Back in 1985/86 the 17 sail was designed with the Mylar Dacron laminate cloth. The sails were top of the line when designed back in 1985. The cloth is from the most respected supplier in the World, Tejin. As I recall, this was the top choice for cloth of it's kind for many manufacturers at the time. Due to the "One Design" class structure, we are unable to change the design or materials without Hobie Class approvals and honestly, I think the material is not the issue here. Skip Elliot has no knowledge as to the history or class issues, but does realize that this "is not a defect".

First, if the sails are new or within one year old, sailors should be talking to their dealer for warranty consideration. I suspect that this is not the case and that the sails are older. There is no claim history on this issue, so I know that this has not been an ongoing problem or we would have been hearing about it.

Second, Mylar laminate, of any type, has the de-laminate possibility. Mylar by itself is low stretch but has no strength for abrasion and cutting issues. It explodes. That is why it is laminated to another material. You gain strength and color with the lamination to Dacron. This was not a "it is what they were willing to get"... it was and is the best cloth of its type available. It is a well-known fact that there are choices, Dacron is the longest lasting and Mylar is the least stretch. Dacron stretches and looses its shape. Mylar fails over time by cracking or tearing. Mylar is used for the performance issues. That's the choice. It's just that Hobie sailors think that everything should last forever, just like the old Hobie 16's... Don't forget, they have old baggy sails.

One other issue here is related to the post by a guy with a sail that de-laminated over a week in storage. I would hazard a guess that the delaminating was already in progress. I would also guess that there was a problem in that the sails were wet and stored in heat. The moisture in the Dacron expands in heat and could have caused a sudden visible difference in the delaminating progress.

As for the part that mentions a Class action lawsuit? I love that. I guess this is what we have come to in the USA. Pretty sad thinking. Once again, this is a Hobie Class Association issue. If there is a "Class Action" anything here, it is the 17 sailors getting together and deciding that the class needs to take some action and change the rule for a more modern cloth.

Certainly we want to hear about any sails that are relatively new and having a problem like this.