Dear F18 sailors,

The F18 World Council is trying to change the sailcloth list in order to limit the choices to the most expensive and least available cloths just to satisfy a couple of large manufacturers (all members of the Technical Comity) desire to try and defend their market position.

The members of the World Council already voted against this new cloth list during the last December WC meeting but James Baeckler and Don Findlay are trying to change it once again...

Let me explain you why this restricted cloth list is not in favor of the F18 class and the sailors:

3 mil laminate is a pure non sense, the strength of the cloth should not come from the film (plastic) but from the yarns.

You don't get a stronger or longer lasting sail just by adding more plastic to the material. The fibers are the bulk of the strength and as such you should be aiming to encourage better fibre/film ratios. For example the sails of the big boats going all around the world (Imoca 60, Multi 50...) are all using 1,5mil laminates. 100% of the sails used during the last Volvo Ocean Race and the winning sails of the Vendée Globe had not any film but only yarns (fibers) with the 3DI. Durability is the main concern of these offshore sailors. Everyone is trying to get rid of the plastic.

It make absolutely no sense to use a thick material (3mil), it is less flexible while you fold it and makes more wrinkles. Check the window material (which is made of 4 or 5 mil laminate) it is the part of the sail which get damaged the most quickly... All the cloth manufacturers can confirm it.

If the reason is cost, the price of a laminate cloth is directly linked with it’s weight, DPI (Denier Per square Inch) from 5 to 15 on the fabric listed on the cloth list and the thickness of the film (1,5 to 3mil on the fabric listed on the cloth list). 3mil cloth is around 10% more expensive than 1,5mil. For example the new cloth list is banning all the Polyester laminate (Dimension Polyant PX05 1,5 mil, PX 10 1,5 mil, PX 15 1,5 mil...) which are 30% cheaper than any Pentex laminates. Is it in the interest of the class ?? It is nevertheless against the wish of the class to reduce the cost...

Concerning the Polyester spinnaker fabric, the Polyester is much more stable than the nylon which make the shape of the kite lasting longer. If the sailors are careful and do not rip them, the polyester spinnaker is performing longer than a Nylon one.

In conclusion the members of the Technical Comity who all have commercial interest (Peter Vink from Performance Sails Nacra, Gregg Goodal from Goodal Sails AHPC, Pablo Soldano from Ullman Sails Hobie Cat), are doing everything to harm SAIL INNOVATION which is clearly against the principle of the free market economy and not in the interest of the class.

We should stop banning things but going sailing.

Please vote against this new cloth list which is against the interest of the sailors !

Thank you

ALEX UDIN