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Lidgard Sails Limited is the only sailmaking group continuously
developing its own design software through Sails
Science Limited, which is based in the head office of
Lidgard Sails in Auckland, New Zealand.
 Today,
the SailMaker™sail
design software created in 1984 by Jim Lidgard, one of New
Zealand's top sail designers, is permanently updated to
stay at the leading edge of the technology. It is used by
more than 160 independent sailmakers around the world and
by several designers of other top sailmaking groups.
Panel orientation is the result of exhaustive modelling
on Relax,
the only highly developed stress analysis program specially
created to provide the answers needed by the modern sailmaking
industry. Stress analysis is a major step forward in CAD
sailmaking from mould programs such as SailMaker™.
To compare the sails on water with the original moulds
is a primary part of our ongoing R&D program. Photos
from high resolution digital cameras are fed into the design
computer and measured in SailShooter™,
a program developed in San Diego by SailScience during the
Tag Heuer America's Cup campaign.
Sail technology
Using state of the art software like SailMaker™,
SailShooter™and
Relax,
coupled with high technology testing equipment like the
Instron cloth testing machine, Lidgard Sails designers are
able to develop the highest performance sails, as the latest
generation of high tech plotter/cutters allow them to reproduce
their design as often as needed.
Additions, like the Rig program, are also used to design
Lidgard sails. The Rig program allows the designers to properly
fit the sail to any rig configuration.
Lidgard Sails Limited developed sophisticated sailcloth
testing equipment using an Instron testing machine coupled
to custom-designed software to take data about the cloth
sample at a rate of 2,000 data points per second.
 All
the information gathered takes the mystery out of sailcloth
properties and allows our designers to create innovative
sails using a wide variety of cloths to keep us up to speed
with the latest generation of materials.
Lidgard sailcloth test procedures played a key role in
the development of Bill Koch's famous "Cuben Fiber"
sailcloth in the 1992 America's Cup.
The same rigorous, high-tech test program ensures that
all the sails carrying the Lidgard Sails logo use only the
best materials available.
To stay at the leading edge of their industry Lidgard Sails
are working in close relationship with all major sailcloth
manufacturers. Custom-made sailcloth can be developed when
there are no products, used in their normal range, suitable
for special projects.
As the Relax program and the cloth testing facilities are
costly investments, not every loft is fitted with such equipment.
The standardisation of the design process along with the
development of modern communications allows any Lidgard Sails
loft to have sails studied and engineered to specifications
on the other side of the world and the results to be delivered
to the manufacturing loft without any loss of time.
After state of the art engineering and extensive testing,
fabrics are precisely cut on high-precision computer-driven
vacuum-bed plot cutters.
The building process of sails has also been greatly improved
recently when efficient gluing systems were introduced.
Seam slippage is the major enemy of panelled sails and
the gluing process, used by several Lidgard sail lofts,
completely eliminating any risk of slippage, making panelled
sails as stable and fast as any moulded system available
on the market.
Two gluing systems are used by sailmakers around the world.
Either one or the other are available at different Lidgard
sail lofts.
Lidgard Sails' high technology, experience and state-of-the-art
engineering are performing at the top and are used to build successful and durable sails that will surpass
all expectations.
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