How the Vendée Globe also improves sailboats for all

The worlds of ocean racing and cruising are two worlds that have long communicated fruitfully. We can almost say that a regatta like the Vendée Globe has inspired, and continues to inspire, so many improvements for pleasure boats as well.

Compared to the America’s Cup, we can undoubtedly say that ocean sailing and the Vendée Globe are closer to the world of sailing “for everyone.” A historical example is furlers or whippers, which were introduced and successfully tested on ocean boats before becoming in common use. We will devote a series of in-depth studies to the topic, in this first one we will address an aspect related to materials, and in particular the use of Dyneema, a “noble” fiber that can be successfully employed from the most extreme ocean boats to pleasure boats. Here are some examples.

The materials for the tops

The Vendée Globe, with the stresses that Imoca 60 foilers impose on the rig and sheets and on every deck component of the boat, are a perfect test bed for builders. Being able to make lines and cables that can withstand the impact of the speeds of these boats means having products that can be proportionately applied extremely safely to the world of sport cruising or cruising boats. A material such as dyneemain its nautical industry derivatives, which is used to make stays and other rig-bearing components of the Imoca 60s, as well as for sheets and halyards, passes an extremely severe test in the ocean. As Luigi Maffioli also told us in the latest episode of The Trial at the Vendée Globe, where he showed the processing of a dyneema cable and forestay made for the Ultim Gitana shredder, REFER HERE TO THE SECTOR OF THE TRIAL AT THE VENDEE . Dyneema is a very strong ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMwPE) that offers lightness and 15 times the strength of steel. It is produced by DSM, a company that specializes in this particular fiber, which is then used by companies that make nautical ropes and cables. The research that companies in the industry do in this world of oceanic cutting edge, cascades down to products that can also be used on “normal” boats. Dyneema products in use on pleasure boats differ, of course, in the amount of “noble” fiber present inside the rope compared to one that is used on, say, an Imoca 60, but they share the basic material and construction technique, hence the reliability. And reliability even for a cruising boat that has ambitions to perhaps do long sailing is a fundamental condition. So we can choose a textile backstay for our boat, safe in the knowledge that we have a product that lightens its structure while guaranteeing its safety. And why not, even a textile forestay, if our boat also has sporting ambitions and we are looking for a cable with very low elongation.

Deck accessories, from Vendée Globe to regular boats

Another concept that is now increasingly being transferred from the world of ocean openers to the world of common racing or sport cruising boats still concerns materials. At one time pulleys worked only on shackles, eyebolts were necessarily made of steel, now the concept of “soft links” has developed. Once again dyneema comes in handy, which is used to make supports to the pulleys, to the diverter rings of the sheets, or used to make textile-like eyebolts where sails are to be tacked.

On boats like the Imoca 60s, we can say that steel shackles have all but disappeared, and soft links are taking over. A technology that is also available, obviously with commensurate diameters, workloads and internal composition, for the common boats on which we ordinary enthusiasts sail. These are slightly more expensive accessories than classic steel connectors, but they offer great reliability, lightness, for those looking for advanced deck solutions.

Follow the Vendée Globe with us!

Follow the Vendèe Globe with the Sailing Newspaper! In the section “The Vendèe Globe Newspaper” you will find all the latest news about the race, while on our Youtube channel, every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., “The Vendèe Globe Trial” (in collaboration with Raymarine, Antal and Gottifredi&Maffioli) goes live, where our experts, along with a parterre de roi of great sailing guests, comment on the great adventure of the solo round-the-world race.

Mauro Giuffrè