the.com/sailcloth
the fabric that bossed wind around for centuries before engines stole its job
means A strong, heavy woven fabric — traditionally of canvas, flax, hemp, or cotton — used to make the sails of ships, and now also for tents, bags, and sturdy upholstery.
from A plain compound of "sail" and "cloth," both old Germanic words. "Sail" descends from Old English "segl," with cousins across the Germanic languages (Dutch "zeil," German "Segel"); "cloth" comes from Old English "clāð." The word does exactly what it says — the cloth you make sails from — and has named that rugged material for as long as English speakers have rigged ships to the wind.
- old material
- Originally woven from flax and hemp, not cotton
- now plastic
- Modern sails use Dacron, Kevlar, and carbon fiber
- made fashion
- Recycled sails become tough waterproof bags and totes
- war duty
- Wrapped dead sailors for burial at sea
- weight tells
- Measured in ounces; heavier cloth means rougher seas
north sails dacron — primary racing sailcloth used by america's cup competitors since the 1980s
dimension polyant — german sailcloth manufacturer producing laminated sails for olympic and professional racing
mainsail at wimbledon 2024 — british olympic sailor emma wilson won gold in the iqfoil class using dimension polyant sailcloth