Super Yacht Ind SK78

Dyneema SK78 ďŹ ber Setting New Standards in Running Rigging ÂŽ

3 6 | S u p e r Ya c h t I n d u s t r y | November 2006

RIGGING & DECK EQ UIPMENT

In the last analysis, winning a nine-month, round-the-world competition like the 2005/2006 Volvo Ocean Race can hinge on subtleties – slightly better positioning, a minor hull design modification, or less creep in the running rigging. Although many factors contributed to the respective first- and second-place wins of ABN AMRO ONE and Pirates of the Caribbean, one fact stands out – these teams were the only competitors to adopt running rigging featuring next-generation Dyneema® SK78 fiber from DSM Dyneema.

This super-strong high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) material offers significantly improved creep performance for better stability under static loads. Combined with Dyneema® SK78’s unsurpassed strength-to-weight ratio and its excellent low stretch, abrasion and UV resistance, reduced creep can result in longer life and higher performance under the extreme conditions of offshore racing.

The Dyneema® Difference Since the introduction of Dyneema® fiber in the yachting industry in the early 90s, this high-performance material has been widely used in the running rigging of all kind of yachts.

Dyneema® SK75 has been the standard for many top sailing teams in the Volvo Ocean Race and America’s Cup for nearly a decade.

The material is used in sheets, runners and halyards. Besides the use in these applications this fiber is also a perfect material

for woven and laminate sails for the yachting industry.

The benefits of Dyneema® fiber include: - Strength – Yachting lines made with Dyneema® are the strongest in the world.

- Light weight – Compared with aramid ropes of the same strength, yachting lines made with Dyneema are 30% to 40% lighter. They are half the weight of polyester ropes.

And thanks to excellent UV resistance, halyards made with Dyneema® have even been used without cover for further weight reduction.

- Greater control – With very low elongation, ropes made with Dyneema® allow sails to be trimmed with high precision.

- Durability – Halyards made with Dyneema® last five to 10 times longer than those made with competitive fibers.

- Reliability – Dyneema® is very resistant to abrasion, and ropes using this material perform exceptionally well in tension fatigue and bending tests.

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Developing & Testing The desired specifications for the running rigging were agreed upon by each individual team and its chosen rope manufacturer.

The most critical properties desired by the teams were: - Reduced creep to provide greater stability under static loads.

- Highest strength-to-weight ratio to reduce weight and enable smaller diameter size for the rigging.

- Higher modulus for low stretch that can improve accuracy and control when sailing.

- Small diameter for easier line handling.

- Improved resistance to abrasion, UV light and chemicals for extended life of the rigging.

Rigorous Testing Process Creep is defined as gradual extension over time under high constant load. In other words, if you keep a rope under tension for a long period, depending upon what the rope is made of, it will slowly and permanently elongate to some degree. Obviously, creep is undesirable in running rigging, where it can negatively impact handling, control and stability.

Prior to the 2005-2006 VOR, several teams were looking for innovation partners – including rope manufacturers and fiber suppliers – that could help supply better running rigging.

DSM Dyneema welcomed the opportunity to work with rope manufacturers to deliver a new generation of running rigging that could improve upon Dyneema® SK75, the current standard.

“In the end, rope performance in running rigging is a result of fiber properties in a certain rope construction with cover and coating technologies,” said Rolf van Beeck, Business Manager Sports, DSM Dyneema® . “In the Volvo Ocean Race, it is all about the endurance of materials.”

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After receiving the specifications, DSM Dyneema scientists went to work to develop an enhanced fiber grade that could further reduce creep and provide other specific properties.

Using proprietary technology, DSM Dyneema developed a next-generation HMPE fiber and then submitted it to a three-step testing process: - DSM testing – In-house laboratory testing of the key fiber properties, including strength-to-weight ratio and elongation/ modulus. The company also developed a model to simulate creep performance and thus predict residual lifetime and residual properties of the fiber.

- Rope manufacturer testing – DSM Dyneema customers created rope using the new fiber and conducted an extensive performance evaluation, maximum breaking load and elongation tests.

- VOR team testing – Once the rope was been approved by the manufacturers, the VOR teams tested their rigging before deciding whether to use it for the race. This was typically done during training.

Following this rigorous testing process, DSM was able to launch its new fiber – Dyneema® SK78.

RIGGING & DECK EQ UIPMENT

According to van Beeck, “The creep performance of Dyneema® SK78 is improved by a minimum of a factor of 2 in comparison with Dyneema® SK75. This means the rope will elongate much slower, retaining optimal tension over time which improves control of the sails and overall yachting performance.

Handling characteristics did not change – only the amount of creep.”

Ultimate Test The Pirates of the Caribbean was the first VOR team to adopt running rigging made with the new Dyneema® fiber.

The rigging used on its boat, the Black Pearl, was supplied by DSM Dyneema customer Gottifredi Maffioli. Because Skipper Paul Cayard and his team were a late entry in the Volvo Ocean Race and had limited preparation time compared to the competition, they relied on the expertise of DSM Dyneema and the rope manufacturer to achieve optimal rigging performance.

This team used Dyneema® SK78-based rigging throughout the race, winning the last leg and ultimately achieving a second-place finish.

The new Dyneema® material helped the running rigging on the Black Pearl withstand extremely high load levels during harsh weather conditions in the Southern Ocean.

Cayard said, “Our success in the Volvo Ocean Race was a team effort. Working with expert suppliers such as Gottifredi Maffioli and DSM Dyneema gave us complete confidence in our running rigging throughout the Volvo Ocean Race.”

First-place winner ABN AMRO ONE also benefited from the improved performance of Dyneema® SK78 when they switched part of its running rigging that used Dyneema® SK75 to ropes based on Dyneema® SK78 at the stopover in Baltimore.

Roy Heiner, Technical Director of Team ABN AMRO, commented, “In the extreme conditions of offshore races like the Volvo Ocean Race, small differences in material performance can determine the fine line between winning

and losing. Team ABN AMRO has proven successful in combining the best hull design, best performance materials and a very talented team.”

Future Look DSM Dyneema, the inventor of the world’s strongest fiber, is continuously seeking new market innovation in cooperation with key partners to better serve the needs of the yachting community. In addition to current applications in running rigging for racing yachts, the new Dyneema® SK78 fiber offers the opportunity to expand into semi-static applications such as backstays.

Van Beeck concluded, “We believe Dyneema® SK78 has set the new standard in running rigging. Ongoing collaboration between the sailing teams, rope manufacturers and our company will lead to more innovations in running rigging that will enable faster and more reliable sailing.”

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