Extended-range fuel efficiency through lightweighting

In late 2020, China-based luxury motor yacht builder, Marlow Yachts, launched their biggest vessel to date, the Voyager 100. Designed for extended offshore expeditions, her performance, reliability and fuel efficiency were a focus for the design and build team - attributes which are common to all Marlow Yachts’ vessels. With a range of 3650 miles at 9 knots, her first extended voyage was from Tampa Bay in the Gulf of Mexico to Nova Scotia. In early 2023 the builder will launch a 130 ft Voyager with a Transatlantic range at 14 knots and Transpacific range at 11 knots.

Michael Huang, COO of Marlow Yachts Asia, an integral part of Marlow Yachts’ phenomenal success since its beginning in 1999 explains:

As a builder of extended-range yachts, we feel it’s our responsibility to have fuel efficiency at the centre of everything we do. Key to this is weight reduction, which we consider across our whole design and construction process, from the semi displacement hull shape, the monocoque structure, the advanced composite materials, and superstructure design.

Infusion technique for strength, safety and weight control

The Voyager 100’s primary structures are made of carbon and aramid fibre/Corecell™ sandwich laminates, which are infused using Marlow’s proprietary Full Stack Infusion ® technique. This allows the entire structure to be infused, from the outer skin, through the core layer to the inner skin in one shot infusion, with the aim of improving weight control through the construction process, improving the strength of the component and creating a safer working environment for their production team.

Lasting confidence in Gurit Corecell™

Marlow Yachts set up at its own construction centre, Norsemen Shipbuilding, in 2003, and has used Corecell™ from the start. It was an early decision made by the team due to the material’s ultimate strength profile, impact absorption properties and strength-to-weight ratio. Corecell and numerous other core materials were tested in finite analysis environments to fairly compare the available products and reach an informed decision. In 2018 Marlow Yachts again tested the market leading core materials, adhesives, and structural reinforcements at its Florida facility, finding similar results to the original testing carried out some twenty years before. Corecell™ was again the clear winner in the final analysis.

Voyager 100

Image courtesy of Marlow Yachts

“We have been using Corecell™ for around 23 years now, having zero failures to date, and we continue to have every confidence in the product. It is our go-to core material for all Marlow motoryachts whether usage is confined to coastal waters or Arctic/Antarctic expeditions” says Huang. “From the outset, we’ve been focused on building only the highest quality yachts that will perform exceptionally and reliably over long ranges. Corecell™ is part of that equation.”

Collaboration for fuel efficiency

Gurit also provides structural engineering support to Marlow Yachts, most recently on the ME58 classic flybridge and command bridge models, which will launch in July 2022. More collaborations between the two companies are planned for this year, continuing to focus on advanced technologies to achieve previously unattainable superstructure, hull, and bulkhead weights. This includes the efficient use of carbon fibre throughout the vessels, along with optimised structural layouts, to meet weight reduction targets.

Gurit always has been and continues to be an important partner in delivering fuel efficient and performing motoryachts to our customers.

www.marlowyachts.com

Extract from April 2022 Gurit Marine Newsletter