We are taking global action to minimize the environmental impact of our sail manufacturing processes and help protect the world’s oceans. One key initiative is our partnership with Challenge Sailcloth, from whom we source the majority of laminates used in our X-Drive® sails. Challenge Sailcloth produces laminates using recycled components that offer the same strength and durability as traditional materials. The new X-Drive laminates are made with partially recycled yarns and 100% recycled film, which boasts greater UV resistance than virgin films. This is a significant step sailmakers can take to reduce plastic waste that might otherwise end up in our oceans.

Trash pulled from the sea compared to perfect ocean sailing conditions during a Hawaii race.

At UK Sailmakers Northwest in Sidney, British Columbia, we are acutely aware of the growing problem of marine debris, particularly in the North Pacific Gyre. This vast accumulation of garbage poses significant challenges for sailors navigating races to Hawaii, such as the Pacific Cup, TransPac, and Vic Maui. JOY RIDE, a J/122E based in the Pacific Northwest, reported their shock at the volume of debris encountered during the 2018 Vic Maui Race, raising concerns about the impact on marine life, asking, “How are our leviathan friends faring in a sea of fish nets, plastic cups, and other urban waste?” In the same year, OXOMOXO, a Swan 39 from Seattle, stopped to rescue a distressed sea turtle trapped in a discarded fishing net. The risk of sailboat entanglement, particularly when sailing in breezy nighttime conditions, is also a serious concern.

During the 2018 Pacific Cup, Stuart Dahlgren, owner of UK Sailmakers Northwest, was alarmed by the amount of debris encountered. While racing on his Santa Cruz 70, WESTERLY, he reported, “We had to back down seven times to free debris from our keel and rudder. At one point, we snagged a large piece of commercial fishing net around the keel, which almost required a swim to remove. Other items included a huge chunk of molded radiator hose, various bits of line, plastic bags, and small pieces of net.” In 2022, Stuart and his crew observed significant amounts of small floating garbage, primarily gear from commercial fishing, floats, and plastic, but fortunately avoided catching any of it.

Oliver McCann and Brendan Huffman, from UK Sailmakers Los Angeles, share a deep commitment to environmental conservation. Oliver, who holds a Master’s Degree in Environment and Sustainability from UCLA, has spent over 40 years serving Southern California sailors from their Marina del Rey location. Brendan, a lifelong sailor, reflected on his experience during the Singlehanded TransPac Race, saying, “The debris I pulled off my rudder last year had been in the water so long it had developed an ecosystem, ready to become an invasive species somewhere else.”

12 Sustainable Boating Practices

1. Opt for wind or human-powered vessels whenever possible: Reduce fuel consumption and lower your carbon footprint by choosing sailboats, kayaks, or other non-motorized watercraft.
2. Require reusable water bottles: Encourage crew members to bring refillable water bottles to minimize single-use plastics onboard.
3. Pack food and supplies in reusable containers: Bring meals and supplies in reusable containers to reduce onboard waste and minimize trash.
4. Anchor responsibly: Use designated mooring areas and avoid anchoring in sensitive ecosystems, such as coral reefs or seagrass beds, to protect marine habitats.
5. Choose eco-friendly antifouling paint: Opt for environmentally friendly antifouling paint and maintain a clean hull by sailing frequently rather than scrubbing.
6. Provide secure trash and recycling bins: Ensure everyone on board knows the location of designated trash and recycling receptacles to properly manage waste.
7. Use biodegradable products: Choose biodegradable soaps and reef-safe sunscreens to reduce harmful chemical runoff into the water.
8. Recycle used fishing line: Dispose of fishing line at marina recycling stations or your local tackle shop to prevent harm to marine life.
9. Collect marine debris: Use a net to scoop up marine debris while boating or on docks, and dispose of it properly.
10. Harness solar power: Install solar panels to reduce your reliance on diesel for charging batteries, cutting down on emissions.
11. Follow responsible fueling and pump-out procedures: Adhere to best practices for fueling and waste disposal to prevent spills and protect the water.
12. Participate in clean-up events: Join marina or beach clean-up events to help maintain a clean and healthy marine environment.

Heather Mahady participating in a local beach clean-up event.

More than a decade of volunteer beach clean-up data collected by the Surfrider Foundation reveals that over 60% of beach debris originates from land-based sources.

At UK Sailmakers, we are committed to minimizing waste during sail production. Our lofts utilize advanced software to optimize cutting patterns, significantly reducing sailcloth off-cuts. Innovations like zippered luff spinnakers help prevent waterway pollution by eliminating the need for yarn or elastic used in traditional spinnaker banding. Additionally, sailcloth remnants are repurposed for future sail repairs, creating duffle bags for local regatta prizes, and more.

