Future Fibres has announced the recent signing of two 60 metre superyacht contracts with prominent Italian superyacht builder Perini Navi. When Perini Navi, one of the most experienced superyacht builders in the world, chose to partner with Future Fibres, the message to the industry was clear: trust Perini Navi – trust Future Fibres. The contract won earlier this year for two spectacular 60 metre sailing yachts confirms the arrival of the Future Fibres spar division on the superyacht scene.
Both luxury yachts, one a sloop and the other a ketch, come from a new generation of 60m sailing yachts sold by Perini Navi. For the sloop, Future Fibres will be supplying a full mast, furling boom and rigging package which will be completed by 2014. The mast tube will measure a massive 72.2m and the boat will become one of an elite few yachts that cannot transit the Panama Canal due to rig height.
The client's desire for performance will see the sloop's rig built with race-bred features throughout: locking mechanisms on halyards to reduce mast compression and save weight, a stowable staysail system, high modulus fibre for a lighter stiffer mast and an innovative batten slide solution to increase sail life. The clear finish carbon mast will leave nothing to hide – show-casing precision tooling and the build accuracy of the product.
The sloop will also have a Future Fibres female moulded carbon pre-preg boom with electronic furling motors. The new furling system will be fully tunable, using state-of-the-art software and torque feedback to optimise furling performance.
Once complete, the boom will have an overall length of 22.2m. This project comes off the back of a series of massive 25m+ furling booms currently in production, and will put Future Fibres behind the four biggest furling booms ever built. A set of Future Fibres solid carbon rigging will complete the fully optimised mast and rigging package.
For the ketch, Future Fibres has already started building almost a kilometre of TSC solid carbon rigging. The V1 for the main mast will have an impressive -750 equivalent cable (the 46m sloop Pink Gin has a -540 equivalent V1 span). The signing of the two 60 metre projects follows a comprehensive discussion and negotiation process. Tom Hutchinson, founder of Future Fibres: "Perini Navi have built a reputation based on quality and reliability. The depth behind their decision making reflects their incredibly high standards. We are honored that they have chosen to partner with Future Fibres."
Moreno Di Giusto, Head of Perini Navi Mast Division explains their decision: "With Future Fibres, we're confident we have the right people designing and building our rigs. Between the two companies there is a massive skill-set, and we believe that together we can make big advancements."
It was during a visit to Valencia in January that Perini Navi saw the scale of the Future Fibres facilities first hand. "We were hugely impressed with the purpose built facility and the amount of investment that has gone into it," says Vittorio Blengini, Sales Executive at Perini Navi. "Plus, their European location means customers no longer have to go to the other side of the world for a rig build."
In its first two years of business, the Future Fibres spar division has already delivered two Volvo 70s, an America's Cup wing, an Open 60 and a 72' Mini Maxi. Now, with the signing of the two 60m projects, our mission to build the biggest and fastest spars in the world is reaffirmed. In an industry historically dominated by only one or two players, the arrival of Future Fibres onto the superyacht spar scene finally gives customers a choice – a choice in how a rig gets built and who builds it.
Future Fibres
Phil Anniss
+34 961 452 135
[email protected]
www.futurefibres.com