Lighter, Longer-lasting Laminate from Dimension-Polyant

 

Dimension-Polyant, part of the DEUTSCHE YACHTEN working group, has developed a longer-lasting but lighter surface laminate for the discerning owner and skipper, one which can also be used on super yachts. Lite Skin protects the internal grid structure of carbon sails of all sizes with higher abrasion resistance than film/film-quality. This fabric surface improves the handling of main and Genoa sails for cruising and even has racing applications.

The matte, homogenous surface of Lite Skin upgrades not only the sail from an optical perspective by making it consistent. At the same time, it also makes trimming easier. As well as this, hoisting and lowering the sails feels pleasant. Lite Skin isn’t woven, but despite that has a structure which isn’t “chaotic” (tangled-up like fleece) but is instead even. Compared with external taffeta, water absorption is much lower. This means the surface dries very quickly.

The weight advantage of Lite Skin compared with previous taffeta, which are only used to strengthen the sails, is more than 50 grams per square metre. At the same time, this creates abrasion resistance of up to 60%, which protects the cloth much better than purely film versions. The seams of the sails can also be glued, giving them much higher profile accuracy. What’s more, in conjunction with the GPL laminate (high-quality carbon sailcloth) by dp, this makes it possible to have weights of up to 70 feet the standard length of the boat as well as special designs.

Dimension-Polyant has another innovation as it goes into its 50th Jubilee Year in 2016: Carbon Sport is the name of a new sailcloth for club racers and performance cruisers. It was developed for yachts up to 40 feet in length and can also be used together with Lite Skin.