engleski

SAILCLOTHES - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Since the time of animal skins, linen and cotton sails, throughout the present days when most modern fabrics are used, sail-makers have been trying to manufacture "the best" e.g. sail that is elastic when there is no wind and unyielding when the wind is adequate. Sail-makers can design the best shape of sail required, but how well that shape is retained in different wind and weather conditions is down to the sailcloth, e.g. its construction, geometry (warp, fill and bias) and properties like stretch resistance, strength and flexibility. Because of that, creating of a sail is a never-ending process of constant optimisation, which concerns not only sail design and construction, but also creation of suitable sailcloth. The last 50 years have seen a virtual explosion in the development of new sailcloth materials, largely as a result of the evolution in the field of fibres. Although sailcloth materials belong to the group of high-performance and highly sophisticated materials, considerable degree of chaos is present in the field of its characterisation. In spite of fact that many manufacturer have developed a series of their own routine tests that should be performed on the cloth they manufacture there are no clear requirements regarding the quality, no regulations and procedures are generally accepted in testing and experience is still the most important parameter in assessing a product.

sails; sailcloth; advanced materials

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