PALMA CRUISE LAMINATE

Our new Palma Cruise Laminate line are cutting edge, UPE enhanced fabrics specifically designed for modern cruising boats and sailors who are interested in performance and good sail shape while enjoying their leisure time on the water. Cruisers like to go fast as well!

UPE is short for UHMWPE, which is an acronym for the chemical name of branded fibers like Spectra and Dyneema. UPE is a high modulus fiber like aramid (Kevlar) and carbon fiber. This means the fiber is very low stretch, which is important for good shaping holding, the key to boat speed. But unlike Aramid and carbon, UPE fiber is very tough and durable. It is exceptional in UV (much better than Dacron), hydrophobic (does not absorb water), and all but impossible to cut or tear, making it the perfect high modulus fiber for cruising sailcloth. The result is a high performance sail able to carry high loads without sail shape distortion, and at the same time being extremely durable and long lasting.

Environmentally, Palma sets the standard by which all other laminate sailcloth will be judged.100% recycled polyester fiber and recycled film. Challenge uses a proprietary adhesive system that contains no PFAS’s or solvents to bond all the materials together. Our adhesive system also leads the industry in both adhesion and weathering. At Challenge we focus on maximizing the use of recycled materials, eliminating forever chemicals, and building the most sustainable products.

  • Five styles with increasing density of warp fiber inserts.
  • Polyester taffetas on both sides, which increase in weight on the heavier styles, for better abrasion and UV resistance.
  • Low stretch.
  • High durability.
  • High percentage of re-cycled materials.
  • No solvents or PFAS chemicals.

PALMA TEC

Ultra PE Enhanced Cruising Laminates

These modern cruise laminates use all inlaid fiber without scrims for highest performance and efficiency. Sandwiched between taffetas, they are soft and strong with tremendous lamination adhesion for excellent durability. Using large and tough black polyester high tenacity fibers in several directions, they both handle off angle loads, and are untearable.

  • The combination of black fibers between white taffetas produces a light grey color.
  • All styles are available with increasing density of warp fiber inserts.
  • Special UV resistant recycled film is used.
  • Both sides are bonded with polyester taffetas which increase in density on the heavier styles, for better abrasion and UV resistance.

*All fiber is black