Sails of the CENTURY

Not surprisingly, the priorities and preferences of classic boat owners vary enormously, not least when it comes to sails and, in particular, the material from which they are made. At the extremes are those who choose cotton for the sake of authenticity, and others who splash out on high-tech membrane sails made of exotic materials in search of racing success (although not in the Mediterranean, where the CIM rating system heavily penalises their use). But for the majority, sails made from woven polyester continue to be overwhelmingly popular, hardly surprising considering their several advantages over membrane sails: cost, longevity (at least in terms of not falling to pieces in the relatively short term, although they do lose their shape over time) and the conservation of a boat’s classic appearance.

Woven polyester sail cloth first became available in the 1950s. At that time is was generally known as Terylene, which was British company ICI’s trade name, while nowadays it