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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