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Single-sided Taffeta

Distance racers looking for extra durability can order laminate sails that have taffeta on one side. The tapes for Tape-Drive or X-Drive are bonded to the film side and the taffeta on the non-tape side adds abrasion resistance to the sail. The taffeta layer adds durability by protecting the film on one side of the sail. Taffeta also reduces damage from flogging and hinging at the leech, but there are weight and expense issues to consider.

Taffeta comes in white and grey for X-Drive and Tape-Drive and only grey for Titanium.

Single-sided gray taffeta Tape-Drive Silver
Single-sided gray taffeta Tape-Drive Silver
A31 VARUNA with X-Drive Carbon non-overlapping jib and main. The base material for the sail is a light polyester laminate that has a film side and a taffeta side. The tapes are bonded to the film side. Photo courtesy: www.batur.be
A31 VARUNA with X-Drive Carbon non-overlapping jib and main. The base material for the sail is a light polyester laminate that has a film side and a taffeta side. The tapes are bonded to the film side. Photo courtesy: www.batur.be

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