If you’re looking to be tested by your customers then Emirates Team New Zealand is a good place to start...

Getting the best performance out of a racing yacht is tough, with lots of controlled and uncontrolled variables in the equation to success. Accurate sensors are essential to provide the valid data on which crews can make decisions, and confidently repeat optimum settings for performance. Sensors for wind speed and angle, boatspeed and heading have evolved over the decades, and accurate calibration of these is (or should be) standard practice on every race yacht.

Rigging loads, mast shapes and sail shapes are much harder to measure accurately in real time, so all too often are not part of the performance game for most yachts, leaving much speed potential untapped. This is an issue particularly for the key measurement and control of forestay “sag”. Stu Bannatyne, winner of the Whitbread/ Volvo four times, says that ‘matching forestay tension to the wind and sails is key to upwind performance.’

As Eddie Warden-Owen, RORC CEO, former sailmaker and America’s Cup coach explains:

• Forestay sag is a key part of controlling the aero-shape of the headsail and enables you to create different sail shapes for different wind conditions
• Modern material is less stretchy and allows a sail to be used through a much wider wind range
• Forestay sag is measured by forestay load, and controlled by rig and backstays. More sag equals deeper headsail and more power. Less sag equals flatter headsail for stronger wind
• Accurate knowledge of forestay sag enables you to repeatably adjust this to give known optimum sail shape for best performance throughout the race
• Finding the right shape is achieved by trial and error or working with your sailmaker who can provide feedback on the photos you take

So how to measure forestay load accurately and repeatably? Grand Prix yachts build in a load measurement system at the design stage, but most of us are unable to retro-fit these, and rely instead on pieces of tape, rulers and pen marks on the deck. In the modern world of “Internet of Things” technology, isn’t there a better way?

Main picture: Cyclops Marineʼs innovative load sensors are now an increasingly common sight aboard some of the worldʼs fastest and most competitive Grand Prix race yachts – including the likes of Emirates Team New Zealand. Now the brand new Smartune Uno package makes this cutting-edge technology available to a far wider range of racing and superyacht sailors.
Below: ʻplug and playʼ integration with B&G instruments ensures that Smartune Uno is as easy to retrofit as possible

Smartune Uno is a clever new product from Cambridge company, Cyclops Marine, that offers an innovative new solution to measure forestay load and display live on the instruments, enabling crews to adjust the load and hence shape in response to wind conditions as they race. Simple enough for crews to retro-fit at the dock, Smartune Uno now makes repeatable headsail shape control available to yachts of all sizes, at all levels. Testing the system on his yachts across the UK and US, Stu Johnstone of J-Boats reported, ‘it works! Forestay sensor on J/99 - B&G picked it up right away!’

Available in a range of standard rigging sizes, the Smartune Uno package consists of a wireless forestay load sensor, which simply screws into the forestay as a direct replacement for the existing turnscrew, and sends data wirelessly to the instrumentation gateway mounted below decks. This plugs data directly into NMEA2000 systems and can also send live data to smartphones over WiFi. As with all smart fittings from Cyclops, Smartune sensors are individually calibrated at manufacture, so can be trusted to display accurate load data “straight out of the box”.

‘Installing Smartune is as simple as taking turns off a turn screw to adjust the mast rake. This is definitely a system anyone can install on their own boat,’ says Hannah Diamond, Volvo Ocean Race sailor and Olympic offshore doublehanded campaigner.

Cyclops was founded in 2018 by Vincent Geake (former navigator and technology manager for America’s Cup, Volvo and Admiral’s Cup teams), to bring the latest technologies and engineering innovation to load measurement in yachts: rigs, sails and foils. Already selected to provide load sensing for Emirates Team New Zealand, Cyclops is building a reputation for developing “smart fittings” for race yachts and superyachts around the world, displacing traditional load measurement products. A key Cyclops design principle is direct measurement of tension and compression loads in rigs, rather than indirect measurement via sensors like shear loadpins, which are challenging to correctly install and maintain for reliable accurate data.

