Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 14:37:43 -1000 From: SJB@commarc.co.nz (Steve Brorens) Message-Id: <01EA912E01530400@commarc.co.nz> Subject: America's Cup.... THE CUP IS COMING DOWN-UNDER ! There have been a few references here to the sails used in the America's Cup, so perhaps its not *too* far off-topic to note that the challanger series has just been won by the New Zealand boat! All the other challangers were completly out-classed. Still three American contenders for the job of losing the cup to NZ.... PS: This is my first flame-bait posting... if you *must* zap me please do so by email rather than wasting even more bandwidth on non-kite issues, TIA! --- Steve Brorens Ph.: (025) 332-289 CommArc Consulting Ltd Fax: (03) 377-0722 Go fly a kite... Christchurch, NZ sjb @ commarc.co.nz = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 21 Apr 1995 12:19:39 -1000 From: rmiller@primenet.com (Ray Miller) Message-Id: <3n9b1r$32p@news.primenet.com> Organization: TEKED of Boise Subject: Re: America's Cup.... In article <01EA912E01530400@commarc.co.nz>, SJB@commarc.co.nz (Steve Brorens) says: > > >THE CUP IS COMING DOWN-UNDER ! > >There have been a few references here to the sails used in the America's >Cup, so perhaps its not *too* far off-topic to note that the challanger >series has just been won by the New Zealand boat! All the other challangers >were completly out-classed. > >Still three American contenders for the job of losing the cup to NZ.... > >PS: >This is my first flame-bait posting... if you *must* zap me please do so by >email rather than wasting even more bandwidth on non-kite issues, TIA! > >--- >Steve Brorens Ph.: (025) 332-289 >CommArc Consulting Ltd Fax: (03) 377-0722 Go fly a kite... >Christchurch, NZ sjb @ commarc.co.nz IN YOUR DREAMS!!!!!! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sat, 22 Apr 1995 04:01:42 -1000 From: bwg001@carina.unm.edu (Brian W. Gordon) Message-Id: <3nb286$7lm@lynx.unm.edu> Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Subject: Re: America's Cup.... Steve Brorens (SJB@commarc.co.nz) wrote: : THE CUP IS COMING DOWN-UNDER ! : There have been a few references here to the sails used in the America's : Cup, so perhaps its not *too* far off-topic to note that the challanger : series has just been won by the New Zealand boat! All the other challangers : were completly out-classed. I'm sure the Kiwis are great and I wish the best of luck to all participants. Was there some sort of new technology or sail design that helped the Kiwis do so well? Like some cool broad-seamed orcon, kevlar, spectra, diamond-encrusted sail. Sailing has the bucks for the R&D; us kiters must often scavenge new techniques and technology in sail making from the sailing industry. Hmmm maybe the Kiwis used a 600 meter peel when nobody was looking. :-) Keith Kidder = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 05:01:06 -1000 From: sjones@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca (Stephen Jones) Message-Id: <3nj2ri$h76@rover.ucs.ualberta.ca> Organization: University of Alberta Subject: Re: America's Cup.... Brian W. Gordon (bwg001@carina.unm.edu) wrote: : Steve Brorens (SJB@commarc.co.nz) wrote: : : There have been a few references here to the sails used in the America's : : Cup, : Was there some sort of new technology or sail design that helped the Kiwis : do so well? Like some cool broad-seamed orcon, kevlar, spectra, : diamond-encrusted sail. As a participant of rec.boats.racing, and someone who worked in sailmaking, I thought I could shed some light on this. The sails used at the America's Cup are primarily made of kevlar and mylar. Since the 1992 America's Cup, there has been some experimentation with carbon. Carbon has an extremely high modulus, and is impervious to UV (kevlar's nemesis), but one of its properties makes it a dubious material for sails--it is very brittle, and cannot take flexing and folding. Looking closely at some shots on ESPN, I've seen some black threads in the sails, but I doubt it is carbon. More likely, it is an obscenely expensive fibre called Vectran. Spectra has some good applications in sailmaking, because it has a very high initial modulus, and excellent UV resistance. The one problem is that it permanently elongates--"creeps"--under load. This can ruin any carefully designed sail shape. Still, I think one America's Cup syndicate might be using Spectra sails. All but one of the syndicates that advanced to the finals are using 3DL sails, by North Sails. "3DL" stands for Three Dimensionally Laminated. It is a revolutionary construction technique that makes one piece, molded sails. The sail is constructed on a full scale mold. In the case of America's Cup sails, the mold is 110 ft. long. The mold is programmable to assume any sail shape desirable. Continuous kevlar yarns (or vectran, as the case may be) are laid over the mold by a X-Y-Z plotter on an overhead gantry. The yarns are placed to follow the calculated load lines. The pattern one gets resembles magnetic field lines, emanating >From each corner of the sail. The kevlar yarns are sandwiched between two sheets of mylar, and the laminate is heat cured right on the mold. The result is a sail that is lighter, stretches less, and is easier to