Looking ahead, UK Sailmakers has several new environmental initiatives and partnerships planned for 2023. We are dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of sailing and protecting the ocean and planet for future generations.

“Boy was it rough. At one point, my wife Diana who was on the rail just aft of our bowman, said she was floating above the deck in all the water that came aboard. It was a good thing the water was 80 degrees, because we were all wet. I’ve never done a whole race hard on the wind. It took us seven hours and change.” 

LEADING EDGE had a new Titanium® main, jib and A5 from UK Sailmakers Texas. Tom noted that both the new main and jib were perfect, the A5 never got used. The Suttons are looking forward to the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race, which is traditionally a downwind event. Once in Key West, they will compete in the Southern Most Regatta during the third week of January.

Tom concluded saying, “You guys at UK Sailmakers have a great team.”

Unfortunately no pictures of LEADING EDGE were taken, but these shots of Conny Baris’ J/122 DIRE WOLF sailing with a reefed main and No. 4 jib give a good idea of what the conditions were like. DIRE WOLF finished fourth.

In ORC C, Oscar Valdes, sailed his Italia 9.98 RELENTLESS III to second place, after winning the race last year. According to Mark Wood of UK Sailmakers Miami, who sailed on RELENTLESS, said that bigger boats had an easier time in the big seas.

Left: X-Drive jib on RELENTLESS III. Above, an Italia 9.98 equipped with Titanium sails.

LEADING EDGE sailed with UK Sailmakers’ Titanium sails, while RELENTLESS is outfitted with X-Drive carbon sails. 

The annual Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race is among the oldest regattas in North America. First sailed in 1957 and named for the renowned Miami naval architect, the race is the second of four events making up the Islands in the Stream series. This race is affectionately known by participants as the “Race to the Buffet,” a nod to the sponsoring Sailfish Club of Florida’s legendary seafood dinner, reception, and awards ceremony offered to all skippers and their crews. Tom Sutton said that the Sailfish Club is one of the nicest clubs he had been to and he has sailed a lot of events from New England to Texas.

In the early 2000’s, in an effort to generate participation across a broader spectrum of boats, the original course was shortened to a 40-miler from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the race in 2016, the Sailfish Club, in partnership with the Storm Trysail Club, reinstated the Miami to Palm Beach course. Two years later, the current two-course format was introduced, drawing strong and diverse fleets that range from ocean racing machines to racer-cruisers and coastal cruisers. Along with the Sailfish Club and the Storm Trysail Club, the Organizing Authority includes the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. Race management support is provided by all three clubs along with the SORC. The other events in the SORC Islands in the Stream regatta series are the Nassau Cup Race from Miami to Nassau, the Fort Lauderdale-to-Key West Race, and the Miami to Eleuthera Race.

Purchase an Ewincher2 from UK Sailmakers through December 23, 2023, and save $100 off the purchase price. Continue reading to learn more about how the Ewincher2 can be the solution to one of your problems and click HERE to order your Ewincher 2 at its reduced price.

The Ewincher 2 Story

There is a classic marketing adage that says you can create a product around a market, but not a market around a product. In advertising agency speak, that’s a problem/solution ad. In some regards, that’s exactly what this article is!

While we aspire to be on the grand-prix racing boats with teams of well-toned grinders driving sheet and halyard winches, the majority of us often find ourselves in situations off the racecourse when having to grind a winch manually is just plain painful. Say there are just two of you working on the boat and, suddenly, it becomes apparent one of you must go up the mast. That’s a problem. Or you’re doing a delivery or cruising and the jib needs to be trimmed…again. There’s a problem. How about pulling your dinghy out of the water? There’s another.

Well, in these and many other “problem” situations, the Ewincher 2 can be the solution. The Ewincher2 is an electric winch handle that fits into any normal winch. With the simple pull of a trigger, you’ve turned a manual winch into a powered one. Weighing only 4.6 pounds (2 kilos), the Ewincher is the problem solver every boat should have.

You might say that, with the right bit, you can do the same job with a traditional electric drill; but the torque of a drill with its short handle can end-up hurting your wrist. Unlike electric drills, this the Ewincher2 locks into the top of your winch and you hold it like a normal winch handle, which makes the Ewincher 2 much more ergonomic and comfortable to use.

There is no question that the Ewincher 2 makes sailing easier and more fun. Not only can you use it for sail trim, but on a single charge, you can hoist someone up your mast several times. The Ewincher can even be considered “safety equipment” since it can be used to hoist a MOB out of the water. This is a huge plus for shorthanded racers and cruising couples.