Building on this success, Cyclops is now bringing its smart fittings technology to the wider race yacht market. Sam Cray, Smartune technical support engineer, believes Smartune Uno can help anyone wanting to extract maximum performance (and enjoyment) from their yacht. ‘Smartune technology now provides the data on rig tensions and performance settings, enabling racers to keep “changing gear” as conditions change. Ultimately it’s about helping to get the boat moving fast, then keeping it fast as well!’

Of course, Smartune sensors can be fitted in place of turnscrews anywhere in the rigging to give accurate repeatable settings or under/overload warnings. ‘We’re already getting people asking about measuring loads in upper and lower shrouds to control mast bend, and to limit overload’, Geake says.

Click here for more information on Cyclops Marine »

We do not need to be sold on the abilities and advantages of the well-designed and built pocket performance tri... this one will even leave you with enough change for lunch

Founded in 2015, Libertist Yachts based in Poland has been making a big impression in the multihull world following the launch of the first in its range of new racer/cruisers.

Over the last decade, multihulls have attracted plenty of attention. In the high-octane grand prix multihull world, hydrofoiling cats with their complex, multi-section, articulating wing sails and blistering speeds have stolen the show. Yet while their outstanding performance has drawn big crowds and huge interest, there is little doubt that this is the leading edge of the sport and difficult to exploit for all but the world’s top professionals.

At the other end of the scale in the multihull cruising arena, much of the recent development has been based around maximising internal volume to achieve cruising cats that offer more accommodation than a city apartment within a multi-storey superstructure that towers above the water’s surface.

For those that want to enjoy the performance benefits of a light and nimble modern racer/cruiser multihull that has some simple yet practical accommodation, neither end of the scale fits the bill. But a new range of high-quality performance trimarans from Libertist Yachts could help to change all of that.

Built by Rega Yachts in the southeast of Poland, the impressive, modern facilities that include full CNC machining for hulls and decks, are well-known within the boatbuilding industry having been used to produce boats for some of the world’s top brands for 20 years.

Tapping into this longstanding reputation for affordable, high quality boatbuilding, Libertist Yachts have been able to create a new brand that is Polish from front to back. Adding further pedigree to the new marque, the range is designed by one of the world’s leading multihull designers, Frenchman Erik Lerouge. The first of this new and exciting range of sport trimarans is the Libertist 853.

At just 28ft LOA she is a modestly sized boat, yet one that has been created to be highly versatile and easily transportable within European towing regulations that set a maximum beam of 2.55m.

For Lerouge, the Libertist 853 is the latest iteration of his popular cruiser/racer concept that began with a 26ft trailer-sailer trimaran that has not only proved popular over several decades, but set a benchmark in the multihull world. So, while the core objectives remain the same in providing an affordable and easily managed performance trimaran, the application of modern design and technology aboard the Libertist 853 has raised the game once again.

On the face of it the 853 is a modest looking racer/cruiser; however the introduction of fixed foils in the sponsons represents a big step forward.

‘Having experimented with foils for quite a long time, I am obviously very much aware of their advantages and limits,’ says Lerouge. ‘A cruiser/ racer needs all-round performance and its power to weight ratio would achieve full foiling in a very limited range of wind speeds and angles. In addition, the cost of a fully foiling package would kill all chance of selling the boat.

‘Our choice has been to add fixed minifoils to an otherwise conventional trimaran configuration. They will not need to be adjusted, they will provide lift at speed and should significantly reduce pitching and nose-diving. This also has a positive effect on the float design which means that they can be slimmer and lighter.’

Under way, when the breeze starts to get into the teens and the boat accelerates, this effect can be felt clearly as the leeward foil provides additional righting moment as it powers up the boat.

