On 2007-05-24 18:25:20 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
said:

"KLC Lewis" wrote in message
et...

wrote in message
oups.com...
...
Ya, I saw a lot of multiple-posts in the past few days. Actually, though, I
was referring to the marketing hype of North Sails 3DL process. I had no
idea.

It may not be all marketing. In the nasty fight over the airframe
patent North claimed that their sails were different because the yarns
were continuous (http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5097784). So
they might be worried about infringing on
http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT4593639 when the sails are
re-cut. Be that as it may, North makes very, very good sails and I
think you are right about the low stretch making the square tops
workable.

-- Tom.

I have North sails on Escapade, but they're dacron cruising sails.
Don't know that I would want the mylar ones if they were given to me.


Smart thinking. Dacron sails for cruising is the correct choice all
things considered. Nothing looks stupider than a cruising boat with
expensive, prone to failure, high maintenance racing sails.

The people who attempt to show how cool they are by using hi-tech
racing sails on a cruising boat are the same people who put those
spinning hubcaps on their KIAs. No class.
Fewer brains.

Xan (below) is a fast cruiser and she has Dacron and nylon from North
at the moment, but SHE would love to have a set of 3DL sails onboard.
With good sails, we sail quite a bit more, and get further when we do
(BTW, I don't believe the newest sails are mylar now, but carbon fiber
and other advanced materials.)

Recent advancements seem to be getting near to being better and more
durable than Dacron for the long haul. If nothing else, having to put
sacrificial material on a Dacron foresail significantly hurts sail
shape and performance.

Last year, we got a new 110 for higher winds and intentionally skipped
the foam/rope luff and sacrificial strip. Last week, we finallly got a
chance to use that sail in real-world conditions: small craft
advisories for most of the week, and the wind was in our face whenever
we moved. The sail made a notable, measurable difference.

I can easily see that sails of even more advanced materials will drive
boats easier and faster. The problem to date has been durability, but
it seems they're getting closer to making sail materials even more
durable than Dacron. I have a strong suspicion that the next new sail
for Xan will not be Dacron.

In other words, I think we're in about the same place sailors were when
Dacron was introduced. Many didn't think that exotic material had any
place onboard.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's new pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI pages: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/