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Next Technologies' inflatable wing sail. Below left: model of a Bruce Farr-designed custom cruiser with Dynamic Stability System, under concept. Interestingly, he’s innovating with construction acoustic testing developed for Formula 1 parts to at Baltic pick up weaknesses the eye can’t see on the AC navigating foil arms. “In automotive (a core part of Persico Group), you don’t have the luxury of testing the product for a year.” the future Expect also to see horizontal foils become more commonplace. “Cruising boats are too PREPARE FOR THE NEXT WAVE OF SAILING INNOVATION, AS BREAKTHROUGHS heavy to foil,” says Bassani, a builder who knows FROM AEROSPACE AND GRAND PRIX RACING TRANSFORM THE LATEST DESIGNS a thing or two about keeping weight out of performance cruisers. “But something like DSS could make your boat faster and more stable.” Words – Sam Fortescue DSS, the patented Dynamic Stability System developed by British naval architect Hugh Welbourn, consists of a retractable horizontal sk people about the next big foil deployed to leeward to create lift amidships. developments in sailing, and This reduces the boat’s apparent displacement, there’s a sense that the industry making it faster, and provides righting moment, is holding its collective breath, allowing for a shorter keel. It also reduces waiting for the next leap forward pitching. Infinity Yachts’ 14.14 metreMaverick is in materials. As naval architect the first racing boat built to demonstrate the Philippe Briand points out, the technology, and she finished first in her division carbon fibre underpinning most of today’s race in the 2018 Newport Bermuda Race. A 43.3 metre Atechnology was first developed 30 years ago. “We cruising boat designed by Bruce Farr with need some new development and technology DSS is under construction at Baltic (below). that applies to sailing,” he says. Jonathan Duval of Future Fibres agrees: “We’ve reached a plateau Keeping it flying where everyone is using carbon.” Conventional wisdom has always been that Perhaps that is just the point: now that the a stiff sail creates more lift than a fabric sail. aircraft and aerospace industries are using That’s why the last America’s Cup used rigid carbon fibre, this could mean innovations will wing sails, but these are deeply impractical for escalate. Marcello Persico, president of Persico common use, needing to be craned on and off, Marine, emphasises that carbon fibre is not efficient manner. Foils are a great example. The with no possibility of reefing. Swiss inventor just one material and that the way it is applied next America’s Cup will be fought in keel-less Edouard Kessi of Next Technologies has got – high-modulus pre-preg or an infused dry 23 metre monohulls with two swinging T-foils around this problem with an inflatable wing sail, “I’m pretty sure the next big evolution will be layup – makes a big difference in the strength (see page 53). Lower both foils, and they provide which can be easily reefed thanks to the stay-less in the rig and sailplan, adds Bassani. “It will “We are looking and weight of the final product. He’s building lift to get the boat flying at slower speeds. telescopic mast inside it. The system self-aligns be an inflatable wing sail. When the sail is up it at a concept to now for Wally Yachts founder Luca Bassani, As speed builds, you can raise the windward and also greatly reduces the heeling effect as it is beautiful and wonderful to sail.” have a fast motor who thinks the next wave is nanotechnology. foil clear of the water, providing righting falls off to leeward. Doyle Sails is taking a different approach with moment and reducing wetted surface. the launch of a cable-less Code boat and a Foils are not just for fencing Briand wants to make this technology more Zero reaching sail. Combined sailing boat in

The immediate future, then, is all about using accessible to young sailors. He has designed Above: naval architect with some proprietary laminate one. Using foils, it should the technology currently available in a more a 6.5 metre Flyacht that uses the same principles Philippe Briand. Left and technology, its loose luff actually be capable of 30 knots in top: 3D renderings of his as the radical new AC75, but designed for Flyacht monohull concept helps it perform 30 to 40 per both modes. It’s just about hiking out. “Applied to smaller boats, it is more with two T-foils cent better than its cabled- putting together different exciting and not too high budget,” he says. luff equivalents. systems that exist already” Persico has experience with flying Both systems would work in catamarans, having built the wings, platform theory on a , but naval and foils for Land Rover BAR in the 2017 Cup. architect Dykstra in Holland Luca Bassani, Wally Yachts Persico will be building Luna Rossa’s 2021 believes that the rotating Challenge boats as well as supplying the carbon DynaRig is the future for big fibre foil arms for all teams. “I think it will work. boats. The latest iteration has

It has to work,” says Persico of the foiling GETTY IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY: just appeared on Black Pearl, the

