| SAIL TERMS |
| MATERIALS |
|
WEIGHT A sail is often described by a weight designation. This is not the true weight of the cloth, but a rough estimate. In the US, the unit of weight is taken from ounces per sailmaker's yard, or ounces per 36 or 54 inches by 27.5 inches of the cloth being used. DACRON Dacron has more strength and stretch resistance "across" the fabric and the panels need to be laid horizontally. We use only the highest quality Dacron made with high tenacity yarn. Used for all our cross-cut sails. POLYESTER CRUISING LAMINATES Bainbridge's premium range of Taffeta-on-Taffeta polyester is used for radial sails. The double taffeta sandwich constructions makes sails that are tough, lighter and less stretch. Standard CLP fabrics in polyester are very cost effective. PENTEX Laminated Pentex is used for radial sails. Pentex is actually polyethylene napthalate and is a super-Dacron. It is rugged and has two and a half times the modulus of regular Dacron; in other words, it has two and a half times the stretch resistance of a similar weight Dacron. |
| TERMS |
|
ROACH Roach refers to the curvature of the leech. When a sail has more roach, it has more sail area. Battens are used to support the leech and enhance the roach. Full-length battens may be necessary for larger roach sails. CUNNINGHAM A pressed ring near the bottom of the luff offering an additional means of tensioning the luff. UV COVER A layer of Sunbrella or white UV resistant cloth sewn on outer leech of roller reefing headsails. It adds no strength to the sail, but it prevents UV degradation especially in sunny climates where this is a significant factor. REEFS Reefing a sail reduces the sail area. For those sailors staying coastal, a single reef is sufficient. Very rarely do you need a second reef; however, if you plan to cross an ocean or put in a lot of bluewater miles you must have that additional reef. Depending upon your rig configuration, you might need a third reef, but that should be determined on a case-by-case basis. We add a webbed "floppy" ring at the inboard reef on sails being used offshore. This makes managing the sail a little easier when reefing. BATTENS A strip (fiberglass, wood, metal, or laminate) which fits into a pocket in the leech to improve the efficiency of the sail. Battens support the leech and roach and help take the flog out of the sail when reefing and lowering it. They also help maintain better shape over the life of the sail. Full-length battens on the lower sections of the sail can potentially interfere with the reef areas, and they tend to limit your ability to adjust sail shape. By the way, tapered battens are standard on Airforce Sails. Tapered battens have more flexibility at the forward end, and stiffen closer to the leech. NUMBERS The quantity of numbers you would like on your sail. Typically the Manufacturer designated sail number. INSIGNIA Your boat manufacturer's insignia can be put on any new sail. FOAM LUFF A light- weight tapered foam luff can be added to the headsail. As you reef the sail, the added bulk of the foam, especially in the middle of the sail, helps to flatten the sail, removing some of the shape from the sail. This results in a de-powered sail - the objective behind reefing. LP Longest Perpendicular is the distance from the clew of the headsail to the luff, measured perpendicularly to the luff. This measurement is then divided by the distance from the base of the mast to the base of the headstay to provide the percent measurement of the headsail. DRAFT STRIPE A horizontal, contrasting colored stripe to assist in determining draft position. SPREADER PATCH Spreaders notoriously wear on headsails when fully sheeted in. Airforce can add patches to areas on your headsail to reduce wear and tear on the sail material. Spreader Patches should be used wherever spreaders contact the sail. TELLTALE WINDOW A small window placed aft of each set of telltales. Provides visibility of leeward telltale. STANCHION PATCHES These chafe resistant patches are added to a sail where it makes contact with lifeline stanchions. GIRTH The largest width of a spinnaker measured from any point along the leech to the nearest point on the luff. The amount of girth is most commonly expressed as a percentage of the foretriangle base, "J". 180% is a typical girth for both asymmetrical and symmetrical spinnakers. ATN Sleeve An ATN spinnaker sleeve for dousing your sail. Nylon mesh construction allows the spinnaker to breathe, so it dries quicker, even when stored. A single control line, leading through a separate sleeve, eliminates fouling. |
|
|
