starting to look for a new mainsail… revisiting half-forgotten thoughts from the last time over a decade ago…
Cross-cut (panels parallel to the foot) is an easier (cheaper) construction. Does making it out of “membrane” panels (with fibers along the load path) make the choice of cut irrelevant? Or do they get fked up at the panel stitches anyway?
A tri-radial construction aligns the stitches along load paths better, supposedly, but it seems that designing load path membranes would be topographically (although still 2d) complex. Anyone doing it, or do they just line up parallel fiber clothes in the those panels the best they can?
Does anyone glue load-bearing fibers on after the panels are sawn together?
( I once had a UK main that had those tapes over Dacron described as the best of both worlds, and in fact it held on fairly well).
Which brings me to 3di. Are there real world data on the true increase in longevity? Delam is delam, whether in separate panels or not.
And as always, $ is a factor. The best racing should be $ for $ - make a race that would go around the world 3 times (can stop for repairs) on the strictly enforced $1m budget and you get a great match for what normal people are looking for in their boats.
Cross-cut (panels parallel to the foot) is an easier (cheaper) construction. Does making it out of “membrane” panels (with fibers along the load path) make the choice of cut irrelevant? Or do they get fked up at the panel stitches anyway?
A tri-radial construction aligns the stitches along load paths better, supposedly, but it seems that designing load path membranes would be topographically (although still 2d) complex. Anyone doing it, or do they just line up parallel fiber clothes in the those panels the best they can?
Does anyone glue load-bearing fibers on after the panels are sawn together?
( I once had a UK main that had those tapes over Dacron described as the best of both worlds, and in fact it held on fairly well).
Which brings me to 3di. Are there real world data on the true increase in longevity? Delam is delam, whether in separate panels or not.
And as always, $ is a factor. The best racing should be $ for $ - make a race that would go around the world 3 times (can stop for repairs) on the strictly enforced $1m budget and you get a great match for what normal people are looking for in their boats.
