Our sailmakers have selected the best materials to build your sails. Learn more about the cloth selections in our online sail builder below
How to Choose the Best Sail Cloth?
Each sail cloth, or sail material, has an optimal use case, which depends on how the sail is going to be used, and the expectations of the sailor. For example a racing sailor may want the highest performance material possible, while not being worried about longevity or durability. Bluewater cruising sailors on the other hand may want a sail material which is as durable as possible, at the expense of some performance and shape holding. Below are the pros and cons of each material, helping you select the sail cloth and construction that is right for you, your boat, and your next sailing adventure.
Available Sail Builder Sail Materials
Fibercon Polypreg High Aspect
Class: Crosscut Woven Polyester
Fiber: High-Tenacity Polyeste
Contender Fibercon Polypreg is a premium upgrade within the Dacron category, offering improved stability and shape retention through a dense weave and medium-firm finish. It provides a crisper, more responsive trim feel than standard cruising Dacron and holds its designed shape better across a wider range of conditions. Ideal for club racers and performance cruisers who want added control and consistency from their sails without stepping into laminates or composites.
Durability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weight: ⭐⭐
Performance: ⭐⭐
Water Wicking: ⭐⭐
Handling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost: ⭐
Contender Fibercon PolyKote
Class: Crosscut Woven Polyester
Fiber: High-Tenacity Polyester
Fibercon PolyKote is a firm-finish Dacron built specifically for one-design racing. Its stiffer hand and dense weave provide superior control over sail shape, making it ideal for class-legal sails in fleets like the J/22, T-10, and J/105. PolyKote excels in trimming consistency, particularly in heavier wind ranges where traditional Dacron begins to distort. For best results, sails should be rolled for storage to maintain performance over time.
Durability: ⭐⭐⭐
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Water Wicking: ⭐⭐
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Dimension-Polyant PXB Light Skin
Class: Racing Triradial Laminate
Skins: Lite Skin Taffeta
Primary Fiber: Polyester
PXB Light Skin is a triradial laminate designed for club racers and cruiser-racers seeking better shape retention than Dacron at a modest cost increase. The internal polyester laminate offers low stretch and excellent structure, while the Lite Skin surface enhances UV protection and durability. It’s a great option for sails that get flaked and handled regularly, like all-purpose jibs and mains. PXB LS strikes a practical middle ground for sailors who want more performance without sacrificing ease of use.
Durability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weight: ⭐⭐⭐
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐
Water Wicking: ⭐⭐
Handling: ⭐⭐⭐
Cost: ⭐⭐
Dimension-Polyant Flex Aramid Sport
Class: Racing Triradial Laminate
Skins: Lite Skin Taffeta
Primary Fiber: Aramid
Flex Aramid Sport is a laminate sailcloth made for smaller boats that race seriously but don’t want the complexity or cost of a membrane. Built with aramid load fibers and Lite Skin taffeta on both sides, it delivers excellent shape retention and solid durability at a great price point. It’s especially popular for light- to medium-air headsails, where weight and shape matter most. A reliable upgrade for club racers moving beyond Dacron.
Durability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weight: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Water Wicking: ⭐⭐
Handling: ⭐⭐⭐
Cost: ⭐⭐⭐
Dimension-Polyant Carbon Sport Lite Skin
Class: Racing Triradial Laminate
Skins: Lite Skin Taffeta
Primary Fiber: Carbon
Secondary Fiber: Polyester
Carbon Sport Lite Skin blends high-end carbon fiber load paths with polyester off-axis support and a Lite Skin taffeta surface. The result is a laminate that holds its shape in tough conditions while remaining easy to handle and more rugged than film-only sails. This cloth is well suited for high-aspect mains and headsails in inshore and coastal racing environments, and benefits from Dimension-Polyant’s unique lamination process that keeps carbon from becoming brittle over time.
Durability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weight: ⭐⭐⭐
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Water Wicking: ⭐⭐
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Evolution E-Tech Composite
Class: Film-on-Film Membrane
Skins: Film
Primary Fiber: Carbon/Aramid
E-Tech Composite is Evolution’s lightest membrane sail, built in-house using our EM2 platform with carbon-rich internal structure as standard. Designed for sails where weight is critical—like Code Zeros and light-air headsails—E-Tech provides elite shape holding at a lower price than typical membranes. Our proprietary lamination process allows the carbon to remain flexible, minimizing brittleness while maximizing performance.
Durability: ⭐⭐
Weight: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Water Wicking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Evolution Element Composite
Class: Custom Composite Membrane
Skins: Lite Skin Taffeta
Primary Fiber: Carbon
Secondary Fiber: Aramid (Twaron/Technora)
Element Composite is our most versatile high-performance membrane, featuring carbon as the primary structural fiber and Lite Skin included as standard. It delivers exceptional shape retention with real-world durability, making it ideal for everything from club racing to offshore competition. Reefable, customizable, and rugged, Element is designed for sailors who want to go fast without worrying about fragility.
Durability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weight: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Water Wicking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Evolution Expedition Composite
Class: Performance Membrane
Skins: Woven Expedition Taffeta
Primary Fiber: Carbon
Secondary Fiber: Aramid (Twaron/Technora)
Expedition Composite is our most rugged membrane sail, designed for offshore racing, passage-making, and heavy-weather performance. With a carbon and aramid core and thick woven taffeta skins, Expedition maintains race-quality shape under punishing loads. Ideal for racer-cruisers and any boat that needs a fast, tough sail to handle rough conditions.
Durability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weight: ⭐⭐⭐
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Water Wicking: ⭐⭐⭐
Handling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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