In addition, the forward position of the foils ensures that the tri lifts her bows rather than burying them when pressed hard in a stronger breeze. The upshot is that the Libertist 853 drives along at 14kts under spinnaker in just 8-12kts of breeze while feeling perfectly trimmed fore and aft. Indeed, it is this fore and aft balance that allows her to feel comfortable in much stronger conditions. In a recent boat test, she achieved 11kts to windward in about 20kts of true wind and clocked more than 22kts in conditions that saw gusts of 30kts.

Such characteristics go a long way to demonstrating how both speed and stability are at the heart of this new pocket rocket. But achieving this kind of performance through hydrodynamic lift is not simply about adding a set of foils. Achieving the correct balance and trim throughout a wide range of conditions requires the appendages to work together. They also needed to be attached in such a way that there could be no risk of misalignment that might result in incorrect trim of the boat.

‘It is not about flying, but simply increasing power and safety at high speed by controlling the float's pitch. With a marked dihedral on the minifoils, we also needed to have a rudder under each float for optimum control,’ Lerouge explains.

Above and below: it may not be fancy, but the main hull provides all of the creature comforts an adventurous crew needs to cruise far and wide. A chine just above the waterline helps give just enough volume for a cosy double berth (or a generous single) while the wide platform and narrow waterlines ensure good performance. The 1003ʼs cabin layout comprises two berths fore and aft plus a linear galley facing a dinette with u-shaped seating amidships. Thereʼs also room for a compact heads, two hanging lockers and an anchor locker in the bow. Genuine pocket pleasure!

Above the waterline her carbon rotating wing mast and composite rigging is light and efficient. ‘With this new design we wanted to improve performance when compared with previous generations of trimarans and stepped a high quality rig on the first built. She has a rotating carbon wingmast, composite rigging and square top sails. The jib is selftacking with one reef and there is a choice of Code 0, 5 and asymmetric that can be flown from the masthead or the hounds.’

But while performance is at the heart of this design, she is also designed to be manageable in the real world where the capability of completing offshore passages safely puts additional pressure on her overall design. Providing good sea-keeping qualities when the going gets tough was every bit as important as creating a boat that could be easily handled in port.

‘The object was to provide ultimate buoyancy for a given length. Having to sail back from Corsica against a Mistral, or from Ireland with a deepening low pressure system approaching concentrates the mind,’ continues Lerouge. ‘Our experience tells us that harbour berthing or mooring means crawling to the end of the floats, therefore we limited the camber on the foredecks.’

When it comes to her construction, building the 853 at Rega Yachts ensured that she would be built to a high standard in a world renowned facility alongside boats almost four times her length. The technical benefits and manufacturing muscle power of this approach were considerable where the accuracy and efficiency of the construction guarantees a boat that is not just robust and down to weight but also good value for money.

Built in a female mould the 853 is an epoxy foam sandwich construction for her hulls and decks with carbon cross beams. Accurate weight control and the correct resin/fibre mix is achieved using the company’s proven infusion system. The result is a boat that weighs just 1,400kg. Such light, efficient hulls allows an equally efficient auxiliary propulsion system in the form of a 6kW electric motor.

For those more conscious of cost, a less expensive version of the 853 is available using isophthalic polyester resin for the hull and deck with an aluminium mast. The sail-away price starts at €130,000 including VAT.

Either way, throughout her construction she is simple and effective with a comfortable yet unfussy interior that puts practicality at the top of the list. Evidence of this is her ample 1.8m headroom below decks along with an impressive feeling of space thanks to the internal volume that is achieved through the clever use of a hull chine which also serves to make her a dry boat on deck.

But the Libertist 853 is just the start. A smaller sistership, the Libertist 703 is already in production. Designed to fit within a 40ft container, the 703 has folding sponsons that will allow her to reduce her beam to 2.55m for towing as well as fitting into a 9 x 3.10m monohull marina berth.

Further up the size range two more models, the 1003 and the 1203 are currently in design ensuring that the Libertist range is well on its way to delivering robust, performance multihulls that are easily managed, whatever their size.