The Ewincher 2 comes with a handle, battery, 12-volt charger, 110-volt charger and 220-volt charger, winch handle pouch, and a carrying case. For heavy users, a second battery is an optional purchase.

The Ewincher 2 has three operating modes: Electric for effortless winching; Manual like a classic winch handle; Combined, where you turn the handle while the motor is working for increased hauling speed. The high-efficiency lithium-ion battery will last all day and recharge in 1.5 hours via 12-volt or 110-volt charging. The handle is waterproof (IPX6 Certified), so you don’t have to worry about rain and high seas splashing aboard. The Ewincher2 is much less expensive than upgrading to electric winches, and you can use this handle on any winch aboard your boat.

A True Ewincher Story

During the 2022 Storm Trysail Club’s Hands-on Safety-at-Sea Seminar, a MOB lifting line broke sending the spinnaker halyard in use up the mast. Suddenly, they had a problem. UK Sailmaker’s Adam Loory appeared with his Ewincher2. The “old dawg” instructors were elated when they quickly realized that they would not have to manually grind even a small person up the 50-foot mast. Adam and the Ewincher2 saved the day and, thanks to them, the next SAS class aboard that boat was able to take full advantage of the SAS tips being shared. In fact, the boat went out and used the Ewincher2 when practicing hoisting a MOB out of the water.

Act now to Get the Best Holiday Price for the Ewincher 2

Remember, if you order an Ewincher 2 by December 23, 2022 you’ll save $100 making the purchase price $1899 plus $75 for shipping anywhere in the United States, $100 to Canada. This holiday season, give yourself a Solution so, next season, you’ll have one fewer Problems. Click here to buy the Ewincher 2 through the UK Sailmakers secure online store.

Asymmetrical spinnakers require more active trimming than symmetrical spinnakers when surfing in any kind of waves. The key is to trim the spinnaker sheet tighter as the bow goes down the face of the wave. As the boat slides down the wave, boatspeed increases and the apparent wind direction moves forward, which requires the sheet to be trimmed. Another effect of the apparent moving forward is that the apparent wind speed increases, which makes the boat go faster yet. The lighter the boat, the faster it will surf, and the more the spinnaker sheet has to be trimmed. Once the wave passes, the boat slows down and the apparent wind moves back aft, requiring the sheet to be eased. Over trimming an asymmetrical chute causes a bad case of the slows. This video shows the Fast 40+ Christopher Dragon playing small waves sailing at speeds between 10 and 14 knots.

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Perhaps the most challenging race to Hawaii is the 2120-mile Singlehanded TransPac from San Francisco to Kauai. (UK Sailmakers is a longtime co-sponsor of this event). UK Sailmakers’ own Brendan Huffman recently completed his first solo sailing to Hawaii aboard his 44-year-old Santa Cruz 33, SIREN. He said he had a blast during the 15-day race with a variety of conditions and a new set of UK Sails helping him keep pace with the leaders. The following are some comments on his sail inventory and notes on the race.

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“UK Sailmakers’ design team helped me develop a limited sail inventory that would provide some flexibility on wind conditions and durability on the windy portions of the race,” Brendan said.

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“We decided on X-Drive white mainsail and 125% headsail on my roller furler with a slightly higher clew since there is a lot of reaching at the beginning and just a few miles of being close hauled at the start. I reefed both sails at the start off Golden Gate YC where it was blowing 20 knots, then shook out the reefs a few miles off the Farallon Islands as the winds got lighter. The white sails helped me maximize my visibility to other vessels crossing the Pacific, especially the freighters passing nearby. I also had a 125% light air reacher, which I kept on a Dyneema sub-forestay with soft shackles as hanks for quick and easy hoisting and dousing.

“As the trades filled in, I loved the speed and apparent wind angle I got when I used my new A2 spinnaker. Next time, I’ll take more asymmetrical chutes. Downwind I used symmetrical spinnakers in up to 30-knots of wind, regularly hitting 14 knots, with a top speed of 15.1 knots.

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“Unfortunately, 400 miles from the finish, I rounded up while dropping my old 1.5oz spinnaker in a 30 knot squall. Water entered through a port light I foolishly left open and shorted out my primary autopilot and some other electronics. From then on, I went wing-and-wing with my 125% headsail, often furling it half way to relieve pressure on my backup auto pilot and other essential systems onboard.

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“Although out of contention at that point, I enjoyed some fabulous sailing, particularly on the last day when I had a full day of sunshine, rainbows and 20 knots of wind. As I approached Kauai, the sun went down and I could see fireworks along the coast, reminding me it was July 4—and my mom’s birthday. (Yes, I called her earlier from a satellite phone!)

