Mainsail Silver

for cruising sailboatspolyestercarbon

X-Drive sails made with S-Glass yarns are a great solution for owners who want sails that are white, like traditional cruising sails, yet have the performance close to sails made with carbon fiber. As the chart shows, S-Glass yarns have nearly three-times the modulus (ability to resist stretch) and tenacity (breaking strength) than those used in woven polyester (Dacron) sails. While S-Glass yarns don’t have the same stretch resistance as carbon yarns, smaller sails with lower loads don’t require the the strength and cost of carbon. UK Sailmakers’ fiber laying machine puts down up to 11 tapes at a time, which means there are hundreds of tapes running continuously between the three corners of the sail. The almost complete coverage of the sail’s surface with S-Glass fibers prevents the sail from distorting. The strength requirement of the base laminate is reduced by the massive strength of the continuous fiber grid. This means UK Sailmakers can use lighter and less expensive laminates and the savings are passed on. The standard X-Drive Silver sail comes with taffeta on one side of the sail and there are options to have taffeta put over the fibers on the leech or fully covering the continuous fiber side of the sail. The S-Glass fibers used in X-Drive sails are not coated in glue, which keeps them from becoming brittle. Keeping the yarns dry improves their flexibility.