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WHY
DO DOYLE SAILS PERFORM BETTER?
Fast sails
aren't born in computers: they're born in the minds of the designers who
envision how to make the next sail mold better than
the last one. They're
shaped by feedback from sailmakers doing the
real-world testing required to turn a good design into
a great one.
Our state
of the art Sailpack design software computers tells us
what a particular shape might become, but it's our
worldwide team of sailmakers tell us what it is, how
it sails, and how to make it faster. Three-dimensional modeling allows a designer in
Marblehead to analyze the effect of changes made by a
specialist in New Zealand, Chicago, or the Caribbean. If the shape of a grand-prix maxi in winning
the Sydney-Hobart Race in Australia seemed a little
flat, the base mold can be updated immediately to
allow the main built for the PHRF racer in California
to benefit in his next bay race. If an Olympic two-boat testing project produces
a faster spinnaker design, an Etchells racer can count
on his next chute being that much faster than the
other guy's. Doyle
designers integrate lessons learned at all levels of
competition spread to enhance the performance of Doyle
sails around the world.
Sailors
want sails that go fast on the water, not look fast on
computer screens, and there's not always a direct
relationship between the two. Endless complicating factors like sailcloth
selection, wind and sea conditions, helmsman style,
and trimming technique can make a theoretically fast
sail look terrible on a racecourse. The human element is the key: experienced sailmakers testing different
designs in different conditions, exploring the
boundaries of a particular sail mold's performance
envelope, and funneling the feedback back to the
design team for constant airfoil improvement.
Doyle's
design team combines specialists in fluid dynamics,
naval architecture, chemical engineering, grand-prix
racing, and mechanical engineering - team members with
different approaches to sail design that produce a far
better result than any could working alone. On the water, racing experts with decades of
championships in every kind of craft push the sails to
their limits and return with critical information
needed to refine Doyle designs that much more. This
cycle of design, testing, and improvement is integral
to the success of performance sails.
Sure,
racers need fast sails, but cruisers often overlook
the benefit of great sail shape. Good shape means the boat heels less in a
sudden puff, staying stable and keeping guests
comfortable. If you've ever changed from old baggy
sails to properly designed new ones, you know how the
boat points higher, moves faster, and feels better,
almost like a new boat altogether. And while extra boatspeed itself might not mean
much, the extra time it can save on a family vacation
sure does.
If sail
design were just a computer game, any twelve year-old
could do it - it requires more. The diverse skills and teamwork of Doyle
sailmakers combines leading design theory with
real-world experience, to create sails that make real
boats go real fast, time and time again.
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