Maxx3 from Contender Sailcloth

Maxx3, said Contender, is the only sail laminate in the world to offer five fibres laid asymmetrically at specific angles throughout the cloth.

Using the manufacturer's 22 years of sailcloth design and manufacturing expertise, Contender has developed the unique laminate lay-up because it ensures the sail fabric fibres always meet the load requirements from any sail shape.

With fibres laid at five critical angles, changing load requirements such as sheeting in, trimming or mast bend aren't a worry since there's always a fibre running at the angle required to provide strength and minimal stretch, explains Contender.

For sailmakers, this unique fabric design enables the sailcloth to be cross cut, rather than radial cut, making it quicker and easier to make the most effective sails.

Contender said another key advantage is that during manufacture, dry fibres are embedded within the flexible laminate so they do not crack or break when handled or folded, rolled or reefed. This leads to sails that retain their strength and shape longer. The multiple fibre angles also reduce the chance of the fabric being torn or punctured.

Maxx3 sailcloth is available in three different options to suit a variety of needs of sailors.

For the ultimate racer where performance is critical, Maxx Film/Film is a dual sided Mylar fabric encompassing Twaron and Twaron Black fibres. This fabric is designed to deliver the highest racing performance with minimum sail weight and is ideal for classes or boats where the use of aramid is not allowed.

Next, Maxx Club Racer is a fabric with Mylar film on one side and polyester taffeta on the other, which creates a medium weight fabric with enhanced durability while still delivering racing performance.

Then there's Maxx Voyager for the performance-oriented cruiser and those who want good-looking sails but rely on them continuing to deliver durability over many years. Maxx Voyager has been developed with polyester Taffeta on both sides of the fabric. This makes the sails exceptionally durable, as well as easy to handle, especially when rolling or reefing.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Contender has been established for 22 years and is one of the world's leading suppliers of fabrics to sailmakers as well as the main provider of spinnaker sailcloth to the majority of America's Cup yachts, including the 2007 America's Cup winner and many of the world's top racing yachts.

For more information, phone (02) 9997 4099, email: jan@contender.com.au or visit www.contender.com.au