Sailmaking is a trade mainly learned through practice and experience. The learning process is often long, and only sometimes junior sailmakers are lucky enough to have a mentor to teach them. Within this course, you will find reunited in a single source knowledge and guidance previously difficult to find or simply unavailable. The instructor uses many examples and photos to make you feel like you are in a sail loft doing the things that are taught. By the end of the course, you will have a good understanding of sails, types and geometry, materials, sail lofts, sewing machines, and sail manufacturing.

Enroll simultaneously in the Sail Design 1 and Aerodynamics for Yacht & Sail Designers courses and learn the different aspects to be considered when designing a new sail and the fundamentals of fluid mechanics that govern how sails (and foils) work.

Having a good set of sails is crucial for enhancing a sailboat’s performance on the water. This introductory course will guide you through all the different aspects to be considered when designing a new sail: rig, geometry, materials, aerodynamics, design phases, manufacturing, and sails inventories.