Classic boat sails range from the
traditional to the cutting-edge. We talk
to owners and sailmakers for a valuable
insight into an essential area of expertise
W
hat is a classic sail? There are classic
yacht owners who fly tanned sails, there
are a few using cotton, there are those
who use synthetic materials that barely
lose their shape over a season of racing. The world of
classic sailmaking encompasses a vast range of skills and
materials, with hand-stitched leather cringles at one end
and 3-D computer-modelling at the other.
Is a classic still a classic when fitted with the most
modern sails? Ask the question to Manuel Lastra of
North Sails and he doesn’t hesitate: “Absolutely! The
hull and rigging are what determine whether a boat is
classic or not. Sails just provide the driven force.”
The purists might disagree but the existence of
dedicated classic sail lofts at North and other big
sailmakers is testament the number of those owners,
even those most concerned with authenticity, who
welcome the convenience and performance of a modern
sailcloth. Lastra, of North’s classic division, makes
reference to the preface of the book Art and Science of
Sailmaking, by Samuel B Sadler, probably the first book
about yacht sailmaking, in 1892. Lastra says: “There is a
passage about the author that says, ‘In his belief many
vessels, more specially fishing smacks, are lost, and aSails
MATERIAL
WORLD
number of lives sacrificed annually, in consequence of
baggy sails, which during a gale hold the wind and press
the vessels down, there being no freedom for the wind’s
exit via the after-leech’.”
Things have moved on since those days, when cotton
sails were the norm, and safety is far from the only
benefit modern sailcloth can offer. Jeremy White, loft
manager of Elvstrøm Sails UK, says: “Especially in a
classic boat that lacks waterline length, all too often
people assume it will heel a lot and not necessarily point
that well. Reducing the heeling moment, just like any
boat, means the keel and hull work better, its easier for
crew to move around on deck during manoeuvres, and
leeway is significantly reduced. In addition it is far
easier work for the helm.”PERFORMANCE CRUISING
Andy Cassell, Paralympic sailing gold medallist and
director of Ratsey & Lapthorn, remembers using cotton
sails on his Albacore dinghy in the 1950s. “You could
wash them and reshape them by weighing down
different sections with books. The shape lasted about
two days,” says Cassell, who has steered a host of classic
and modern boats to podium finishes, including two