The concept of loadpath construction was started in the mid-1980's with UK-Halsey's patented Tape-Drive sails. This concept involved two revolutionary principals:
First, the sailskin and the load bearing structure were separate, distinct entities.
Second, the structural members were aligned in accordance with the load map of the sail.
New, improved Tape-Drive sails are still popular today because of their performance and amazing durability.
The visual similarity between Tape-Drive and MatriX sails is obvious.
MatriX sails are the third generation of loadpath sails from UK-Halsey.
As with Tape-Drive, the following is true for MatriX sails too:
1. The load bearing elements follow the lines of stress in the sail and carry the majority of the dynamic load generated by the sail.
2. The density or frequency of load bearing elements matches the load concentration in the sails.
3. The sail skin or sail surface bears only a small fraction of the load the sail encounters in use. Its purpose is to prevent the passage of air from one side of the sail to the other thus preserving the pressure differential created by the shape of the sail.