trim and handle than a sail constructed with the standard panelling and broadseaming method. The Kiwis have a complete inventory of 3DL sails, as did the Australians, whom they beat. Two out of three of the American defence syndicates use 3DLs. To account for the Kiwis' success is difficult. Their sails are superb, but so are all other aspects of their program--the design team, the trimmers, and the tactical team on the boat. The sails are designed by Tom Schnackenberry, who is a aeronautical and computer genius. He pioneered CAD sailmaking. The sails on the Kiwi boats do seem flatter than most others. : Hmmm maybe the Kiwis used a 600 meter peel when nobody was looking. :-) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Hmmmm... I don't think I know what one of those are -- Stephen Jones Dept. of Philosophy, 4-108 Humanities Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Tel: (403) 492-0626 CANADA T6G 2E5 Fax: (403) 492-9160 ============================================================== | New web page: | | http://gpu.srv.ualberta.ca/~sjones/index.html | | | ============================================================== = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 16:45:56 -1000 From: bwg001@carina.unm.edu (Brian W. Gordon) Message-Id: <3nkc54$ps2@lynx.unm.edu> Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Subject: Re: America's Cup.... Stephen Jones (sjones@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca) wrote: : Brian W. Gordon (bwg001@carina.unm.edu) wrote: : : Steve Brorens (SJB@commarc.co.nz) wrote: : : : There have been a few references here to the sails used in the America's : : : Cup, : : Was there some sort of new technology or sail design that helped the Kiwis : : do so well? Like some cool broad-seamed orcon, kevlar, spectra, : : diamond-encrusted sail. : All but one of the syndicates that advanced to the finals are using 3DL : sails, by North Sails. "3DL" stands for Three Dimensionally Laminated. : It is a revolutionary construction technique that makes one piece, molded : sails. The sail is constructed on a full scale mold. In the case of : America's Cup sails, the mold is 110 ft. long. The mold is programmable : to assume any sail shape desirable. Continuous kevlar yarns (or vectran, : as the case may be) are laid over the mold by a X-Y-Z plotter on an : overhead gantry. The yarns are placed to follow the calculated load : lines. The pattern one gets resembles magnetic field lines, emanating : from each corner of the sail. The kevlar yarns are sandwiched between two : sheets of mylar, and the laminate is heat cured right on the mold. The : result is a sail that is lighter, stretches less, and is easier to trim : and handle than a sail constructed with the standard panelling and : broadseaming method. Gulp!... WOW!... I'll take two. : : Hmmm maybe the Kiwis used a 600 meter peel when nobody was looking. :-) : ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ : Hmmmm... I don't think I know what one of those are A Peel (or Paua) is a type of soft kite used for traction. Made by world famous kitemaker Peter Lynn of New Zealand. Peels look sort of like paragliders. The "600 meter peel" was a joke. A tad bit on the impossibly huge side. Would probably lift the boat out of the water. -Keith Kidder : -- : Stephen Jones : Dept. of Philosophy, : 4-108 Humanities Center, : University of Alberta, : Edmonton, Alberta, Tel: (403) 492-0626 : CANADA T6G 2E5 Fax: (403) 492-9160 : ============================================================== : | New web page: | : | http://gpu.srv.ualberta.ca/~sjones/index.html | : | | : ============================================================== = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sat, 29 Apr 1995 12:46:04 -1000 From: sjones@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca (Stephen Jones) Message-Id: <3nufjc$c7e@rover.ucs.ualberta.ca> Organization: University of Alberta Subject: Re: America's Cup.... Brian W. Gordon (bwg001@carina.unm.edu) wrote: : Gulp!... WOW!... I'll take two. They are on the expensive side--approx. 35more than a grand prix sail. But North can't keep up with the demand. They have built a new facility with six molds to add to the original two that were only intended for R&D. They have the molds running around the clock. The great thing is that it is (nearly) fully automated. Very low labour costs, in contrast to sailmaking as it is known, with lots of people running sewing machines. Also, no operator error: the numbers you specify are the numbers you get. I think this is the future of sailmaking. The cost should come way down. : A Peel (or Paua) is a type of soft kite used for traction. Made by world : famous kitemaker Peter Lynn of New Zealand. Peels look sort of like : paragliders. The "600 meter peel" was a joke. A tad bit on the : impossibly huge side. Would probably lift the boat out of the water. Thanks for filling me in. A peel in sailing is when you have a spinnaker set, and then you send up another inside it and fill it, and then peel away the old one, like an onion skin. In other words, a spinnaker change. lhy7 c< : : -- : : Stephen Jones : : Dept. of Philosophy, : : 4-108 Humanities Center, : : University of Alberta, : : Edmonton, Alberta, Tel: (403) 492-0626