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Marine Results re-steps M5’s 89m mast in complex operation at Pendennis
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As the largest single-masted sailing yacht in the world, M5’s mast and rig are reflective of her size. When the yacht originally arrived at Pendennis as Mirabella V the mast and rigging weighed over 45 tonnes. However, part of the refit specification was to improve her rig and fittings replacing them with a system made of carbon fibre and titanium, designed and manufactured by Carbo-Link with OYS making the fittings. Although the mast and spreaders have remained original, the 34 new carbon fibre stays have been constructed with built-in dynamic fibre optics displaying the load through a central computer. There are also advanced chafe and wear monitoring systems inside each of the carbon foils. This is the first time that this technology has been installed on a superyacht, being previously engineered for use on America’s Cup AC45 wing-sailed catamarans.
This change has reduced the weight of M5’s rig by an incredible 18 tonnes. Despite the lighter rig it is estimated that the strength gain is as much as 30%. This reduction upstairs meant the weight in the keel had to be reduced. So to further improve her sailing performance, extensive calculations by Ron Holland Design required 60 tonnes to be removed from M5’s keel during her refit, balancing the stern and interior modifications that have added to the yacht’s weight overall.
Photo : Pendennis
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