Laminate sail materials was a big change when it was introduced. Over the last century, the ideal construction of a sail has seen many iterations - not only around the designs, but also on the choice of materials and constructions.
And when the World's most advanced choice was a woven type of polyester, it was a great step forward to introduce the laminate and the use of other, stronger and more advanced fibre materials.
Over the years, advancements in sail materials have led to the development of various laminates, which have significantly enhanced the capabilities of modern sails compared to traditional woven polyester sails.
It brought many features to the table. Notably, the laminate sail was a great step forward in terms of shape retention, reducing weight and adding further durability to the sail.
Laminate sails are made by bonding layers of materials together, typically including a reinforcing fiber such as polyester, aramid, or carbon, sandwiched between layers of Mylar or other films. These sails are designed to offer a higher performance by maintaining shape better under load and reducing stretch over time. The main types of laminate sails include:
These laminates are constructed using polyester fibers, which provide a balance of durability, cost-effectiveness, and good shape retention.
Known for their high strength-to-weight ratio, aramid laminates offer excellent performance but are less resistant to UV damage and can be more expensive.
Carbon laminates offer the best strength and stiffness characteristics, making them ideal for high-performance racing. However, they are the most expensive and least resistant to flex fatigue.
These laminates are extremely strong and resistant to UV and abrasion, but they can suffer from stretch over time, making them less ideal for maintaining sail shape.
In the portfolio of Elvstrøm Sails today, the laminate is popular as ever. Laminates are a great choice for the sailor who values higher performance but still wants the advantage of a lower price point than even more advanced materials.
This is where laminates have become a happy middle-ground between the stock, woven polyester sail and then our more advanced membrane offerings also known as EPEX.
EKKO is our brand name for a more sustainable choice of sails. And our leading choice under this name is a laminate. Also known as the eXRP, it is a laminate where the polyester taffeta is sourced from recycled plastics - and so are the rest of the main components including the film and the polyester fibres used in the laminate sail material.
The material has been on the market since 2021 and was a natural follow-up to our first step. The first step was made in 2020 with the introduction of a recycled taffeta for EPEX membrane sails, and later the eXRP Cruise type laminate followed.
Today, it is among our most popular sail choices.
Click the boxes below to read more.
A 5-layer construction, White or Grey
Polyester laminate is a stable 5-layer construction that combines a thin woven polyester with low stretch-oriented fibers between layers of polyester film. The stability gives the boat a good performance. Polyester laminates are very UV resistant and durable with a competitive performance/price ratio.
An EKKO option with recycled materials
eXRP cruise is a high-end laminate, where the UV-protective film, the taffeta, and the polyester fibers are made from recycled polyester. The combination of black polyester fibers and white taffeta makes up for a greyish look. The eXRP cruise comes in different qualities, all stabilized with UPE virgin fibers. The material is soft and easy to handle, and furls easily when used in furling sails.
An EKKO option with recycled materials
A film/film laminate is a high strength-to-weight ratio laminate made with high-tech black polyester. It is great for fast upwind sails and code zeros. The film and the polyester fibers are made from recycled material.
Lightweight taffeta
The code BZ laminate is a black lightweight taffeta with strong aramid fibres. It has taffeta on one side and film on the other side.
