MatriX Titanium

A continuous yarn racing sail that not only out-performs the competition, it outlasts it too.

Titanium has the highest strength to weight ratio of any metal. Well we think that is very cool and that it fit the description of our newest highest performance sail technology.

Most Sailmakers are still building string sails using yarns which are impregnated with resin. It is this resin that initially holds the sail together and laminates the different layers together. The problem with this is that breaks down over time as the sail is hoisted, tacked and folded after racing or cruising. This causes delamination, the two sides of the membrane come apart and the sail loses structural strength as there is nothing to keep the yarns in place.  The significant amount of resin used also adds weight to the sail. Initially this weight is offset by the extra strength it adds to the sail. Although as the resin breaks down the weight remains in the sail but the added strength is lost. Another problem is when the yarns that are impregnated with the resin dry, they become very stiff and hard. If resin is removed, the yarns will remain soft flexible, this means as the sail moves the entire strand becomes load bearing as the individual fibers that make up the strand can move independently. The MatriX Titanium technology doesn’t require resin in the production of the sails. This can mean an overall weight reduction of at least 15-30%.

MatriX Titanium sails is produced by first loading the sail into a vacuum bag which is pressurized to -13 psi. This equates to no less than 1,840 pounds per square foot across the entire sail. The entire skin and bag is then loaded into a computer controlled oven. When the pressure and heat are applied to the sail the two layers of polymer react and fuse together to form a new layer of material in an irreversible process. This fuses the two layers of Mylar into one and encapsulating the yarns. It is important to note that the Mylar ‘fuses’ together and is not merely ‘stuck’ together; the resulting film is as soft and flexible as the original Mylar. Delamination is therefore no longer an issue as there is no resin between the skins to break down over time.

Click the “Get a Quote” tab on the left to get more information about this type of sail for your boat.