I think one of the more interesting aspects of our sport has been the development of modern-era sails. It's hard not to look at almost any of the top sail maker's products and not be impressed with at least something that they make. UK has developed a new technology, Ultra, that certainly looks intriguing and is one that a lot of us don't know much about. We got in touch with Butch Ulmer (The U in UK for those who don't know) to get the skinny on this new sailmaking process. Enjoy.

UK International is a licensee of the Sobstad (now North-owned) '639 patent and has been selling load path Tape-Drive sails under that license since the late 1980s. Each of our franchised lofts has a sub-license allowing them to build load path sails under the patent in return for the payment of a royalty.

Approximately 2-1/2 years ago, we decided to explore making a new load path sail using yarns rather than tapes as an extension of the Tape-Drive technology. Our goals were to make a lightweight, reasonably priced laminate sail with groups of high modulus yarns laid in a specific load path pattern for that particular sail. We also set out to eliminate delamination, the problem that has plagued Ultra's predecessors.

Our original concept for this new sail, fairly accurately reported on in your column, was abandoned after a year of frustration in favor of what we're doing now. We also quickly abandoned dispensing adhesive as part of the process in favor of using pre-preg materials. This move helped us eliminate weight (glue is very heavy) and improve the strength of the lamination.

We produced our first real sails early in the spring of 2002. Ultra sail #2 was made for Rich du Moulin's Express 37 "Lora Ann" shown here. This and the other few sails we delivered during the 2002 season were so successful that we decided to move ahead and commercialize the product. Today we have a 10,000 sq.ft. facility in Bridgeport, CT with one large Ultra machine producing 6-7 sail skins a week. A second, larger machine is scheduled to come on line mid-May and it will more than double our production capacity. So what exactly is UK Ultra? It is a laminate sail consisting of a pre-preg Mylar film, pre-preg high modulus yarns, a pre-preg scrim and another pre-preg Mylar film. After the first film is laid down, the yarns are applied in a load path pattern. Then the other two components are laid on top and the whole sandwich is laminated together using heat and pressure.

Once this step is completed, we separate and shape the panels. The panel shape comes from Accucut, UK's proprietary design software. Then we glue the panels together using the ultra-sonic Q-Bond machine shown on our website.

The result is a firm, inelastic laminate that makes in very fast sails. The unique feature of an Ultra sail is how little it changes as the conditions vary.

We can vary the film thickness and the yarn size to fit the requirements of any particular sail. To date we've made sails using two sizes of carbon fiber mixed with up to three sizes of Kevlar. We're also using a fair amount of pre-preg fiberglass.

In the other pictures you'll see a carbon/Kevlar mainsail and an all Kevlar 155% AP #1. These pictures were taken recently on Long Island Sound in a cold easterly of about 14 knots true. Here are some random facts that may prove of interest to you and your readers.

1. Ultra sails have load-bearing seams. The ultra sonic Q-Bond process (invented by another sailmaker) we're using to make the seams has been in use in Europe for five or six years although this is the first such machine in North America. All the tests we've run on the seams show that they are stronger than the material the seam is holding together.
2. Among the samples of Ultra that I sent to you, there are two where the ends are un-laminated. We did this on purpose. Try to pull the two films apart! (I did and I couldn't - Ed)
3. We put a lot of pressure on the materials when we laminate them. This will be evident if you compare the un-laminated yarn in the sample mentioned in #2 with the same yarn after it has been laminated. Notice how flat and smooth things get.
4. Ultra is still very new so it's not for everyone! We are currently limiting sales of Ultra to serious racers.
5. We are working on and have produced an experimental Ultra cruising laminate. There will definitely be an Ultra-Cruise product.
6. Ultra is not intended to replace Tape-Drive. Rather we look on it as an extension of the Tape-Drive product line.
7. Despite what you may have heard, Ultra's development was completely independent of Bob Fraser's D4. I think the processes are dissimilar in spite of the similarity in appearance between the sails themselves.

I hope this helps clear the air a little. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards!

Charles "Butch" Ulmer
UK International

04/30/2003