Above: MC1 built this two-piece carbon mast for a Swan 45. This solution greatly reduced the risk of damage during transport and also the shipping cost. Left: This rig was designed for a 70ft multihull and was completed two months ahead of schedule


spar, even with the splice. Since a Swan 45 mast weight is typically 285kg, this 12 per cent difference in weight was all in the lighter tube. This in turn will make the boat faster upwind and reaching with its correspondingly higher stability. Sundeer 60 upgrade: This was an


interesting project where Justice flew to Fiji to meet a 60ft cruising boat that needed to upgrade to a modern composite spar package from its previous mast which weighed in at a whopping 620kg. Needless to say, the client knew MC1 could provide a significant improvement to help this boat’s performance. Using the existing dimensions and the


sail load analysis program SailPack, MC1 engineers worked with Auckland Finite Element Analysis (FEA), whose computing power is superior to any sparmanufacturer and that enables them to conduct multiple FEA studies throughout the project timeline. In this process MC1 starts by examining the overall structure and then focuses on the localised high-load areas to create the laminate. The end result was a new mast customised to the boat, which weighed less than half (290kg) asmuch as the old one. The result is a game- changer in added performance andmotion comfort, with an increase in pointing ability and a decrease in pitch gyradius. ‘This was a perfect example of where


we provided direct hands-on customer service,’ Justice says. ‘We did not push the limits to be as light as possible but we needed to have a solution that would be reliable, long-lasting and easy to service yet still deliver significant improvement in sailing performance.’ TP52 Red Bandit spar replacement:


As winner of the 2024 Middle Sea Race, Carl-Peter Forster’s TP52 Red Bandit went on to show encouraging initial results in the Admiral’s Cup only to have its rig fail during an inshore race in the Solent. This presented MC1 with the opportunity to design and build a replacement spar that would be tailored to the needs of this team, which is active in both inshore and offshore racing where durability is just as important as light weight for performance. ‘For this project Steve Wilson helped Chris Mitchel with the use of SailPack to


work out the load modeling, and then then work with Auckland Finite Analysis to refine and optimise the spar shape and laminate schedules. Since this was a replacement rig, we needed to be mindful to match the bend characteristics of the old spar so that the existing sail inventory would fit on the new one,’ says Justice. ‘We also opted for a highmodulus


carbon rather than ultra-highmodulus because highmodulus gives youmost of the weight saving, but is amore robust rig for offshore racing.We also helped work on some customised halyard locks designed specifically to fit into the new tube.’ With this approach to match the specific


needs of the Red Bandit team, the end result is a mast that will be not only light, but more durable for the inshore/offshore programme this team has in its future plans. Oh, and at about half the quoted price of one of MC1’s rival sparmakers. MC1’s heritage is in having built spars


for McConaghy’s boatbuilding operations, and so building spars for new boats has a familiar and proven workflow for the team. Yet they use the same approach of working with the builder and boat designer to customise the design and engineering of the spar whilst also being mindful of cost constraints and logistics timelines. Some examples include when MC1


was recently asked to come to the rescue in a Schionning-designed Solitaire 1520 cruising catamaran project being built on the Gold Coast in Australia. This 50ft design needed a new carbon mast that would be simple and robust enough to withstand the rigours of extended cruising, with simplified sail-handling systems and a lightweight yet low- maintenance rigging package. With the help of the project manager,


who had a spar-making background, MC1 helped find a cost-effective hybrid solution where the headstay and diamond shrouds were made of stainless rod and the side stays and shrouds were made of synthetic treated Kevlar. Justice explains that this choice was made because even though the aramid fibre is not as stiff as carbon, the leeward shrouds are less prone to damage from being slack and have an effective working life of five to six years,


MC1 only uses high-quality materials like Nomex and Delta pre-preg carbon


similar to that of the metallic fittings. MC1 has done a similar rescue for


some series-built Cure 55 luxury performance catamarans, also built in Australia, that have experienced some problems with rig setup in their original spars. New boats will now have MC1 masts and some will have the option for a new product: carbon furling booms. A sail-handling issue for catamarans


is in the high loads on the leech of the mainsail and how to handle this in a furler reefing system. A simplemandrill-driven approach cannot align the full-length battens without twisting and breaking them, so MC1 has come up with a clever locking carriage that takes the load on the outhaul rather than transferring it to the furled sail. This is fully integrated into the boomdesign so there is reliable strength along with seamless operational efficiency. Finally, to ensure confidence in the


quality of its approach to design, engineering and composites fabrication, MC1 has invested in the training and equipment needed to performultrasound testing on all its spars. The iQ report generated is the tangible assurance clients need to trust their spar to be defect-free. www.mc1spars.com


❑ SEAHORSE 73


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