This article is part of a sailing special. The contents:
Aramid
Better known under the brand names Kevlar or Twaron. High-strength, yellowish fibre. Kink and UV-sensitive
Crosscut
Another name for the classic horizontal section, where the tracks meet the leech at right angles
Finish
Type of equipment of the sailcloth. For Contender, this is determined by the type of cloth. Bainbridge and Challenge offer all cloths in different hardness levels. Dimension Polyant has a separate name for each finish (can be combined with almost any type of cloth). In ascending order: FTO - fine tempered optimised, MTO - medium tempered optimised, HMTO - hard medium tempered optimised, HTP-Plus - high tempered
Footshelf
Also known as a soft sheet or shelf for short. Thin cloth in the last downhaul lane that makes trimming easier
Fullbatten
English term for a fully battened sail
High (Low) Aspect
Describes the aspect ratio of a sail - luff to foot. From a ratio of 3:1, the term high aspect is used
Hybrid fabric
Fabrics such as HP Square or Hydranet, which consist of different types of fibres
Laminate
Sailcloth bonded from films and load-bearing fibres
Powerhead
Also known as squaretop, the extreme exhibition of the sail head
Roach
Convex curve of the leech and the associated sail billowing
Sailmaker's ounce
One ounce corresponds to 42.83 grams per square metre. Classification commonly used for spinnaker cloths
Taffeta/Tafetta
Protective, thin fabric layer for laminates. No load-bearing property
Triple stitch
Also called six-stitch or large zigzag sewing pattern. For panel seams
Triradial section
The tracks radiate from the three sail corners to the centre. Gradation: biradial (sheet and head)
Warp & Fill
English names for warp and weft, the thread directions in the fabric
