EM2 Element Membrane: The Most Durable Racing Sails on the Planet
J121 (Wings) Element Membrane Mainsail with additional reinforcement at the lower reef points and below.
How long will my sails last?”, is the most frequently asked question of a sailmaker when a customer is considering purchasing a new sail. It is also one of the more challenging questions to consider, as sails are subjected to an endless variety of uses and conditions. Fortunately, Evolution Sails has the answer with their EM2 Element Membrane product line, which has been at the forefront of the high performing, longest lasting sails on the planet.
As sails are exposed to the ever changing pressures and loads of sailing, coupled with environmental factors like humidity, mildew, salt and UV, the sail shape and material integrity of the sail degrade. Most frequently, the standard service life of a sail reaches its end when the sail shape has deteriorated beyond the point of yielding satisfactory performance and / or the material integrity of the sail is degraded beyond a point of normal wear and tear that can be maintained with regular service. These changes are sometimes subtle and hard to identify, leading many sailors to continue to use a sail that is well beyond its standard service lifespan.
The ultimate goal of building a sail is to maintain the intended sail shape and material integrity as long into the lifespan of the sail as possible. The single most important factor in extending the lifespan of a sail is the material, followed by quality design and construction. Sailcloth comes in a variety of styles, from woven polyester (“dacron”) to composite laminates that contain any number of exotic fibers. Dacron fabrics consist of small, polyester fibers woven together in an interlocking pattern, whereas composite fabrics consist of larger unwoven fibers laminated together between a variety of skins or taffetas.
With hundreds of styles to choose from, each sailmaker is looking to balance the durability and performance of the material with the application of the sail. The longest lasting sails in the world are built with the highest quality materials. The quality of sailcloth is a key factor in any discussion about the sail durability. High-quality, well-engineered fabrics are proven to last longer. The fabrics are produced in purpose-built facilities, featuring only premium fibers, resins, skins, adhesives and coatings.
building the best sails in the world
The Sailing Inc. team visiting the Evolution Sails EM2 Membrane Plant in Auckland, New Zealand.
Evolution Sails EM2 Element Membranes are produced in Auckland, New Zealand, the ‘city of sails’. Built in 2016, the EM2 production facility is a state of the art facility regarded as one of the most modern sail making membrane factories in the world. To build the most durable racing sails on the planet, Evolution Sails has perfected the process of transferring performance oriented designs to a custom matrix of exotic fibers laminated between layers of high tech skin.
The sail shape is designed to be the optimal flying shape of the sail, created as a 3D mold using the latest sail design software featuring detailed aero and structural analysis. This process is so advanced, it’s able to predict areas of stress and stretch before they occur, ensuring every fiber is expertly placed to ensure long lasting shape retention.
Carbon and Aramid make up the core fiber network used in Evolution’s Element Membrane sails, with Polyester fiber substituted when class rules mandate. These fibers result in a sail that is exponentially stronger than it’s traditional woven counterpart, upwards of 40% to 400% better stretch resistance. Less stretch means more shape retention throughout the life of the sail.
The final key competent to building an Element Membrane sail is laminating this precision laid fiber network between layers of Dimension-Polyant’s Lite Skin for added shape retention and abrasion resistance. The unique Lite Skin composite also creates a softer hand, minimizes creases and prevents shrinkage associated with traditional film skin sails.
playing the long game
Well-built sails made from high quality composite materials such as Evolution’s Element Membrane have been proven to maintain their geometry shape for over 3,000 hours of use. The real return on investment of a sail made from the Element Membrane product line is that it will retain the designed optimal, smooth, aerodynamic shape much longer into its lifespan than sails built by other leading brands.
A normal membrane sail from another brand may hold on to it’s designed sail shape for the first few years of regular usage, whereas Element Membrane sails have proven on the race course that they are retaining their optimal sail shape for two to three times longer. Sailors with Element Membrane sails are saving money in the long run as there is no need to replace their inventory as frequently as sailors without an Element Membrane sail. Instead of purchasing a new sail every couple of years after the shape degrades, Evolution customers are using the same high-performance sails well into their lifespan, able to invest their valuable resources back into other important boat improvements… or the beer cooler!
j111: SPaceman spiff
World and North American Champion J111 (Spaceman Spiff)
The J111, Spaceman Spiff, took delivery of their new Element Membrane AP Class Mainsail and J1.5 Class Jib for the start of the 2019 Verve Cup in Chicago, IL. Effectively introducing Evolution Sails to the North American J111 Market, the Spaceman Spiff team went on to win the 2019 Chicago Verve Overall Award and J111 Fleet, followed up with the 2019 J111 World Championship. Citing the main and jib, they experienced sails that were easy to drive to, more responsive to rig changes and sail trim, and overall better boat speed and pointing ability.
These same sails continued their winning ways in early 2020, taking home 1st place honors at both the 2020 J111 Midwinter Championship and 2020 St. Peter NOOD Regatta in PHRF Fleet 1. Push the calendar forward another year into 2021 and these same sails, after almost two years of constant use at regattas and local beer can races, logged almost 100 days on the water. These same sails went on to win the 2021 J111 North American Championship, possessing the same sail shape and material integrity as if they were brand new. Simply put, the EM2 Element Membranes experience far less shape degradation, shrinkage and material failures than membrane sails from other brands.
J121: Wings
Long lasting success is not just limited to the J111 class either, as Bill Wiggins and Ashley Maltempo, owners of the J121 Wings, can confirm. They have used their Evolution Sails Element Membrane upwind sail inventory for over 4,500 miles of coastal and offshore grand prix racing, landing on many well deserved podiums, including winning their division at the 2021 Block Island Race Week.
J24: level pelican
In the J24 class, Crisp McDonald and his team on the Level Pelican lay claim to using their Element Membrane class genoa for over 70 races, including a 4th place at the 2020 Kings Day Regatta, and 9th place in 2021. These sails have proven they are extremely resistant to the environmental factors such as humidity, mildew, salt and UV, as well as the stresses of competitive sailboat racing like luffing, flogging, sheeting loads, etc.
