Cruising Mainsails
Most sailors tend to both cruise and race. Therefore, we primarily offer “performance cruising” sails. Even those who never race want their boat to sail well and reliably. Our performance cruising sails are made with UK Sailmakers’ Titanium membranes, X-Drive® load-path reinforced laminates, and premium dacrons.
Performance cruising sails hold their shape well, which makes them good for club racing and comfortable fast cruising. A sail that loses its aerodynamic shape makes sailing less comfortable, and stretched-out roller furling mains tend to jam when rolling in and out of the mast.
For budget-constrained sailors, UK Sailmakers does make sails with basic cruising dacron, but even these are built to a higher standard than off-brand sails. UK Sailmakers uses proper-sized corner and reef patches, premium hardware, and UV covers that go on last covering the corner webbings and stitching.
TITANIUM DOUBLE TAFFETA
Description:
Lightest weight performance cruising sail.
Construction:
Molded membrane containing carbon load-path fibers running continuously from corner to corner over a Technora scrim. Lite Skin, White or grey taffeta on both sides of the sail.
Appearance:
Black, Grey or white
Shape stability:
★★★★★
Condition after 500 hours:
★★★★
UV Resistance:
★★★★
Price:
$$$$$
X-DRIVE TAFFETA
Description:
Load-path reinforced performance cruising laminate sail.
Construction:
Extra lightweight cross-cut laminate panels reinforced with corner-to-corner carbon or S-Glass reinforcing yarns bonded to the sail. Taffeta or Lite Skin on one or both sides of the sail.
Appearance:
Black, Grey or white
Shape stability:
★★★★
Condition after 500 hours:
★★★★
UV Resistance:
★★★★
Price:
$$$
RADIAL TAFFETA
Description:
Tri-Radial panel layout for increased shape holding.
Construction:
Long narrow panels radiating from the three corners of the sail that follow load paths connecting the three corners. The narrower the panels the better the shape-holding. Taffeta on both sides.
Appearance:
Grey or white
Shape stability:
★★★
Condition after 500 hours:
★★★
UV Resistance:
★★★
Price:
$$$ – $$$$
VOYAGER
Description:
A woven hybrid of polyester and inserted high-strength UHMWPE.
Construction:
Efficient, nearly wasteless use of sailcloth. Cross-cut panels are orientated so that the strong UHMWPE fill yarns run parallel to the straight-line leech – the part of the sail that sees the highest loads.
Appearance:
White
Shape stability:
★★★★
Condition after 500 hours:
★★★★
UV Resistance:
★★★★
Price:
$$$
DACRON
Description:
Most economical sails for cruising and daysailing.
Construction:
Cross-cut panels make for the most efficient use of the sailcloth, which helps control costs. Woven polyester is better known by the name Dacron, which is a trademark of Dupont.
Appearance:
White, Tanbark or Cream
Shape stability:
★
Condition after 500 hours:
★★
UV Resistance:
★★★★
Price:
$