Elvstrøm Sails is onboard with Ronnie Simpson and his ambitions to race the Global Solo Challenge later this year. The Global Solo Challenge is a singlehanded non-stop, round-the-world race, and the preparations for Sparrow and the campaign are on full blast at the moment in the USA.
Karl Otto and Maren Magda Book are known for being up to a new challenge, and this past weekend, they managed quite a feat at the ORC DH Euros in Helsingør, Denmark. Here, they won overall and in Class A for the biggest boats in the event, racing well known machinery in the shape of "White Shadow" - a Landmark 43, which they normally crew in Norway and in ORCi-events.
While the majority of our adventurous clients tend to head for warm weather and tropic climate in – for instance – the Caribbean, some go for the opposite. A good case in point is the story of the SV Eden, led by skipper Bernard Hensey, who’s looking back at 3.000 miles of Elvstrøm Sails-powered performance cruising to Alaska and back.
It's time for another turn of the calendar in the battle against sea plastics in our rivers and oceans! On June 8th, our good friends at ReSea Project mark another year in their constant effort for cleaner waterways and indeed plastic-free oceans.
Downwind sails are available in many shapes and sizes - and indeed in different designs. Each of them has a different purpose - and if you want easy, singlehanded handling, you might want to know more about the gennaker.
The decision-making process of buying a new sail or indeed a new wardrobe always takes a bit of consideration. And perhaps more importantly - how can the finished product be expected to look?
A cross-cut sail (x-cut) consists of a number of horizontal panels parallel to each other and perpendicular to the leech. This is a very cost-effective way of producing a sail, making it affordable and long-lasting. Being the first sail-design on the market, the x-cut sail has a long and proven track-record. Cross-cut sails are typically made from a woven polyester cloth with straight fill yarns that are stronger than the warp yarns. The strong fill yarns are aligned with the load bearing direction of the sail resulting in a very durable sail.
Trioptimal layout is also referred to as radial, since the panels are radial typically oriented towards the corners of the sail resulting in a triangular shape. This layout distributes the forces the sail is exposed to optimally and helps maintain the shape of the sail. The panels that make up the radial layout are carefully arranged to follow the load pattern, ensuring a strong and stable sail. Upwind sails in a trioptimal layout are typically made from a laminate cloth, that is a sandwich cloth constructed of more layers. However, you will find a few trioptimal designs in a woven polyester cloth, and most nylon downwind sails are designed in a trioptimal cut.
The unique and patented EPEX membrane technology is the flagship of Elvstrøm Sails. A 100 % custom design where every single yarn is placed according to a load path design, computer calculated to the individual sailing preference. This enables the absolute optimal distribution of fibers over the entire sail resulting in an outstanding shape stability and performance. A broad range of materials and fibers are available to meet every need. The components are bonded under extreme and constant vacuum that evacuates all air, holds the membrane in place, and compresses the membrane components.