Full house
Nine new TP52s launched in 2018 with nine new Southern Spars rigs, but each of them carefully tailored to individual crew requirements…
With nine new yachts on the startline for the 2018 TP52 Super Series, it’s a testament to the health of the class and the commitment of owners and teams who continue competing at the highest level. Adding to the excitement is the fact that teams gearing up for the 2021 America’s Cup will be using the TP52 circuit to hone their skills in preparation for the new class of Cup monohulls. Sir Ben Ainslie’s British syndicate has partnered with Tony Langley’s British Gladiator Sailing team, while Challenger of Record Luna Rossa have a new build for the series. Quantum Racing, with their connections to the New York Yacht Club challenge, are also a leading contender in the fleet.
First of the new boats launched
was Sled, built in New Zealand for Japanese owner Takashi Okura. Sled has a number of Kiwi sailors onboard, including senior Emirates Team New Zealand member Ray Davies as tactician. Commenting on the evolution of the class, Davies notes: ‘Most teams have made
68 SEAHORSE
changes to the positions of the appendages and the masts have been changed, the evolution being the stiffness of the mast and the position of the deflectors. Most of the new boats seem to be heading in the same direction. Everything is stiffer and more locked in.’ The single common factor across all nine new boats in this super-competitive environment is the selection of Southern Spars and associated Future Fibres as the rigs of choice. Southern Spars have been closely involved in the circuit from the outset and this across-the-board confidence in the brand reflects the results achieved on the racetrack.
Keeping pace with the evolution of the class has involved a relentless programme of rig development, which has delivered improvements in all areas. Looking at the numbers tells a story of precision engineering producing masts that are lighter, stiffer and more aerodynamic through each generation, while at the same time accommodating constantly
Above: The TP52 is now unchallenged as the most sophisticated inshore grand prix class outside the America’s Cup, just as the TP52
Super Series has become the pinnacle of inshore big boat racing. Every detail of this year’s new TP52s has been analysed to death and the boats will continue to evolve during the season. Good place for suppliers to strut
their stuff…
increasing load demands. Forestay loads, for example, have doubled from 4-4.5 tons to 8 tons; square-top mainsail areas jumped to 93.5m2 in 2010 and then to 98m2 in 2014; righting moments have increased to 12 tonne-metres. Meanwhile, mast stiffness has increased by 10-20 per cent, despite a weight reduction of up to 60kg in the overall rig with the addition of backstay deflectors and carbon rigging. The use of custom high- modulus carbon fibre and application of thin-ply technology combined with continual detailed refinement applied to every component have improved aerodynamic efficiency and weight. Refinement of fittings and attachments has been a constant theme through the evolution of Southern Spar’s TP52 rigs. Early versions featured two spreaders, cathedral jumpers and clamp tang rigging attachments.
In succeeding generations the tube section was refined, jumpers were ditched and three spreaders
52 SUPER SERIES/NICO MARTINEZ
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