Kevlar Laminate Sails

Another way is to reduce weight by incorporating kevlar reinforcement in existing laminate constructions or in new designs.

Kevlar laminate sails. Common fibres are polyester aramids principally kevlar and twaron and carbon. Dupont has recently introduced kevlar edge a fiber developed specifically for sails with 25 higher flex strength and a higher modulus than kevlar 49. The laminated sail held its shape perfectly for the whole 5 years 2 5x the life of the dacron sail before it stretched. If speed is the main criterion for using advanced composite materials their resistance to tough conditions comes in a close second.

It is possible to build an exceptionally light kevlar carbon sail but it will have a limited wind range and short life with poor durability if however the fabric weights are increased by about 10 15 a considerable life increase can be expected. It is a kevlar laminate 1 mil with an adhesive backing. Compare a laminated sail that lasts for 5 years to a dacron sails that lives for over 20 years. Laminate sails are constructed of load bearing structural fibres that are sandwiched between two layers of mylar film.

It might seem like a short life but the dacron sail only held its shape for a few years and then began to stretch. As you move through the range from polyester to carbon the cost increases as does the sail s ability to retain its shape. Sail design for laminate sails. It is always wise to match the stretch characteristics of the repair material as closely as possible to the specs of the sailcloth.

Taking into consideration the yacht type displacement. Including kevlar honeycombs in composite structures and kevlar fiber in sails. With sails made from laminate fabrics. These were all the infamous laminate molded sails made down in the desert hands down i prefered the pentex over the kevlar.