“The last few miles were dark and overcast as a squall approached with SIREN blasting along on a beam reach in 25 knots of wind, a few minutes ahead of another racer. Because visibility was so low, I relied on my chartplotter to get me safely past the reefs, and the race committee had a difficult time seeing SIREN cross the finish line off Hanalei Bay.

“I’m looking forward to racing again in 2023, but this time with more knowledge and some modifications to my boat’s systems and layout. The UK Sailmakers team was very helpful and supportive. I’ll be sharing my experiences and recommendations to our customers planning offshore adventures of their own.”

Brendan Huffman works out of UK Sailmakers’ loft in Los Angeles, CA. He has now completed seven races to Hawaii, including a Singlehanded Transpac and in the doublehanded division of the Pacific Cup. He can be reached at blh@uksailmakers.com

The father and son team of Lars and John Kämpfe won the 650-mile Round Denmark Race 2021 in doublehanded division sailing their older 26-foot Dragonfly 800 trimaran named TRI. This was a race cursed by light air that got dubbed the Danish Doldrums. Their win is truly impressive since conditions did not favor a trimaran – light air and a lot of upwind work, which also does not favor a trimaran.

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Even though the boat is older, Lars updated and modified the boat over the years. TRI managed to sail close to the wind with speed thanks to her big square top main and a Code Double Zero. The Code OO has a very flat shape making it much more like a genoa. Downwind, TRI used a Matrix asymmetrical (in fact it is a standard UK Sailmakers J/80 class kite.) The upwind sails are Tape-Drive Silver and X-Drive.

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The light air took its toll on the fleet; only three boats out of the 26 doublehanded starters finished before the time limit. The race started on at 1300 on June 21st and the cut off time was 1200 June 27th. TRI finished the course in five days 12 hours, finishing over five hours ahead of the second place J/105.

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The race had classes for fully crewed and singlehanded boats. Eight out of 21 finished in full crew class and 13 out of 23 finished singlehanded class. The singlehanders had the advantage of starting two days earlier, when there were good winds.

Lars and his son John have sailed together on TRI, but this was their first long distance race together. Lars said they made a perfect team and even in the trying conditions there was not a single harsh word spoken. Lars is an experienced multihull sailor and is a winner of the small multihull class in the Silverrudder race.

An interesting note is that Lars’ father was an experienced multihull sailor as well and he was a UK Sailmakers customer too. That means there are three generations of Kämpfes racing successfully with UK Sailmakers sails.

]]> https://www.uksailmakers.com/2021/07/15/2021-7-14-fatherson-team-wins-round-denmark-race/feed/ 2 56 https://www.uksailmakers.com/2021/06/20/2021-6-20-better-furling-tips-on-starting-easier-spinnaker-handling-and-more/ https://www.uksailmakers.com/2021/06/20/2021-6-20-better-furling-tips-on-starting-easier-spinnaker-handling-and-more/#respond Sun, 20 Jun 2021 21:51:58 +0000 https://uksailmakers.wpengine.com/?p=57

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X-Drive Carbon/Polyester: the best balance of price and performance for smaller and mid sized performance cruisers.

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Here is a pretty looking X-Drive Silver roller-furling main sail on an Island Packet 485. Notice how good the aerodynamic shape looks even though the sail has no battens. Also notice the extra row of reefing fibers parallel to the mast that start behind the tack patch. This extra row of fibers will help the sail hold its great shape when roller-reefed. This sail is made with UK Sailmakers’ X-Drive construction system, that has loadpath fibers that run continuously, corner to corner, across the sail.

BETTER ROLLER FURLING MAINSAILS

Cruising sailors with roller furling masts or roller furling booms who want to make their boats more lively and easier to handle should replace their worn out Dacron mains with an X-Drive sail. X-Drive sails hold their aerodynamic shape well and they roll up easier because they don’t get deeper when rolled. Dacron sails get deeper with age on their way to being “blown out.”

A sure sign that a roller furling main is past its prime is when the sail that used to roll up well, jams constantly. The sail jams because there is extra shape in the sail that creates folds in the roll, which makes the roll too fat. X-Drive sails are reinforced with continuous high-strength, low-stretch fibers that run continuously between the three corners of the sail. These continuous fibers that run along the sails primary load paths perform the same function as the steel I-beam skeleton does in supporting a tall building.

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UK Sailmakers has the option of using carbon, Endumax or S-Glass fibers, depending on your performance, price and esthetic needs. The sail shown is the picture is reinforced with S-Glass yarns, allowing the sail to have a traditional “all white” appearance. For more information, contact your local UK Sailmaker by clicking here.