Since the J-24 class changed its headsail rules, North Sails One Design has been extensively testing three different genoa materials in a variety of shapes at a number of different bag weights. We tested sails for speed before the Worlds and we have been testing sails for durability in this summer’s Fleet 50 racing, and we have been rolling out new versions for local regattas as they arise. Our conclusion: A sail made of Twaron fiber at the minimum bag weight, with our proven Newport flying shape is a recipe for success. The aforementioned sail has just won Long Beach Race Week and the Florida State Championships.
North Sails material designer Bill Pearson has put hours of research into the characteristics of Twaron and Technora.
"Technora is a standard modulus fiber that is designed to have lower modulus and higher
elongation. This has nothing to do with the way the sailmaker uses the fiber, it is
inherent in the fiber properties, the way it was created and the use it was intended for.
The only reason to use Technora in sailmaking is because it is black, and black is cool.
When it comes to aramid fiber, yellow is fast, even if black is cool." -- Bill Pearson
Read complete article "Choosing Your Fiber - The Aramid Vs Technora Story"
TWARON Genoa |
Technora Genoa |
Pentex Genoa
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We have taken a Twaron Genoa, a Pentex Genoa and a Technora Genoa and put them on 3 different Fleet 50 boats, Sleeper, Salsa and Panther respectively, to monitor the life of these sails over the course of the summer series.
By putting the sails on these three boats we know that they are all seeing the same amount of use in the exact same conditions. We have been watching these sails age over time, both on the water and in the loft. The Twaron sail seems to be holding its shape the best and it also seems to be surviving the everyday wear and tear with ease.
Here are some comments we have received about the NEW TWARON Genoa:
"I only had it eased to against the lifelines for a short period, as it never got that windy, but as the breeze increased and the genoa went out fractionally we were definately fast boat-to-boat like SERIOUSLY FAST." -- Forbes Barber
"The sail seemed to perform extremely well in the heavier air. In the light air, we loved the control the new sail gave us."
-- Matt Herbster
"One thing I love about the sail is how well the upper leech "stands up" as you ease it. This is probably a combined function of it being stiffer, and it being new. With this new sail, as you let it out, it opens the slot without loosing the nice "return curve" at the top near the leech telltale." -- Forbes Barber
Forbes Barber and Matt Herbster used the Twaron Genoa at the NOOD Regatta in Marblehead. They finished in 2nd Place. |
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 NORTH NOTE:
A couple of North Factory teams (Chris Larson and Charlie Enright) used Technora sails at the World Championships in Annapolis because they thought the stretch characteritics of Technora were more in line with the stretch characteristics of Pentex and did not want to risk so much, with so little time, in such a high stakes enviroment. |
