THE ULTIMATE SAILMAKING PROCESS

If you were to picture in your mind the best way to engineer a sail, you would undoubtedly come up with a methodology that had the following capabilities:
1. The load bearing materials would be aligned with the load map of the sail.
2. The concentration of materials would vary with and match the concentration of the loads.
3. The selection of materials would suit the specific requirements of the sail in question.
4. There would be a means of addressing secondary and tertiary loads that the sail encounters in use.
5. There would be a proven way of shaping the sail.

 For over fifteen years, UK Sailmakers have addressed these requirements with Tape-Drive, the first truly load path sails. During this period, the majority of the sailmaking industry stuck with the more conventional tri-radial construction. There are many obvious differences between these two ways to make sails but they can be boiled down to this one significant fact:
  In Tape-Drive sails the skin membrane and the load bearing structure are separate and distinct. In tri-radial construction the skin membrane and the load bearing structure are one in the same. You can get some idea of how well they match up with the above criteria from the following illustrations.

If you compare the two pictures above, (both Mumm 36 one-designs), you will see that the tapes in the Tape-Drive sails follow the curved load paths exactly. Also, the number and size of the tapes can be concentrated where the loads are greatest. Not so with the tri-radial sails! While a heavier material can be selected to handle heavier loads (as shown in the picture), the sailmaker is limited to the capabilities of the material he selects. Tape-Drive skin materials and tri-radial laminates are both engineered for specific jobs and to handle off-threadline loads and both kinds of sails are shaped with cross-cut seams.
As well as Tape-Drive does in this comparison, we knew it wasn’t the whole answer. The more we sought to improve it, the more we were drawn to the conclusion that the real answer was to design and engineer the laminate and the sail at the same time and then build the two in unison. This resulted in the Ultra process and Ultra sails. Pictured to below is a Beneteau 40.7 with a set of Carbon/Aramid UK Ultra sails. These sails are the perfect answer to all the criteria set forth above.
1. The load bearing materials follow the load map of the sail. 2. The density of the materials varies directly with the load concentration. 3. The materials themselves reflect exactly what the sail designer called for. In this case, the laminate consists of carbon fiber and aramid yarns. 4. Secondary and tertiary loads are handled by the addition of a tri-axial aramid scrim, in this case made of Technora. 5. Sail shape is introduced by the best and most time tested method, cross cut seam shaping.

 The range of materials used in Ultra sails is extensive. We use five different deniers of aramid yarn, two sizes of carbon fiber yarns as well as Pentex and fiberglass. We use tri-axial scrims of two different types of aramid and one of fiberglass. We use three different thickness of film and even have a film with a Dacron covering for high performance cruising sails. When you consider the fact that all these various materials can be mixed and matched, you’ll understand why we claim to be able to engineer exactly the right product for your needs.
We can go to extremes by building the sail extra light (fewer, lighter yarns, no scrim, light film) or go in the opposite direction and beef up every aspect of the sails structure.
Shown below are a couple of the material combinations that we used in Ultra sails.

Aramid Scrim with aramid load path yarns	Technora scrim with carbon and aramid load path yarns

Since the sections or panels of Ultra sails are shaped on their horizontal edges (cross cut), the sails have load bearing seams. To address the issues of seam integrity and seam creep, the panels are joined with what we believe is the strongest seam in the sailmaking industry, the Q-Bond seam. This seam is made with a machine made by Q-Bond AB of Stockholm, Sweden. It is designed to ultra-sonically activate a special adhesive in the seam while having no affect on the surrounding yarns or film. The adhesive strips are applied just like regular seamstick tape and are is heated to the point where it becomes molten and flows throughout the seam.

All, the minute pores on the film surface are filled assuring complete coverage. For sails that will encounter heavier than normal loads, wider seams and additional strips can be used. Once the adhesive has cured (about 24 hours), tests show that the seam is stronger than the surrounding material with no creep whatsoever.

In practice, the difference between Ultra sails and other hi tech products has proven to be their inelasticity. Sail trimmers have commented time and again about how little adjustment is needed in the trim of Ultra sails, even on puffy days. This characteristic plus the light weight of the Ultra sails expands the useful wind range of the sails on both ends of the scale. They perform better in light air because they’re light! They perform better in heavy air because they hold their shape! The series of photos appearing above shows some of what we’re talking about. The pictures are of "Soulmates", an Express 37, using her Ultra AP #1 and mainsail. All these shots were taken within 5 minutes of each other on December 9th in Long Island Sound. If you look carefully, you can see the snow on the shore! The wind was strong (about 12-14 knots true) and the air was cold (42 degrees F) so the loads were heavy. TRY A CUSTOM MADE SUIT INSTEAD OF AN "OFF THE SHELF” MODEL. If you’re tired of looking at the transom of your competition, you should give Ultra a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at their price and even happier with their performance.