Click here for more information on Libertist Yachts »

And the initial results have been every bit as well thought through as you’d expect

If you’re the sort of sailor who has tried a cruising catamaran and loved the living space but found the actual sailing experience rather joyless and unrewarding – no feel in the helm, a lack of lines to tweak, no real sense of speed or acceleration – then it’s time to take another look. For the first time in many years there’s a new range of cats on the market that do have lightweight hulls and large, powerful rigs, but aren’t skittish or fragile and don’t cost millions. They’re designed specifically to appeal to experienced sailors and engineered to deliver the same amount of pleasure, engagement and deep satisfaction that you get from sailing a well-tuned monohull. With its new Excess range of catamarans, Beneteau Groupe is on a mission to put the fun back into mainstream multihull cruising.

Two models, the Excess 12 and 15, are already in the water at the time of writing and set to make their début at this year’s autumn boat shows. They’ve performed well in sea trials with boatspeed to match the true wind speed in just three to six knots of breeze. The Vendée Globe sailor Marc Guillemot has been involved in the sea trials and declared himself impressed. ‘But it’s not really about performance figures,’ says Beneteau Groupe’s inhouse multihull design guru Bruno Belmont. ‘Those are just numbers. It’s more about feel and sensations – it’s all about the pleasure of sailing.’

Most of the early offshore cruising cat designs were relatively lightweight, performance-orientated yachts, but the last three decades have seen a mass migration of nearly all major cruising multihull brands towards the low-performance, maximum comfort end of the spectrum. This move was driven by strong demand from charter fleet operators for docile, easy-to-handle yachts with all mod-cons and widebeam hulls. The inevitably stodgy sailing characteristics of these boats have been exacerbated by increasingly strict regulations in the EU’s Recreational Craft Directive on the size and strength of scantlings, which have made each new generation of yachts progressively heavier. Beneteau Groupe’s new Excess brand aims to change all that by moving in the opposite direction with a range of offshore multihulls designed to appeal to monohull yacht owners, beach cat sailors, surfers and kitesurfers.

Simplicity is part of the solution. Many experienced sailors will forego some aspects of comfort to save weight, Belmont explains, which is the key to improving multihull performance. ‘For example, they are happy to trade in a chest of drawers for a simple, well-constructed locker. But there is no compromise on the important things like a queen-size island bed in each of the cabins. The hull beam must be wide enough for that.’ A simpler interior fit-out also saves money, which can then be spent on things that make sailing more enjoyable such as high-quality Rutgerson blocks and Dyneema steering cables.

The cockpit design is also aimed at experienced sailors. It’s a larger area than you’ll find on most comparable cats and designed to be more versatile, rather than just optimised to enable the helmsman to do everything himself. ‘To maximise the Excess Cats’ appeal to monohull sailors, we’ve taken the standard cockpit layout of a modern monohull, with twin wheels aft, and put a platform in the middle,’ Belmont explains. ‘The helmsman is not isolated from the rest of the people onboard. The boats can still very easily be sailed solo, but we have also considered the scenario of several keen sailors onboard. Two or three people can work the boat and have fun sailing.’ The unique retractable sunroof is also designed to encourage active sail trimming, giving the helmsman and crew a good view of the sails while also offering plenty of shade.

A great deal of effort has gone into designing the sightlines aboard these boats to ensure the best possible view from the helm, both around and through the accommodation. From either of the helm seats, at a glance you can see the bows of both hulls, enough of the sails for accurate trimming, under the jib and right through the bridgedeck. ‘We’re using clear, untinted plexiglass to improve the helmsman’s vision,’ Belmont says, ‘and that also makes it much brighter inside, which is an unexpected bonus.’

One notable feature of the Excess cats’ hull design is high volume in the bows, which has a damping effect to reduce pitching and increase boatspeed. ‘We used to think cutting through waves was a good thing,’ Belmont says, ‘But it actually slows the boat down quite a lot.’ Weight distribution was another focus for the design team and care has been taken to locate most of the heavy equipment towards the rear of the hulls between the cabins and the engine compartments. For similar reasons, the mast is stepped on boat’s centre of gravity.

