The Oyster 575 Lisanne with X-Drive double taffeta sails. She is currently cruising around the world and this picture was taken at the Oyster Regatta in Spain, where she won her class.
UK Sailmakers’ X-Drive® sails are the preferred choice for sailors who are looking for the performance of continuous yarn sails yet also want durability and value. Because they deliver on all three points, X-Drive sails have proven to be the ideal choice for performance cruising sailors, daysailors, and racers. X-Drive sails truly allow you to do it all with one set of sails.
Hold Their Shape
X-Drive sails are created using a two-part construction method. It starts with lightweight laminated sail cloth cut into broad-seam, cross-cut panels with shaped seams. Once the broad-seamed panels are assembled, the sail will have the exact aerodynamic shape the sail designer created.
Then, UK Sailmakers uses proprietary machines to lay-down a grid of continuous yarns that span the sail. These yarns run continuously from corner-to-corner following the sail’s primary load paths. These high-strength and low -stretch yarns serve the same purpose as the steel skeleton in a tall building – the yarns carry the highest loads in the sail while the paneled skin defines the aerodynamic shape.
Cost Effective
The cost of X-Drive sails can also be controlled because the sail surface can be made out of a less expensive, lightweight laminated material whose only job is to give the sail its 3-D shape. All the sail’s strength comes from the dense grid of continuous high-strength yarns that are bonded to the sail‘s surface. Since the yarns run across the shaping seams, the seams are locked in place and cannot distort. The dense coverage of fibers completely supports the sail resulting in a smooth, distortion-free sail.
These photos show a Moody 41 with an X-Drive carbon roller furling genoa with UV covers on the leech and foot. You’ll note the genoa also has a foam luff pad for better roller reefing and better roller furling. While these photos were taken just before a weeknight race, the sail is also used for daysailing and cruising.
Serious club racers, performance cruisers, or anyone looking for affordable performance should contact UK Sailmakers today and ask about the difference X-Drive sails could make on their boat.
