sailcloth.com - sail cloth and sail making hardware from Bainbridge International

<BODY bgcolor="#FFFFFF" background="images/mainbgrnd.jpg" bgproperties="fixed" > <TABLE width="500" border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <TR> <TD colspan="2"> <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/main.asp"><IMG src="sail-cloth/logo.gif" width="397" height="66" border="0" alt="sail cloth sailmakers sailmaking sails sailing racing boats sailboats yachts yachting hardware industry"></A> <H1><B><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#2B83A3" size="3">sail cloth and sail making hardware from Bainbridge International </FONT></B></H1> <P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#000000" size="-1"><IMG src="images/diax-p-pic.jpg" width="182" height="230" align="right" hspace="4" border="1">Sail cloth and sailmaking hardware suppliers. Bainbridge International's extensive range of hi-tech DIAX laminates, AIRX spinnaker fabrics and Sailman full batten fittings - everything a sailmaker needs for racing boats and yachts.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#000000" size="-1">In the early 1990’s Bainbridge International’s application of scrim technology, revolutionised the laminated sailcloth market. Since then Bainbridge has remained at the leading edge through evolution and perfection of the original concept. The most recent upgrades to the DIAX range has once again put Bainbridge at the leading edge.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#000000" size="-1">The DIAX range of high performance laminates from Bainbridge International is designed to deliver the ultimate combination of light weight and durability sought by all racing sailors.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica" color="#000000" size="-1"><A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/newsail.html">sail cloth</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/finding.html">sailmakers</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/news/ellen.html">racing boats</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/offshore.html">yachts</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/battens.html">battens</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/cruiselaminates.html">laminates</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/answer7.html">spinnaker</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/clubrace2.html">diax</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/airx.html">airx</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/sailman3000.html">sailman</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/glossary.html">kevlar</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/glossary.html">pentex</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/covermaker/dacron.htm">dacron</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/glossary.html">aramids</A> | <A href="http://www.sailcloth.com/glossary.html">twaron</A> | <A href="http://www.bainbridgeint.com/" target="_blank">bainbridge international</A></FONT> </P> <P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Your Sailmaker designed the ideal sail shape for your boat, the type of sailing you enjoy and your local conditions. The design was based on using a cloth that best suited your application when new. Over time your cloth has deteriorated, reducing its ability to resist the stretching forces on your sail and so loosing the shape your Sailmaker intended. The effects of this can seriously effect your sailing enjoyment that is why it is important you specify a quality cloth such as Bainbridge.</FONT></P> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> Your mainsail will become more full causing more heeling, less speed and earlier reefing. </FONT></LI> <LI><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> Your headsail will also become more full reducing your pointing ability so you have to tack more often. </FONT></LI> <LI><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> The camber (the deepest part of your sail) will move aft causing more heeling force and drag, and less forward drive. </FONT></LI> <LI><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> The leeches of your sail will fall away reducing your pointing ability and the gust response of your rig with your sails stretching and releasing the extra wind power instead of harnessing it to accelerate your boat. </FONT></LI> </UL> <P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Racing sailors are very aware of these problems as speed difference between old and new sails is easy to spot. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Cruising sailors are also becoming more aware of the effects of poor sails.<BR> <BR> <B>Stretching sails = more tacking, more reefing, more heeling, longer to get to a destination = less enjoyment.</B></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><B><FONT color="#2B83A3">Why do sails deteriorate? </FONT></B></FONT></P> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> UV light seriously reduces the strength of the fibres used in sailcloth, in extreme cases up to 50% in 3 months. </FONT></LI> <LI><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> All materials loose strength when they are bent back and forth or 'flexed'. When a sail flogs this flexing action damages the fibres. </FONT></LI> <LI><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> Static tensile loads such as leech, outhaul and halyard tension all stretch the fibres. Over time they loose the ability to recover and the sail will then never return to the design shape. </FONT></LI> <LI><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> All woven sails have a hard resin finish that protects the fibre from UV, prevents water absorbsion and locks the weave together. This finish is relatively brittle and breaks down with flogging and flexing so causing the sail to feel soft and soggy and loosing the ability to resist diagonal bias loads.</FONT></LI> </UL> <P> <A href="http://www.bainbridgeint.com/"><IMG src="file:///N%7C/NewMind/Sites/Clients/images/bainint-h.gif" width="166" height="42" border="0" alt="Bainbridge International"></A> </P> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </BODY>