The evolution of weaving techniques in synthetic fibers such as Dacron® and Diolen® has been considerable and Contender is probably the only supplier of woven sailcloth who has utilized these techniques to such an extent that their weaves in high aspect, low aspect and radial fabrics are unequalled.
The heavy duty shuttle-less looms enable Contender to come up with the tightest weaves possible. At the same time, depending on the various constructions, the weft yarn for high aspects, the warp and weft yarn for low aspects, and the warp yarn for radial fabrics are controlled to such a degree that the ultimate stretch resistance in the direction required is already largely obtained in the unfinished fabrics.
This is the first step towards durability. The second one is the heat setting and resinating process in order to shrink and to lock the polyester yarns. Due to the extreme tight weaves only limited amounts of resin are needed to get the optimal stability. This not only improves the durability of the fabric but also gives it the gentle hand necessary for ease of handling.
The right construction in high tenacity polyester yarns, together with their unique impregnated Polypreg® finish result in a range of weights and styles as outlined in the image below. Once made into specific sails, they will give you as a customer, the ultimate durable woven sails for one design racer and cruiser/racer yachtsmen.
As the woven sailcloth market is still 80% of the total market (20% is laminates) Contender continues to concentrate on these high tech woven fabrics through which it has established itself to become the leader in woven sailcloth.
Sail buyers, don't fall into "The Cloth Trap", wasting time on the complexities of cloth construction, strength graphs or different fibers. Spend more time on the shape and design of the sail. Leave cloth discussion to the professionals, engineers and sailmakers. The cloth trap allows local lofts to spin the price. In some instances doubling and tripling the price for cloth that sells for 10 percent more and is being discounted by the manufacturer as last years exotic. For all practical purposes, woven sailcloth today is very similar from all the cloth manufacturers, as soon as one company gets a better idea, the others copy it and use the "new" idea to push the price and profit margin. The trick of the trade is to talk sailcloth and up the price. The greater the spin, the greater the profits.
If you want to go faster, look at longer foots, bigger roaches, longer battens, and lower clews. Look at sail area, sail shape and sheeting angles. Sail performance is in the details of your sail measurements.
The sailmaker selectes the correct cloth for your sail based on
luff, foot, (sail
aspect), sail size, boat displacement and loads placed on your sail
based on computer
formulas. Selecting the correct warp and fill ratios of various dacron
cloths are part
of the sailmaking process.