Spinnaker Construction and Repair Query

[savageseadog]

I've had a few spinnakers self destruct over the years. One failure that seems to happen regularly is the luff tapes tear off (the red and green ones). It might be possible that the tapes, being a thicker or possibly different material create a stress point at the join to the main spinnaker body, the usual rip-stop material. It would would seem a better idea to not to have any tape on that basis. The tapes to the following I think:

Stop the edges from fraying
Reinforce the seams that terminate at the luffs
Help identify one luff from the other for packing and launching

Is it done any other way?

 

[awol]

Having suffered from the same, I experimented with sticky spinnaker repair tape (available in 25m rolls) folded over the edge of the rip-stop and then sewed the tape to that. It worked for a while until another rip reached the edge - extended the life by at least another season. Something has to carry the luff tension loads and I don't think rip-stop would last very long by itself.

The best answer is the crinkly crisp packet sound of a new spinnaker!

 

[wilkinsonsails]

Unfortunatley spinny cloth does stretch, which means movement along the reinforced edge, is the often the first place to go.
Tapes are normally terylene or nylon,lighter chutes should have nylon to give with the material beside it.
Also there is the tear along the dotted line effect which often is the start.
Nylon is weakend when stowed away wet ,so its a good idea to rinse out the sail in freshwater and dry it ,not flogging from the mast head please.
Adhesive tape can prolong the life of the sail but when stretch occurs this will show as a tight spot and eventually tear here too.
Used with care, not trawling,etc a good spinny should last five years plus,if you overload them, they are not usually designed for 30knt winds they will give up the ghost.