The engineer and composite specialist Dr Ulf-Dieter Ulken calls his concept of a divisible carbon fibre rig for cruising boats the carbon cruiser rig. The special feature here is that the mast consists of three metre-long segments that are inserted into each other. This allows the rig to be dismantled into manageable pieces for transport and winter storage. The segments are also standardised. With just seven different modules, any rig for yachts between 30 and 42 feet can be put together.
All fittings are adapted to the composite construction, for example the forces of the stays are transferred to the reinforced areas at the ends of the segments via cross bolts. The shrouds themselves are made of creep-free DM20 Dyneema cordage, which should make the rig around 60 percent lighter than an aluminium wire version. As the carbon fibre segments are relatively short, they can be easily produced industrially, which reduces the price. A 13.50 metre high rig for a 33-foot cruising yacht costs around 20,000 euros without the main boom and furling system.
Further information is available at: www.ccr-system.com
Hauke Schmidt
Test & Technology editor
