Tape-Drive
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UK Sailmakers has been dedicated since 1985 to improving and refining our Tape-Drive® sail construction system. Tape-Drive sails truly earn the tag line “fast sails that lasts.” Sailors around the world know that Tape-Drives are the longest lasting laminate sails. Whether cruising, club racing or ocean racing, Tape-Drive is the logical choice for boat owners who value durability. WHAT IS TAPE-DRIVE? Tape-Drive is a two-part construction process in which the structural strength of the sail and actual skin that defines the sail’s three-dimensional shape are separate and distinct elements. This process marries a grid of high-strength, low stretch tapes – the structural strength – to a three-dimensionally shaped membrane – the skin – made up of broadseamed, cross-cut laminated panels. The tape grid carries the primary structural loads of the sail, while the skin produces aerodynamic lift and handles secondary and tertiary loads. The tapes radiate across the sail with heavier concentrations at computer predicted high load areas. Durability: In Tape-Drive sails the skin laminate is uniform throughout the sail. There is no differential stretch or shrinkage from panel to panel as commonly experienced in sails produced with traditional sailmaking techniques. Also there are no load-bearing seams to creep, distort, or worse yet, fail. As a result, Tape-Drive sails are acknowledged by many as the durability champions amongst laminate sails. Dependability: Depending on the size of your boat and its sailing requirements, UK Sailmakers selects the appropriate sailcloth from a wide variety of laminates made by sailcloth manufacturers for the Tape-Drive construction system. These commercially made laminates include scrims made of aramid, Spectra or polyester yarns. Professionally made laminates do not delaminate. UKSAILMAKERS.COM INFO

Tape-Drive Carbon earns its name from the black carbon fibre tapes used on the sails. The matrix of load-bearing carbon tapes can be applied to a range of skin materials. Tape-Drive Carbon/Aramid The highest performance material set for Tape-Drive sails is a grid of loadpath carbon tapes bonded to a laminate skin made with aramid yarns. Aramid laminates come in different weights so that sails can be customized for different sized boats and different wind ranges. These all-black sails have the least amount of stretch in the primary loadpaths (where the carbon tapes are laid) as well as...

TAPE-DRIVE CARBON/SPECTRA Top: The Whitbread 60 that used to be named TOKIO is still ocean racing with Spectra Tape-Drive sails for maximum durability. Above: The 80-foot custom motor sailor QUINTA a Spectra Tape-Drive Passagemaker genoa and full-batten mainsail. Left: A 70-foot schooner with full-batten Spectra Tape-Drive mains and a roller/reefing genoa. For the ultimate in cruising durability, UK Sailmakers makes Tape-Drive sails with laminates using Spectra yarns. Many sailors have used Tape-Drive Carbon Spectra sails for 10 years or more since they hold up so well. A SPECTRA TAPE-DRIVE...

TAPE-DRIVE SILVER For boats under 40-feet, UK Sailmakers has the option of using less expensive laminates made of polyester laminates. The crosscut polyester laminates are reinforced with S-Glass fiber tapes. When S-Glass tapes are used on polyester laminates, the sail has an all-white look as shown to the left and right. These sails off vastly better shape holding than a similar Dacron sail and the price increase is surprisingly small. WHEN REPAIRS ARE LESS EXTENSIVE, THEY ARE LESS EXPENSIVE The Tape-Drive construction system creates a unique "Rip Stop" layout, which prevents accidental...