Any sails torn can lead to breakdown (8)
I believe the answer is:
analysis
'breakdown' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'any sails torn' is the wordplay.
'torn' indicates an anagram.
'any'+'sails'='anysails'
'anysails' is an anagram of 'ANALYSIS'.
'can lead to' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for analysis that I've seen before include "Breakdown (for study)" , "Criticism" , "Investigation of the component parts which make up the whole" , "Examination to determine component parts" , "Examination of structure (eg of psyche)" .)