To save weight, the yachts’ structures include more vacuuminfused components than any previous multihull that Beneteau Groupe has built, with sandwich construction throughout, above and below the waterline. The weight of interior furniture is reduced by 30 to 50 per cent by building it as integrated modules rather than individual pieces. However, the hull design also allows for a relatively high payload, which Belmont says is a more important parameter than ‘light boat’ displacement figures when comparing cruising multihulls.

The deck plans and interiors are designed for private owners. ‘When designing a yacht for charter you want to create as many separate areas as possible,’ Belmont explains. ‘There might be four couples on board who’ve never met and they’re going to want places where they can sit apart from each other, hence the addition of heavy, performanceinhibiting features like forward cockpits and flybridges.’ And instead of just offering a choice of interior fabrics, there’s a choice of three completely distinct interior design schemes with different fabrics, surfaces and furniture styles.

Another crucial design parameter for multihulls is the hull length to platform length ratio and Belmont set a limit of 1.5:1, for reasons of seaworthiness. ‘Even if only five per cent of owners are actually going to cross an ocean it’s still important,’ he says. ‘We expect quite a few Excess owners to do the ARC.’

Above: the high volume of the forward hull sections provides a damping effect on pitching and also improves performance. The chines on the topsides of the Excess hulls allow the beam to flare out and increase internal volume where it matters most without a significant impact on performance or aesthetics.
Below: one key parameter for the Excess range is that the hulls must be wide enough to fit a queen size island berth in each cabin...

One feature is notable by its absence. ‘There are no daggerboards because they require a bit more knowledge,’ Belmont says. ‘You need to be a good sailor to use them properly, or there is a risk of either capsize or breaking them. Even fast dinghy cats like Darts and Hobies tend not to have them. However, I don’t rule out using them in future.’

Another key performance indicator, the sail area : displacement ratio, is at least five per cent higher for an Excess cat with a standard rig than any comparable catamaran on the market – and 10 per cent higher with the powerful Pulse rig. Whichever rig option you choose, it’s relatively simple in terms of geometry with no runners or backstay, just a sweptback shroud base. There’s no vang or kicker either, to avoid the need for a very heavy boom. ‘There is so much power in the mainsail leech that it makes sense to use a flying barberhauler instead,’ Belmont explains. The mast is stepped quite far aft to allow for a larger jib and smaller mainsail – a more balanced sailplan.

Off the wind, to get the best out of these boats it’s important to fly a Code Zero or gennaker, rather than relying on main and jib. ‘I’d love to see a big increase in the use of these sails,’ Belmont says. ‘We want people to switch off the engine in three to five knots of wind and spend more time actually sailing. So we’re working with sailmakers and riggers to perfect two things that will allow people to keep their code sail or gennaker permanently rigged and ready for use: a security locking system and UV protection.’

With more power and fun comes the need to know when to reef. ‘We are working on a sail-monitoring system that will warn people when they have too much sail up and tell them when they need to reduce it,’ Belmont says. ‘But I am undecided on automatic systems. We use them already on very large yachts but I’m not convinced that they’re effective yet on small-to-medium size boats. Most of the development work so far has been focused on helping Ultime skippers to go even faster, rather than enhancing safety.’

Excess cats are aimed primarily at private owners, but you’ll probably be able to charter one soon. ‘The big charter fleets are interested because they know many of their customers want more than just a nice platform for their holiday,’ Belmont says. ‘And we know that many people who go on yacht charter holidays actually spend more time kitesurfing than sailing. We feel their frustration – they want to enjoy sailing but don’t want to frighten their family.’

Click here for more information on Excess Catamarans »

When a young Brittany company claims a Vendée Globe victory within three years of being formed... well that is actually something to make a fuss about

‘For Us, By Us’ could easily have been the tagline that Julien Barnet – a professional sailor and rigger – and Thibault Reinhart – pro sailor and certified naval engineer – came up with when, in 2013, the two Frenchmen formed their new company Ino-Rope.

