Carbon fiber wing nominated for innovation award

Rondal, a company based in the Netherlands which makes superyacht spars and sailing systems, says that its carbon fiber composite wing sail has been selected as a finalist in the 2023 JEC Innovation Awards.

The yacht sail was placed in the maritime transportation and shipbuilding category.

According the company, the part incorporates curved wing skin panels made of prepreg, which are produced using a single adaptive mold with integrated heating. The panels are then then bonded together to assemble the final wing structure.

Rondal reportedly used simulation software to evaluate the wing design before building a 9m tall sailing prototype. A sailing test program also allowed the project team to predict its handling characteristics and help improve the wing control systems.