Black sails in the sunset

by Peter Campbell on 21 Mar 2002 The white sails of racing yachts are changing colour…to blue, brown, grey and now to black sails, at least in ocean racing, as technology overtakes tradition.

Yachting enthusiasts will see the latest development in sail cloth, black carbon-fibre mainsails and jibs, on prominent yachts, Quest and Ragamuffin, as the fleet leaves Sydney Harbour on Saturday afternoon in the 469 nautical mile ocean race north to Mooloolaba on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.

Quest, Bob Steel's Nelson/Marek 46, and Ragamuffin, Syd Fischer's Farr 50, are among the main contenders for top handicap honours in the IMS Division, with Ragamuffin the defending winner from 2001.

Both owners have chosen revolutionary lightweight D4 carbon-aramid sails developed by the Australian sailmakers, Doyle Fraser Sails, Steel fitting Quest with a new mainsail and several genoa headsails.

The boat has already proved very competitive, winning three out of four races in the recent Joico Regatta at Palm Beach.

Fischer, in line for a victory in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Blue Water Championship with the Forrester Properties Sydney - Mooloolaba Race the final pointscore event, has invested in a range of new Doyle Fraser D4 sails for Ragamuffin.

He has chosen a carbon-aramid laminate for a new lightweight offshore genoa, on the basis of a significant weight reduction and greater durability compared with the conventional Kevlar headsails he had been using.

Doyle Fraser Sailmakers, based at Somersby on the NSW Central Coast, have been quietly working on the development of carbon fibre sails for offshore and inshore racing yachts, with the black sails seen for the first time at the last America's Cup.

'There have been a number of areas in the D4 process that have presented challenged in handling carbon fibre', Bob Fraser, principal of Doyle Fraser Sailmakers said today.

'The stage now appears set to produce some outstanding sails with enormous benefits in better sail shape retention and improved durability', he said.

Fraser explained that this could only be achieved when the carbon fibre was laid in curves, as the loads run in the sails. 'As in our D4 system, we expect to see a major shift to this next generation material in Australia and among our worldwide client base', he added.

Doyle Fraser Sails this week are shipping their largest D4 carbon sails they have produced to England for the restored 130-foot J class yacht, Valsheda.

Footnote: Another noted colour change in yacht sails is to a near dayglo orange for storm trysails and storm jib to give better sighting in search and rescue operations, but these sails are made of conventional, heavy duty dacron.

Each of the 34 yachts competing in the Sydney - Mooloolaba Race, sponsored by Forrester Properties and the Maroochy Shire Council on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, must hoist their storm sails before the start of the race, at 1pm this coming Saturday, March 23.

Further information: Peter Campbell - 0419 385 028