The pair first met in an Italian boatyard while working on separate Mini Transat 650 projects and quickly became firm friends. They launched Ino-Rope to satisfy an unfulfilled demand among the offshore racing community for light, strong and reliable turning blocks and shackles.

Over the next year the duo came up with an innovative solution using high-tech textile fibres to produce the first block using a rope – rather than ball-bearing – axle. It took two years of painstaking testing and product development before they went into production with blocks in a range of sizes, but since then Ino-Rope has continued on an arc of logical and well-considered product releases.

Along the way the company has gained approval for its products from the top names in ocean racing, such as the hallowed Banque Populaire syndicate who put them to the ultimate test in the Vendée Globe solo around the world race, along with 12 boats which used Ino-Rope products and blocks during the Vendée 2016. Their products were also on IDEC the last winner of the Route du Rhum.

But far from producing custom-made products restricted to yacht racing’s elite, Ino-Rope has instead established an impressive chandlery range – meaning the company’s smartly thought out product line is available to anyone.

Typifying Ino-Rope’s inherent “strong, light and durable” product mantra, the Ino-Block range comes in a range of eight sizes to meet all loads and applications – classic block, snatch block, ending block.

Based on an innovative patented concept the construction of the blocks is simple – comprising just five components – and yet supremely efficient. The use of textile technology means Ino-Block comes in noticeably lighter than rival ball-bearing-based products, while its reliability comes from the super-strong and resilient Dyneema used for the axle.

Similarly, Ino-Rope’s cleverly conceived Ino-Connect range of Dyneema shackles and loops can handle a wide range of working loads, while being supremely light and corrosion resistant.

Branching out from its core business of producing light, strong and reliable blocks and shackles, Ino-Ropeʼs two latest products offer a very modern take on the traditional padeye: a heavy-duty through-deck or throughhull design (main picture) that can handle loads of up to 3,000kg, and also a ʻdeadeasy- to-fitʼ adhesive padeye for low-load applications (up to 150kg) on deck or down below. Both or these product lines are available in a range of different sizes

On the back of its chandlery range, the now 15-person-strong company (60 per cent of whom are involved in research and development) based in Concarneau, Brittany, also uses its skills and expertise to supply both standard and customised rigging and ropework solutions to major boatbuilders and shipyards.

And it is out of the understanding of the needs of that client sector that the ideas for Ino-Rope’s two latest products were born. Both are a departure from blocks and shackles, but as Reinhart explains, the company’s new padeye solutions – one through-hull and the other adhesive – are logical product progressions, backed by qualified client demand.

‘Our Ino-Padeye and the recently launched Stick-on Ino-Padeye are both the result of us listening to the needs of our shipyard clients and working to come up with innovative, light, strong and durable solutions,’ Reinhart said.

‘The Ino-Padeye is a through-deck solution designed to be used with modern textile lashings, soft shackles and loops. It’s an elegant, low-profile fitting made from high-grade hard anodised aluminium that is easy and quick to install on most decks without structural improvement, only one hole to drill, no screw length adjustment.’

Designed in collaboration with VMG Yacht Design in Switzerland, the Ino-Padeye range includes three sizes catering for maximum working loads from 800 to 3,000kg, making it perfect – among other applications – for mast step halyard blocks, spinnaker sheet blocks, runners and turning blocks, as well as fixing points for textile standing rigging, or for multihull trampolines.

Meanwhile, the uniquely-shaped triangular stick-on Ino-Padeye is a quick and easy, reliable attachment point for low-load applications – on or below deck.

Available in three sizes and with a choice of either fibreglass or carbon construction, Stick-on Ino-Padeye is fast and simple to install and when bonded with Sikaflex 292i the pads have a breaking load of 150kg.

‘That makes them perfect as a vertical fixing point for anything you want to hang inside the boat,’ Reinhart said. ‘But we believe the bonding surface is good enough to use on deck for rope loads generated by hand rather than by a winch.’

Click here for more information on Ino-Rope »