North Sails launches sustainable sail cloth

North Sails has launched a new sail cloth constructed from more than 90 per cent sustainable sources. Renew, a North Paneled Laminate (NPL) sailcloth for cruising boats 25 to 45ft, is said to require no sacrifice in performance or longevity.

US-headquartered North Sails is an international sailmaker and sailing wear company with operations in 29 countries.

“There’s been a lot of rigorous work behind the scenes over a number of years to ensure Renew is a sailcloth with legitimate sustainability credentials,” says Renew product director Tom Davis. “This product has been tested to the absolute limit, and we are confident that a sail constructed with Renew will offer unbeatable durability and sail shape for our cruising customers without compromising on performance.”

North Sails’ close relationships with the big companies supplying films, fibres, and fabrics have been the foundation of the journey to Renew. North Sails says it could source recycled polyester film and yarn and bio-based Dyneema to create a highly durable cruising laminate cloth that features more than 90 per cent alternative bio-based and recycled raw materials.

The firm says all supplier products for Renew are all Bluesign Certified and ISCC compliant to guarantee the validity of the sources and processes used in their manufacture.

North Sails says it is committed to finding solutions for sustainable sails, low-impact manufacturing, the use of alternative fibres, and opportunities for material circularity.

“We have been deliberate and comprehensive in vetting the authenticity of sustainability claims and thoroughly testing the materials before bringing a product to market,” says North Sails president Ken Read. “We wanted to be 100 per cent certain with Renew that North Sails could stand behind the improvements in the carbon footprint and authenticity of the sustainable materials in our sail cloth.

“With our wider commitment to continuous improvement and our push to strive for more sustainable solutions across the business at all levels, Renew will not stop with panel laminates, and we will look to apply this approach to sustainable raw materials across our broader range of products.”

Under the Renew programme, North Sails will continue to partner with suppliers to identify and refine the raw materials needed to produce ever more sustainable sails for all customers. North Sails says it is working on new solutions for sustainable sources across all North Sails technologies, including 3Di sails.

“North Sails has committed to adopting Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to learn about the ecological impact of all products and to establish goals for reducing waste and pollution,” says Davis. “An important aspect of achieving these goals is to introduce more recycled content. By 2025, North Sails will implement a ‘responsible product scorecard’ for all products and will also establish measurable goals for circular products that can be recycled at the end of their lifecycle.”

Main image courtesy of Amory Ross and North Sails.