Better waste management, use of flax fiber

Sails are going green

The days are long gone when, as he approached the finish line, the most famous skipper on the planet threw overboard all the sails he no longer needed... That act, considered a symbol of performance and success 40 years ago, now seems an ecological monstrosity and a financial waste. 

The world of sailmaking is a reflection of our society: it has evolved and is heading towards the production of green sails. That is to say, sails that are more eco-responsible in their design and throughout the production chain - waste management, transport by sea rather than by air, and reduction of energy expenditure in their manufacture. In the world of ocean racing, the Imoca class requires such a green sail on board from January 1, 2023. But manufacturers like All Purpose are already going further: two years ago already, the sailmaker was integrated flax fiber in their mainsails. The main on of Roland Jourdain's Outremer 5X We Explore, second in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, weighs no more than a 100% composite sail and has clearly proved its worth. All that remains is to validate the experiment with headsails, which see heavier use.

www.allpurpose.fr 

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