provides benefits to those in other areas of the sport. ‘When you consider a
conventional aluminium mast the wall thickness and section shape is a constant and so you can end up with excess material where you don’t need it, making it hard to get the best mechanical properties throughout the length of the tube. But with MFM we can vary the amount of material and its fibre orientation to suit the structural requirements at any given position. So, we can have a really stiff lower section, softening out in the middle and then step it up in the top mast where there might be code sails, downwind sails or alternatively where there’s nothing at all other than the mainsail. ‘This means that our stock mandrels, of which we have around 20, allow us to produce a wide range of optimised tubes. But we’ve also got another 50 drawn and ready to go for when specific projects require them. And while it costs to commission a new mandrel, it’s not like building a new section die for an alloy mast tube and having to commit to a minimum quantity of extrusions. We can be far more flexible in our approach which is appealing for our customers.’ One such example is a 30ft grand
prix racer aimed at the shorthanded scene. Projectmanager Bret Perry was also the instigator of this exciting new design and has worked closely with Farr Yacht Design to ensure that this boat hits the spot fromthe word go. But he has also worked very closely with Seldén to create the perfect carbon spar package. ‘For starters you can’t undertake
a project like this without partners that believe in the design, its concept and that see the potential.
Above left: Seldén’s unique mandrel filament moulding process is the key to producing a wide range of mast tubes with individually optimised bend properties. Above right: Seldén worked closely with Farr Yacht Design to produce a rig specifically tailored to the needs of the Farr X2
And while it’s not a technical answer as to why Seldén have been so good to work with, it’s been a huge part of this project,’ he says. ‘In addition, their ability to create a dedicated mast tube has meant that we’ve been able to create a rig that is specifically designed for shorthanded racing. ‘We went for intermediate
modulus carbon fibre for the combination of weight, bend characteristics and stiffness, along with consistency. We also wanted a specific set up when it came to the standing rigging based on the sail plan which in turn placed certain technical and structural requirements on the design and construction of the mast. ‘One example of this is the setup
for the standing rigging. We've gone for a cathedral type configuration where we've got a D3 and a cathedral V1. So, going from the top down we've got a single masthead spinnaker halyard at the top of the mast that is just for the A2. Then we have the Code Zero at about 15/16th
, that is where the cathedral
rig joins and also the backstays, so you're really controlling the luff tension on the Code Zero. And then moving down, the D3 effectively becomes the cap shroud when you load up the forestay. All of this has been driven by the need to make sure that we can handle the different potential sail plan configurations. ‘And then there’s the issue of
reefing, which places additional demands on the mast. Our first reef is a big one because when you're shorthanded you'll often go straight to the second reef on a conventional rig. So this meant our configuration needed to be able to support that in a different sort of way. ‘If you’re on a boat where you
need to fly the A2 in 25kts of breeze doublehanded on your third night at sea, the reality is it’s not going to be very comfortable, so you’ll want to get your furling sails out as soon as possible. We think we’ve achieved that with a boat that’s easily driven in say 27kts with a Code Zero on a deep safe angle. But to do this has only been possible through the considerable amount of effort and technical support that Seldén provided us with along with their ability to produce a tube that is specific to the needs of the X2.’ But while one-design and the
shorthanded racing scenes have been big drivers for Seldén’s carbon spars, their work spreads much further across the sailing world. ‘From National 12s, Merlin
Rockets, Contenders and other dinghy classes, right up to 75ft cruisers we use the same technology to build our carbon spars, but we can also offer a range of modulus fibres which some of our clients offer as upgrades,’ says Vaughan. ‘As standard we use T700 but we also do a lot of work with the intermediate modulus T800 which we believe delivers a great balance between mast building properties to weight and cost. In fact, that’s what the Farr X2 is constructed from. But we also build in high modulus HR40 and M40J and while this material can deliver a 30 per cent weight saving it is around 100 per cent more expensive so there’s a balance to be struck there. ‘But whatever the modulus we
only use aerospace grade carbon, from Toray who supply Boeing and Airbus. This means we may be a little more expensive, but if Boeing and Airbus are using it, it’s good enough for us.’
www.seldenmast.com
❑ SEAHORSE 69
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