MASTS, SPARS, SAILS AND RIGGING
Regulations probably should be introduced for masts and rigging in the leisure market. That's the opinion of marine consultant David Barrow who carries out surveys for MS Amlin and was director of Sparcraft for 20 years. “I've seen many bent and broken masts over the years. There's no real regulation of masts and rigging in the leisure sector,” he said. “There's no specific rule to change a boat's rigging after ten years.” And he pointed out that while superyachts are regulated under MCA regs and boats that have done a circumnavigation usually have a survey carried out, when it comes to other boats, owners often don't see the need. If a boat had suffered a knock, this could affect the rigging without the owner knowing. If a boat was inspected very few years, there would be more chances to look at the mast. “It's not the insurers' job to regulate the rigging business; the insurer's job is to behave according to the results of their surveys,” David says. “There can be a mass of different reasons as to why masts fall down, but quite a few are because of maintenance issues. “I've seen other masts where there have been technical issues with the masts themselves.” This is particularly the case with carbon masts - a relatively new product when it comes to masts - where there could be gremlins within the manufacture and possible delamination. “It's pretty hard to get insurance for a carbon mast, especially in a race boat as insurers are not going to pay for their development any longer. Some insurers are calling for NDT inspections before the masts leave the factory. Regulations probably do need to come in.” 12 | JULY 2021
Baltic Yachts has chosen Doyle Sails for its environmentally-focused Baltic 68 Café Racer, an easy-to-handle day sail boosted by green power. The two companies have collaborated many times over the years but this is the first time the focus has been so intently on reducing the yacht's environmental impact. The Baltic 68, which has an 'un-plug and go' electric propulsion and generation system and hull made from naturally grown fibres, will be fitted with Doyle's Square Top Mainsail and paired with a Structured Luff jib and Genoa Staysail, Cableless A3 and Cableless Upwind J0. All sails are made from Doyle Sails' Stratis 1100 range in black. Headsails are traditionally built using relatively stretchy material suspended off or around a headstay or luff cable. In the Grand Prix and Superyacht market, Doyle Sails has revolutionised sail design by changing the way in
BREAKING BOUNDARIES WITH THE NEW BALTIC 68
Photo: Doyle Sails
Regulations for masts?
which load in the luff of a sail is distributed, reducing sag and allowing the sail to achieve more driving force. For the Baltic 68 Café Racer specifically, the combined headstay plus luff loads have been reduced from a typical 12 tonnes to nine, with half
of this load carried in the sail itself. Doyle is also supplying its new technology to the J Class yachts, Endeavour and Lionheart. J Class Yachts were the original America's Cup racers. In 1929, tea magnate Sir Thomas Lipton commissioned the build of
8 The Baltic 68 will use Doyle Sails' new sail technology which reduces luff sag
the first J Class yacht for his fifth and final America's Cup bid. The yacht was the Shamrock V, the first and only J Class yacht to be constructed in wood.
DOUBLEBRAID IS THE LATEST ADDITION Blue Ocean Doublebraid is Marlow Ropes' latest addition to its eco-conscious Blue Ocean product range, manufactured from sustainable materials. The heat-set braid-onbraid Doublebraid is made from 100% recycled waste plastic bottles and follows the release of the company's Blue Ocean Dockline. Since the launch of the Blue Ocean Dockline in 2018, more than half of Marlow's yachting range is now manufactured using sustainable materials. The latest Blue Ocean product can be used for a variety of on-board applications. It is available on a reel as standard and also as spliced finished assemblies on request. “It offers flexibility
8 Marlow's Doublebraid can be used for a variety of purposes onboard
and easy handling for all sailors, and now has the reassurance of being sustainably manufactured,” explained Marlow's leisure marine director, Paul Honess. Carbon footprint “The addition of this new product demonstrates Marlow's on-going commitment to sustainable manufacturing by reducing and eliminating our negative
environmental impact through the introduction of the Blue Ocean product range and company-wide Blue Ocean initiatives which focus on reducing energy consumption, waste and the company's carbon footprint.” And he explained it's important to Marlow to take responsibility and become more sustainable while providing customers with more rope options.
“We have worked hard over the last couple of years to eliminate plastics from our ranges, lower our carbon footprint and introduce sustainable materials,” he added. “With half of our range now made using these sustainable materials we are getting closer to achieving our target of using 100% reliance on recycled materials by 2030.”
For the latest news and analysis go to www.boatingbusiness.com/news101
