Giant sails, big challenge

MINDEN - How many people does it take to move a giant sail into an empty warehouse?

Well, if the sail is made of carbon fiber and Kevlar, if it measures 243 feet high, 82 feet across and 2,600 pounds, then it takes approximately 25 people to move, or rather slide, such a sail into the vacant BMC West building off Business Parkway in north Minden, at least according to North Sails General Manager Jeff Neri.

"If we unfolded all of it, we would be in the parking lot," Neri said Tuesday, while standing over the top portion of the massive sail.

Partially unfurled, the sail lay like an immense blank canvas on the floor of the empty warehouse. Two expert painters took turns slowly and meticulously applying a deep, dark shade of gray.

"They actually flew in from France to show us how to paint this," Neri said. "They're the best in the world."

The giant sail was one of three constructed for the same vessel. Neri said it would take about 10 days to finish the paint-job.

"We needed space big enough to do the job, and this is the largest building we could find," he said. "We looked as far away as Silver Springs. Conveniently, this was on the same road, vacant and available."

Weeks before at the company's Heybourne Road headquarters, each sail was built by combining three large pieces of material, Neri said. The completed sails were then transported to the empty building.

"We've been working on these since before Christmas," he said.

The thought of 25 people unloading a giant sail begs the question: What kind of sailboat needs such enormous, wind-catching power?

"It's 66 meters long," Neri said. "It's almost the length of a football field. The boat is in Holland right now. It will be launched in early March, so that's our schedule."

When asked why a behemoth sailboat in Holland required two French painters to cross oceans to work in an abandoned warehouse in Minden, Neri simply replied:

"We're the only ones who could do it."