Technology
No limits
The benefits of Doyle Sails’s structured luff technology have already migrated from 18-foot skiffs blasting around Sydney Harbour to the latest high performance superyachts crossing oceans...
Win/wins are rare in any walk of life yet every now and then a change of approach, a new concept or a breakthrough in technology triggers a step change in thinking. In the Grand Prix and superyacht world Doyle’s Structured Luff sails have delivered one of those key moments in design. Doyle Sails’ innovative approach has not only provided a new generation of higher performance sails, but triggered a revolution that looks set to have a far greater knock- on effect. Indeed, so significant are the benefits that there are many who believe that Structured Luff technology has the potential to transform how yachts are designed and built from here on out. Furthermore, the breakthrough is now considered to be equally as important for cruisers as it is for the racers for which it was originally developed.
At the heart of this exciting new development is in changing the manner in which the load in the luff of a sail is distributed – and the gains are big. ‘In some instances, we are reducing loads by up to 50 per cent,’ explains Doyle Sails International’s chief operating officer Emma Hendy. ‘Reducing luff sag is one of the
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biggest factors in allowing our sails to achieve more driving force. On some of the bigger boats we’re seeing a reduction in sag at the middle of the forestay of up to a metre, which in turn means that the sail can be projecting a metre further to windward. So there are some serious benefits for racing superyachts. But from a cruising standpoint there are massive advantages too, where the reliability of the furl, the reduction in weight and the fact that these new sails are easier to store are all important factors in this area.’
So, what are Structured Luff sails?
‘This technology came out of the free- flying code sails we were building a few years ago where we took the cable away and put a band of carbon up the front of the sail to replace the traditional job of a cable,’ says Doyle’s superyacht sail coordinator Matt Bridge. ‘As part of that and to distribute some of the straight-line load, we put a lens structure in behind and into the sail. These are continuous fibres that run from the head to the tack in the front of the sail that give us the possibility to shape the front of the sail and
Above:
the Southern Wind 96 Seatius is one of many high performance ocean cruising
superyachts that are now realising the huge benefits of Doyleʼs innovative Structured Luff load distribution technology. After revolu- tionising grand prix racing and superyacht sails, this technology is now set to transform the way yachts of all sizes are designed and built
distribute what used to be a straight- line load back into the sail. Now we've taken that thinking from the Cableless Code sails and applied it to our upwind designs.
‘Take a staysail as an example,’ he continues. ‘Let’s say you’ve got a sail with a 50m luff that has 1.5 per cent stay sag, that’s 750mm of sag. Over 50m, that’s a lot of sail area that is at the front of the sail where you are generating driving force.’ Among the many yachts that have already benefitted from Structured Luff sails is the 39m Tripp-designed G2. Built by Vitters in 2009 and refitted by Pendennis in 2018, her Structured Luff sail carries greater luff projection, making the sail more powerful and efficient without increasing any loads. Indeed there has actually been a significant load reduction.
But the benefits for the owner and crew of G2 go further with a big increase in the range of conditions in which the sail can be used. ‘The owner of G2 is always very keen on sailing the boat and so the sail handling was a priority for the crew,’ says Hendy. ‘With the new technology they are not only able to use the sail in a much wider range of
SW96’ SEATIUS/SOUTHERN WIND, PH. ANGUS FULLER
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