ALL ABOUT SAILCLOTH
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ALL ABOUT SAILCLOTH ALL ABOUT SAILCLOTH Q Nylon in spinnakers, polyester replacing cotton, what about Kevlar, Twaron and Carbon? Polyester is still the best all round fibre for most woven and laminated cruising fabrics, as it is durable, strong and good value. However, since the introduction of Polyester many new and exciting fibres have become available including Kevlar, PEN, Dyneema / Spectra, HM Twaron, Technora aramids and Carbon. In more demanding applications, such as racing and offshore cruising, the strength of these fibres can create a far superior fabric. Look how HM Twaron has 8.5 times the modulus of Polyester while Dyneema / Spectra and Carbon are half as strong again! Use of these exotic fibres in laminated sailcloth has lead to progressively stronger and lighter sails. However, the downside of this incredible performance is higher cost and potentially, reduced sail life. To reduce this problem many of our high performance laminates use a mix of up to 3 different fibres, each of which contributes its own attributes to the finished fabric. For example, our DIAX-OS-HMT styles use HM Twaron warp and fill yarns for excellent stretch resistance and alternate Polyester fill yarns to provide support and flex strength. This leading edge technology has allowed us to produce race winning high performance laminates with extended competitive life. Nylon Polyester-HT Polyester-PEN HM Twaron Dyneema / Spectra Carbon So, sailcloth really does make a difference? Quality cloth is always a good investment in terms of performance and durability and it is usually worth buying the best you can within your budget. We would recommend you ask your Sailmaker for details of what he is using for your sails and why, so when comparing quotes you can make sure they are like for like. Our product leaflets offer further information on the Bainbridge range of cloth and are available with samples from your sailmaker. For more imformation visit www.sailcloth. com • AIRX: Bainbridge’s brand name for a superior range of performance spinnaker nylons. • Bias: A diagonal across a piece of fabric at 45-degrees to the warp and fill. • Carbon: An extreme performance fibre used extensively in composite engineering and recently introduced to the sailcloth market. • Creep: The property of fibres to gradually stretch under a constant load. • Crimp: Length or waviness added to a yarn when it is woven over-and-under in a piece of fabric. Crimp can contribute to the elongation of a fabric under load. • Dacron: DuPont’s trade name for polyester fibre. • Denier: A system for coding filament yarns and fibres, with low numbers representing finer sizes and higher numbers representing heavier yarns. • DIAX: Bainbridge’s brand name for laminates with a 45-degree diagonal scrim. • DIAX2: Bainbridge's new brand of double DIAX reinforced cross cut race and cruise laminates. • Dyneema: Super strong polyethylene fibre made by DSM, up to 40% stronger than aramid fibres. Also resistant to UV and moisture. • Elongation: The difference between the length of a stretched sample and its initial length; expressed in 1/100ths of an inch. • Fibre: Strand of material used to spin into a yarn. • Fill: The yarn or fibre running across the width of the fabric at right angles to the warp. • Gsm: Weight in grams of a square metre of cloth. • Hand: Softness or firmness of a fabric. • Kevlar: DuPont’s trade name for a family of high-strength aramid fibres. • Laminate: A layered fabric made by bonding scrims and/or taffetas to one or two plies of film. • LP: DIAX2 Load Path - The new sail assembly technology that combining DIAX2 laminates and full length Load Path bearing fibres. • LSP: Name for DIAX laminates using Pentex fibres. • Modulus: The measure of stretch or elasticity of a fabric. High Modulus = low stretch. • MP: Bainbridge’s brand name for a range of multi – purpose spinnaker fabrics. • PEN: Modified polyester with 60% less stretch. Sometimes called Pentex. • Polyester: A strong, reliable and inexpensive fibre ideal for cruising and low-tech racing laminates, and woven sailcloth. • Primary Yarn Direction: The orientation (warp or fill) in which a fabric is the most stretch resistant. • Sailmakers Ounces (smoz): Weight of a 36" x 28.5" piece of cloth. • Scrim: Non woven, formed sheet of yarns held together with resin. • Spectra: A highly modified polyethylene fibre developed by Allied Corp. • Taffeta: A light woven fabric used on laminates to add durability and abrasion resistance. • Tenacity: The breaking strength of a yarn or fabric stated in force per unit of the cross-sectional area. • Tensile Strength: The ability of a fibre, yarn or fabric to resist breaking under tension. • Threadline: The direction of the yarns. • Technora: Aramid fibres with lower modulus but higher durability than Twaron. • Twaron: Family of aramid fibres made by Akzo and used in Bainbridge DIAX-HMT racing laminates. • Warp: The yarn or fibre running the length of a fabric. Technical Innovation and Service - The Fabric of Our Business All About Cruising Sailcloth Laminates With a full range of sailcloth, sailmakers hardware and a global sales and support network, Bainbridge is uniquely qualified and committed to supplying the world with the finest quality materials. Founded in 1917, Bainbridge International is one of the longest established sailcloth manufacturers in the world with almost a century’s experience in developing and supplying the highest quality, highest performance materials to the marine industry. Bainbridge has always been at the forefront of technical developments within the world of sailcloth. Through the skills of the technical team, we have developed a number of products including AIRX Performance Spinnaker Fabrics, MP MultiPurpose Spinnaker Fabrics, DIAX Laminated Sailcloth and SAILMAN Full Batten Systems. These have been used by many high profile campaigns including America’s Cup, Vendee Globe, Volvo 60 and BT Global Challenge. There are other leaflets in the range that offer advice on our other sailcloth ranges and our SAILMAN Full Batten Systems. These are available from your Sailmaker. www.sailcloth.com - 5 simple steps to better sails We have developed an easy to use website that offers advice and recommendations about the correct sailcloth for your needs. With 5 simple steps to follow, you can develop an understanding for the benefits of the sailcloth styles we offer and comprehend which one meets your needs. Your Sailmaker is the essential link between our fabric technology and your boat. They offer Bainbridge fabrics because of the inherent trust that the excellence of their workmanship, combined with the quality of our products, will provide you, the Customer, with the best possible value and performance. Bainbridge® is a registered trademark of Bainbridge International Ltd. AIRX™, DIAX™, MP™, and SAILMAN™ are trademarks of Bainbridge International Ltd. Pentex® and Spectra® are registered trademarks of Honeywell International Inc. Dacron® is a registered trademark of DuPont. Twaron® is a registered trademark of Te