Marine applications of composite materials - Case of competition sailboats

Composite materials have been used in boatbuilding since the late 1950s. They became widespread between 1960 and 1965, as the democratization of yachting enabled mass production. Thanks to their advantages, they have supplanted conventional wood construction.

The growing use of composite materials in the marine sector is due to the qualities of these materials. They enable complex parts (e.g. hulls) to be built in a single piece at low cost, without problems of watertightness or long-term resistance (corrosion).

Their processing methods are suited to the production of prototypes, such as carbon-epoxy multihulls and masts, as well as small series, such as glass-polyester pleasure boats, enabling, among other things, local reinforcement of the most stressed areas, and thus easy repair of vessels. From now on, boats under 24 meters in length used for pleasure boating are regulated by the ISO 12215 standard, which establishes a set of rules for sizing and construction, thus limiting developments in structural composite technology.

However, the field of competitive sailing, which is a formidable driving force for development, continues to make progress in the design, dimensioning, implementation and use of high-performance composites. Indeed, the desire to go faster is forcing architects, design offices and construction sites to push back the limits by lightening structures and naturally opting for the use of composite materials offering high specific mechanical performance (high-strength carbon-epoxy composites with low density, or cables using aramid or PBO fibers).

This dossier will therefore focus on the application of composite materials in the still very open field of competitive sailing.