Solico is collaborating with Aeolos Composites to develop a new all carbon fiber 30ft sailing yacht built in the Middle East.
The Aeolos Performance 30 yacht can be used for single and double handed sailing and was conceived by Aeolos Composites’ founder Hans Genthe during the Covid-19 lockdown in Dubai in summer 2020. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the project was completed entirely remotely, Solico said.
The P30 yacht notably features a hinged carbon fibre bowsprit that allows bows to moor in European marinas that do not permit a bowsprit over the dock. Solico says that the component is large enough to project the yacht’s downwind sails well clear of the foretriangle, but able to pivot upwards after sailing/ The slender, tapered composite sprit provided a challenges for engineers, and several iterations were required to define the final structure that could support gennaker luff loads and satisfy the buckling load cases without adding additional weight at the bow of the yacht.
The P30 also uses a completely full composite construction for its keel, which will go through tests during the sea trials.
‘The P30 has been a great project to work on,’ commented Matej Prevc, lead engineer, Solico. ‘We often note that some of our marine projects have further weight saving potential which, due to more conservative design considerations driven by specific vessel class regulations or other commercial factors, we are not able to exploit. The P30 was a fantastic opportunity for the team (many of whom are sailors themselves) to really push the boundaries and develop a fully weight optimised carbon structure, maximising performance on the water.’
This story uses material from Solico, with editorial changes made by Materials Today.
