The HSX range of extra high sley premium sailcloth is the result of an extensive ‘no-compromise’ research program and we believe is the best woven sailcloth available today. All HSX products feature: High Sley Count: This refers to the total amount of fiber in the fabric. More fiber provides more strength. Super tight weave: The closer the fibers are woven the more stable the weave providing less bias stretch, better stretch resistance and longer life High tenacity fibers: Used in all HSX products, high tenacity fibers are stonger and stretch less than the medium tenacity used in many sailcloths. Durable Melamine impregnated finish. Good UV resistance. HSX products are designed the more discerning cruising and racing sailor who appreciated the increase in performance that sails made from these fabrics will deliver. HSX Construction HSX fabrics use a highly unbalanced construction of high tenacity yarns to improve resistance to stretch. They are the optimum woven fabric for performance orientated mainsails and genoa’s in all cruising applications and on racing yachts where class rules or cost prohibits the use of laminates. They are particularly well suited for use in conjunction with a full batten sail system. The fabric is woven from large denier fill yarns that resist stretch from vertical loads in the sail. A high density of smaller denier warp yarns resist the far lower loads across the sail. A further benefit of this type of construction, in the fight to resist stretch, is that much of the crimp in the yarn is forced into the weaker warp fibres. This reduces the initial stretch from the primary load direction. A further way to optimise performance of High Aspect and HSX sails is to use a full batten system such as Bainbridge International’s Sailman 4000 or 5000 range. Full length battens help to maintain the design shape of the sail, so reducing off threadline loads, and reducing flogging. The Perfect Finish The Premium range is finished with a Melamine impregnation to stabilise the weave. Bainbridge developed this finish and has consistently improved it over the years to deliver sails that retain their design shape over many seasons use.