Sustainable sailing is a reality. It’s called Renew, and North Sails invented it.
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North Sails unveiled in Düsseldorf a new sailcloth constructed from more than 90 percent sustainably sourced raw materials. It is called Renew and is a North Paneled laminate fabric (acronym NPL) suitable for cruising boats up to about 14 meters in length. North Sails assures that this is a high-performance material that is no match for traditional fabrics in performance and longevity.
What Renew looks like – The new sustainable material for sails
The new Renew sustainable sailcloth is the result of a study conducted over the past seven years (starting in 2017) by North Sails, which has long been engaged in technological research to develop an innovative material that could be both high-performance and sustainable. After experimenting with various solutions, such as the use of alternative fibers and material recovery (according to the principle ofcircular economy) that have helped reduce the impact of production, the company now takes an important and decisive step with the new Renew material.
Specifically, Renew was engineered using recycled and bio-based raw materials, thanks to suppliers who are Bluesign certified (one of the leading textile certifications) and compliant with International Sustainability and Carbon Certification. The basis of this material is recycled polyester fabrics, films, films and yarns, bio-based fibers such as Dyneema. Different end products, such as plastic bottles, have been recycled to produce components such as polyester insert yarns and polyester taffeta outer fabrics, while bio-based Dyneema is produced by deriving ethylene from pulp production waste instead of refined petroleum
The end result was achieved while keeping one goal firmly in mind: sustainability should not force us to give up performance. All materials were thoroughly tested both in North Sails’ production facility in Sri Lanka and in the Minden laboratory in Nevada, USA. The final mixture, tested by water tests to assess tightness, performance and shape, entered production only when it achieved satisfactory results.
What about the “unsustainable” 10 percent?
The “unsustainable” component of the new Renew sails is the resins and bonding systems. North Sails states that for the time being it has been unable to find an alternative to the types of resin currently used that has the same strength and longevity characteristics. Obviously, the company is working with several suppliers to find a solution and produce a 100 percent sustainable sail.
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