North Sails launches ‘sustainable’ cruising sail range
Sails featuring 90 percent recycled material will soon be available for environmentally conscious boatersNorth Sails has launched the NPL Renew range of sails for smaller cruising boats using recycled materials but promising to have the same performance and durability as conventionally made ones.
According to North Sails, the NPL Renew range, made for cruising sailboats ranging from 7.0 metres to 13.4 metres in length – 25 feet to 44 feet in the old measure – represents an “important shift for sailmaking towards a more sustainable sail”.
According to North Sails, the new material can be radial cut, will resist stretching and offer no compromise in sail shape, durability and longevity. The sails will be offered in the choice of “standard” NPL Renew (SM) optimised for boats and using recycled polyester, and “high-modulus” (HM) that adds bio-based Dyneema yarn reinforcement.
Seven years in the making, the journey to the new sail material started with the introduction of recycled polyester film to the NPL line of cruising sails in 2020.
The new laminated sail is made from 90 percent recycled raw material such as yarn and taffeta, as well as bio-based material such as Dyneema, an extremely strong polyurethane, made from wood pulp.
North Sails also has researched resins and glue systems – the missing 10 percent of the new sails that as yet is not from a renewable source.
You will notice the new sails too; the recycled polyester yarn and external taffeta piles make them a much brighter white than conventionally made sails.
The new laundry has also been extensively tested to ensure it lives up to North Sails’ claims about it.
“Rigorous research and testing are fundamental to North Sails' approach to incorporating sustainable materials,” the company said.
“We diligently evaluate evolving materials, ensuring authenticity with thorough testing in our state-of-the-art R&D Labs in Minden, Nevada (USA) and Sri Lanka. Trials on the water further assess performance and sail shape.
“The final raw material blend is optimised and manufactured at North Sails' own factory in Sri Lanka,” it said.
North Sails plans to introduce a Responsible Product Scorecard for all its products from 2025 that lets buyers know how sustainable the product is that they are buying.
It will also establish a program for recycling its products at the end of their lifespan.
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