Tapes for the sailing sport
What are the different types of adhesive tapes?
Over the years, a large number of companies have made it their business to provide the ideal tapes for a wide range of applications in sailing. The result is a range of products that range from the familiar fabric protection tape to adhesive tape with a sail fabric structure from a wide variety of sail types such as spinnaker cloth or Dacron to a wide variety of abrasion-resistant protective tapes, special double-sided adhesive tapes and even shackle replacement tapes. There are no limits to the technologies used, and in addition to the still better adhesive properties even when wet, such as the self-sealing tapes, the surfaces continue to be worked on, robustness and abrasion resistance are further improved.
Excursion into the history of tapes
Adhesive tapes are not so old yet, which is because they are closely related to the discovery of rubber. It was not until 1901 that Beiersdorf AG developed the adhesive bandage, which you know today primarily under the name Leukoplast. The first tape was therefore of a medical nature and was intended for bonding bandages. 20 years later, the 3M company wanted to solve the problem of covering finished parts in two-colour car paintwork in order to be able to paint in several colours. After experiments with vegetable oils, resins and rubber, the first result was soon presented: An adhesive tape with adhesive edges only on the sides. Based on this first crepe tape, the first transparent adhesive tapes were developed and launched on the market. Today there are more than 900 different adhesive tapes on the market.