Special thanks to Mark Jardine (photographer) IMCA UK and Wetsuit Outlet for the shots and for the video.
Who doesn’t love a good design and production challenge?
This is how the story of the 1D Moth sail started. And continued with a badass team and some experimental design with ideas taken from the windfoiling world! The result is a fantastic, lightweight, unique Moth Sail with proven results!
Credit for Mark Jardine (photographer) IMCA UK and Wetsuit Outlet
The Moth as a sailing class is one we love, not only because of foiling, or the speed of the boats, but because as a class it’s developed with immense speed and therefore continuously keeps challenging sailmakers as well. We weren’t an exception either and designing a Moth Sail was always in the 1D plans.
The 1D Moth design team
The 1D Sails moth development was led by the moth guru, Kevin Ellway and Ellway Aero-Hydrodynamics. Kevin’s experience in sail, foil and boat design was the guarantee that if we team up, we can’t go wrong with the design and the numbers either. First Benoit Marie, later on Jason Belben and Carlo De Paoli Ambrosi sailors joined our team to test and sail with our new design. One thing we agreed on with Kevin from the first instance, was not to copy anything from any other brand and listen to our guts. We wanted to follow a scientific approach and believe only in the numbers of the CFD models and not to listen to anyone, except our own sailors’ instincts.
‘I had long been frustrated by the luff tubes on moth sails. Compared with racing windsurf sails, which have really efficient wing masts like luff sleeves, moth sleeves tend to be aerodynamically poor and little better than a bolt rope, in many cases. So I wanted a sail with a more locked and stable shape and with a really efficient luff sleeve.’ said Kevin Ellway.
You can find a post on the aero part HERE written by Kevin.
The construction and secret of the 1D Moth Sail
Unique wide luff sleeve
After a long design process on the width and shape of the mast sleeve, we’ve created and tested a unique design that gives an absolutely measurable result on the race course. The 1D Moth Sail is designed with a wide luff sleeve that’s unique in the sailing world. The idea came from our windfoiling experience and windfoiling sail design. The simulation proved the design’s benefits to the Moth Sail as well.
Credit for Mark Jardine (photographer) IMCA UK and Wetsuit Outlet
Luff curve and seam shaping are the main focus areas
The combination of these two areas, the luff curve and seam shaping, have quite a big effect on the morphing of the sail shape while sailing, and on the rotation of the sail as well. Therefore our attention was focused on these two areas during the design process. After the CFD analysis, we managed to find the perfect sail shape that is equally adjustable in upwind and downwind in the various weather and wind conditions.The key feature of the 1D Moth Sail we’ve designed is that sailors are able to set the sail into the required shape, to achieve maximum speed. Yes!
‘We have achieved a sail that maintains its shape under load and with a super-efficient luff tube which improves drive and reduces drag, especially upwind when overpowered. On the water, this results in a wing like sail that drives forward in every gust.’ – summarised Kevin.
Strong, stiff but light materials
The structural analysis followed the design in the AzureFlex software. We were looking for a material that is not custom made (like the 1D Sail membranes), but complements and strengthens our moth design. Our choice was a strong and stiff material, that allows us to build sails that are lighter than membranes without the long production time of a custom made material. While on the mast sleeve material our chosen one is a stiff but light material that supports and enhances the sail from every direction.
Construction inspired by windfoiling
The construction itself is our own design, therefore the materials, the panel layouts and construction methods are unique to the 1D Sails brand.The 1D Moth design is improved and enhanced by our experience that we’ve gained during the development of windsurfs, catamaran sails and windfoiling sails. Unique and unexpected things happen when we combine different fields and add/try/experiment with things that other brands, focused on only one area won’t be able to achieve. So here is to our experiment!
Credit for Mark Jardine (photographer) IMCA UK and Wetsuit Outlet
Our signature ingredient is a special tool and glue to “stick” the panels together, giving a great connection, and perfect load forwarding to the 1D Sail. Also, to have a thin closure on the seams, we use a special tape during the perimeters. These two techniques result in perfect structure but a lighter weight sail.
Losing weight everywhere!
The skirt is a special part of the sail thanks to its design and construction. It’s simple but powerful, as light as possible material wise with the best available shape during sailing.
We also minimised the number of battens to what’s absolutely necessary to save on weight, and make the rigging easier. As the details were worked out properly and the numbers proved our thinking, the design didn’t need more battens to “hide the crimes”.
“I think I am the proudest of the skirt of our Moth sail. With its simple shape and maximum efficiency it is simply awesome!” – Marton Balázs.
Short roll cam
Last but not least we decided to use a short roll cam. On the first prototypes, we used 3D printed cams as many other brands, but we’ve decided to update it for a much shorter roll cam. It helps to keep the nice entry angle of the sail we designed, while having a really nice rotation.
As test sailor Carlo d’Ambrosi commented, the sail allows to ‘point higher and go faster than I’ve ever gone before’.
The 1D Moth Sail has already proven its potential! Check out the below list.
Contact us if you have any further questions!
1D Sails – Moth Results 2019
- French Nationals 1st place
- UK Nationals 3rd place, 7th place
- Moth Europeans 7th place
- Moth Worlds 17th place
- Lake Garda 2nd place
