Technology
Rigging Projects recently played a leading role in helping Magic Carpet-e, supplying the entire deck hardware package
Born from innovation R
igging Projects has earned a reputation for being a highly responsive, agile and innovative business at the top end of the industry. That
reputation still holds true, but the scale of the company today looks very different from when it was founded in 2014. What began as a five-man outfit in
Hamble now operates from a 10,000sq ft state-of-the-art facility in Totton, UK, with 30 employees and in-house capability that spans design, engineering, a CNC machine centre, extensive R&D and running rigging production. The investment includes aerospace-level metrology equipment and a new five-axis mill of the same calibre seen in Formula 1 workshops. This gives Rigging Projects the ability to produce complex, high-tolerance parts while maintaining the nimbleness that defined the company’s early years. ‘We have to operate at the highest
level if we’re going to keep our technological edge,’ says co-founder Nick Black. ‘Everything we make is tested to aerospace and high-end automotive standards. That’s what allows us to win the trust of the industry and to deliver innovation consistently.’
From bespoke rigging to complete sailing systems Rigging Projects was initially founded to address, as the name suggests, rigging challenges, but the remit has broadened considerably. Increasingly, the company
74 SEAHORSE
acts as the “glue” between the yacht builder, yacht designer, sail designer, mast manufacturer and, crucially, the owner. That consultancy role has pulled them
into every corner of the market, from new builds to refits, from monohulls to multihulls and from grand prix racing to superyachts. The benefit is cross- pollination: solutions proven in high- performance race programmes find their way into superyacht programmes, while robust superyacht engineering practices are adapted to raceboats. Examples range fromPersico’s foiling
PB72 catamaran with AmericanMagic where Rigging Projects was involved from the earliest feasibility studies through daggerboard integration and custom deck systems, to the likes of the Gunboat 80s and the new Baltic 121, drawing on Rigging Projects’ extensive library ofmore than 600 standard assemblies ranging frompadeyes and blocks to traveller cars and organisers plus everything in between.
Building trust through innovation Much of Rigging Projects’ growth has been built on reputational trust. That trust has seen themincreasingly invited into projects with some of the world’s largest shipyards. Baltic, Royal Huisman, Nautor’s Swan, Persico, SouthernWind and now Vitters are all among the yards they work with. One of the most striking examples of
that trust is the Dykstra-designed 66m Hetairos. Rigging Projects first supplied the yacht with the world’s largest
As Rigging Projects has grown from a small boutique consulting business to a high-endmanufacturer its ethos – and its success – have not changed
headboard car - 45 tonnes working load - which has since logged more than 40,000 miles. During their last winter refit, Rigging Projects was commissioned to upgrade the jib and staysail track and car systems along with mast collar blocks, halving the original weight, reducing friction and improving aesthetics with custom hydro- dipped wooden-finished blocks that are as beautiful as they are functional. At the other end of the spectrum, Rigging
Projects has delivered pioneering details for refits such as Hummingbird, a Swan 90S. There, the company developed the first integrated bobstay lock built directly into the end of the bowsprit, allowing the crew to attach and detach the sprit by pulling a single line — a small-scale example of their drive to simplify systems for their clients while enhancing performance.
Pushing boundaries at every scale Large projects are increasingly commonplace. For the 65m Royal Huisman ketch launched earlier this year, Rigging Projects delivered the mast lock systems for both main and mizzen, providing 260 tonnes of holding power across the rigs. This included some of the largest bullet locks ever manufactured, such as a 60-tonne forestay lock. Their expertise has also expanded
into steering systems. This started with a geared steering hub on Magic Carpet 3, allowing the owner to experience a significant reduction in helm load at the push of a button. That innovation led to
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