Les voiles souples

When looking for sails for cruising, the sailor is looking for a certain resistance in order to limit holes or any damage.

On the other hand, in a competitive programme, in some regattas, the sailor may want to opt for more flexible, lighter and thinner sails. However, they will be more sensitive to UV rays and humidity and should therefore be stored on land, in a dry place.

In soft sails, we find two main families of sail fibres: natural and synthetic fibres. Natural sails were used in the past, before synthetic sails appeared and gradually replaced natural sails.

For natural sails, flax and hemp were used before the arrival of cotton. Despite the strength of linen, cotton remained a lighter fibre. On the other hand, these natural fibres are very sensitive to ultraviolet rays and rotting. These sails had a very poor resistance, moreover, they absorb water, which made them heavier and therefore less efficient.

In the 1950s, synthetic sails gradually appeared. Over the entire lifetime of the sail, it is a very late appearance. The discovery of these fibres has revolutionized sailing and has made it possible to achieve great performance today.