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_GREENER BOATBUILDING Across the boatbuilding structure contributes spectrum, companies to shape-holding,” says are wrestling with the co-founder Peter Kay. concept of recycling. North Sails is looking There are epoxy resins at a technology to yield that are part made from pure polyester from used plant-based compounds, Dacron sails to make new while hemp matting is a sails. “Tests are under viable alternative to glass way,” says materials for laminating. However, technology expert Bill the elusive goal is Pearson. “The aim closed-loop recycling. is to return them to Sebastiaan Verheijen, a polymer state at the of Extreme Eco same grade.” Solutions, says it is possible to turn GRP She's electric back into glass and resin In the next 10 years, but that leisure boats are electric propulsion will 107 metre Oceanco sailing . “We made a big step not suitable. Instead, EES skyrocket. Although turns the waste into Li-ion cells are 2.5 times forward from Maltese Falcon to Black Pearl,” says Thys Carinthia, a recyclable more efficient than they Nikkels, Dykstra CEO. “In detail, it’s all different – lighter material that acts as a were in 1995, available and it turns faster.” new composite. “So we lithium-ion designs are Dykstra is also predicting that big sailing yachts will don’t speak of recycling still only one-tenth as need to find clever ways to limit their air draught. “We’re but of upcycling.” energy dense as fossil Persico Marine fuels, but new tech is seeing bigger and bigger yachts, but still wanting to sail recycles some carbon always emerging, such as through the Panama Canal,” he says. cloth and sends scraps lithium-air – theoretically Photovoltaic sails are just around the corner, and to a nearby company 40 times better than the technology has been tested on Conrad Coleman’s that uses it to make lithium-ion cells. Vendée Globe yacht Foresight Natural Energy. Sailmaker prosthetic limbs. Expect to see more OneSails says its 4T yachts with a hybrid Alain Janet of Solar Cloth System is already Forte sail can be easily system blending electric manufacturing the second generation of North Sails aims for closed-loop recycled because it has and diesel propulsion, recycling for its polyester sails solar sails using super-fine CIGS technology Clockwise from top left: Thys eliminated Mylar film and like Black Pearl, which – new processes are being Nikkels, Dykstra CEO; Black glue. “The skin is vacuum produces enough capable of producing 120 watts of power per tested at its plant (above). Pearl undergoing sea trials last Below: North Sails designs cured in a heat-activated electricity from her square metre. The owner of Black Pearl is year; a DynaRig system being aboard the J Class Hanuman process that fuses the regenerating propeller known to be looking at the technology, but tested by Dykstra; Maltese Falcon, featuring Dykstra design components together. to cover her entire hotel there is also demand from NASA and the Every element in the load under sail. French Space Agency. Meanwhile, North Sails is looking to encapsulate sensors in its moulded carbon It would also help design better sails, of course. Also new for 3Di sails to provide the helmsman and North Sails this season was a moulded sail product called 3Di trimmers with more data about performance. RAW 880, developed specifically for the TP52 fleet. Sail “We are working towards the ‘connected sail’ designer Juan Meseguer calls this the “highest-performance, for the future,” says North Sails’ Gautier most carbon-dense sail” in North Sails’ inventory. Sergent. “It could log data for post-treatment The future is already here for standing rigging, and it’s made and performance analysis, or provide metrics of carbon. With no competing material on the horizon at the to the sailors about sail trim and sail shape – moment, the challenge is to shape rigging aerodynamically. similar to having speed targets.” “What we’ve found is that it’s always better to have an ellipse,” says Duval of Future Fibres. “In a race, it gives a TP52 one boat’s length advantage. It’s nothing, but it’s everything!” The TP52 – there are 13 boats from nine countries actively racing _PLAIN AND Matt Wiss, Harken’s director of Alan Davis of B&G adds: connections on boats mean that – has emerged as kind of a technology test bed for Southern SIMPLE SAILING global grand prix and custom yacht “People often think ‘ease of use’ weather data will simply appear on Spars, which has the sticks in most of the boats. Southern not sales, agrees: “There’s an overall trend is ‘dumbed down’, but that isn’t your multifunction display. Systems only built the wing masts for New Zealand’s last America’s Across the spectrum, manufacturers for minimalism, driven by an obsession correct: the combination of a will update themselves, and remote Cup effort, it built the whole boat as well. of everything from winches to with ease of use and eliminating simplified user interface with servicing will become the norm. electronics are embracing simpler weight. Look at the number of winches powerful back-end systems will “B&G does this already on high-end The next step is to develop a system which rotates sailing. “And that means less deck and tracks in the deck layout of an provide the best of all worlds.” racing yachts, such as the Volvo shaped rigging into the wind to create lift, just as with gear,” says Thys Nikkels at Dykstra. 80ft IOR boat from 25 years ago.” For instance, always-on web Ocean Race yachts,” he adds. the mast of an IMOCA Open 60. “A self-rotating rig will

PHOTOGRAPHY: SARGENTINI arrive one day, but we’re not there yet,” Duval adds. B

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