today’s Titanium sails can be ordered with PET films that have their outer sides covered with a layer of either Lite Skin® or taffeta. In either case, by adding these protective coverings, a Titanium sail will enjoy an extended peak performance life without a noticeable increase in the sail’s weight.