by PegLeg » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:23 pm
Paul
Almost any of the mylar based materials will exhibit a "curl" in the direction of the core winding. It seems to be greater, the closer the material is to the core it is wound and stored on.
My past experience has been with the curl at the foot which is less damaging to performance than a leach curl. However neither is acceptable in my opinion. Aparently; whomever made your two suits rotated the cloth 90 deg to get rid of the foot curl only to get the leach curl instead.
The conventional "fix" that is usually offered is to wind the sail on a roll of some type in the opposite direction to the existing curl. Let it stay that way for at least a month or more; all the while praying, to whichever diety suits you, for a blessing and curl removal. With all that done, un roll the sails, wait a few days and you will find the original curl has returned.
Should you try to use heat, you do so at great peril. Anything hotter than what you can wash your hands in will result in validating the chaos theory beyond a doubt.
If they were my sails I'd end them back for credit and look to a new sailmaker to make a set that does not curl up like a window shade. Either that or have a very strong conversation with the current sailmaker about what you expect to receive when the current sails are returned to him.
Yes, there are sailmakers who do know how to cope with the material and furnish minimal curl sails. There are different methods used by different sailmakers to reinforce the leach against the "curley scourge". and at least 1 loft knows how to produce good sails by "cloth selection" from the outer(larger diameter) layers of the manufacturing roll.
While I am at it, I have to ask what is so darn sacred about TriSpi??? I have often wondered why most of the other classes use straight drafting mylar, taped together with not a stich to be seen. I have a set and I must say that they are quite competitive (more so than the skipper) in anything over 3 kts. It did take me a while to learn how to use and care for them but I would, given a reasonable choice, never go back to TriSpi.
Good luck