Shipbuilding of the futureStudents from Kiel build sustainable skiff

Max Gasser

 · 14.02.2024

The sustainable skiff of the Kiel "Förderacer" at this year's boot in Düsseldorf
Photo: YACHT/N. Günter
The skiff designed and built by the students in detail
Students at Kiel University of Applied Sciences have built a sustainable skiff and want to enter it in an international university competition. The finesse the young shipbuilders have utilised, the difficulties they had to contend with and what they hope to achieve in the competition

Sustainability and environmental protection projects are no longer a rarity in the sailing world, with Vendée Globe conqueror Boris Herrmann calling for more green thinking. Almost all sailors are now certain that the boating industry must become more sustainable. The engineers and designers of the future form the basis for this. Shipbuilding students at Kiel University of Applied Sciences, among others, are therefore preparing for this problem and the associated tasks. To this end, they have designed and built a sustainable skiff for the international 1001 Vela Cup.

The "Förderacer" from Kiel - actually a pedalo team from the university - became aware of the competition in 2019 and want to celebrate a successful debut on Lake Como in September 2024. The regatta competition has been sailed between university teams at various locations in Italy since 2005. The strict regulations stipulate that, in addition to certain dimensions and a sail area limited to 33 square metres, no less than 75 percent renewable raw materials may be used in construction. This is strictly enforced and is also decisive for the competition on the water, which is held according to official racing rules. For each infringement of the rules, 5 kilograms of lead must be attached to the stern.

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An interdisciplinary team of around 30 shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, business administration and media students is therefore currently working on finalising the boat for initial testing. At the start of the project almost five years ago, the skiff was designed, calculated and hydrodynamically analysed within six weeks. The construction phase then began, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the students to put construction on hold for two years, which is why it is only now being finalised. None of the original founders are now still at the UAS. Closing these gaps in knowledge is one of the major challenges of the project.

Special features of flax fibre: how the construction went

After resuming the project with numerous reorganisations and new additions, the construction could be continued. A positive mould was built from frames, onto which balsa wood strips were applied, which were then laminated over. The team from Kiel used flax fibre and bio-epoxy resin for this. Although the result is somewhat stronger than conventional GRP, there are also some disadvantages when it comes to processing. Flax fibre is not only more difficult to shape, which is why radii cannot be laid as tightly, but the fibre length is also naturally limited due to the plant. This must be taken into account in order to ensure the strength of the fuselage.

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The natural fibre also absorbs more resin, which is why the "Förderacers" used a vacuum pressing process. In this process, the fibre mats are laid and resinated by hand, then excess resin is removed by vacuum, thus saving weight. "In the meantime, we have also tried working with infusion, which saves even more resin and weight," says project manager Justin Bednarek. Ready to sail, the sustainable skiff should ultimately weigh 100 kilograms, with the organic content currently at 77 per cent.

Hull shape, measuring electronics and more

The hull shape differs fundamentally from other previous competitors. For the most part, these have been strongly orientated towards the 14-footer, says 22-year-old Bednarek, who is studying shipbuilding and maritime technology. "They therefore have a voluminous forecastle and are very much designed for light winds," he explains. The reason for this is that the event was previously held in Sicily, where there tends to be little wind at the time of the competition. This should be different at Lake Como this year, and the students from Kiel also want to be sailing on their home fjord, which is why their design is more tailored to all-round conditions.

In concrete terms, the boat is characterised, at least visually, by a rounded negative stem that rises from a flat foredeck. The bow is very pointed. As the prescribed maximum width of 2.10 metres is not fully utilised over the entire length, the sustainable design uses outriggers in the cockpit to shift the centre of gravity further outwards.

However, one of the major technological refinements is hidden from view. This is because the students have installed strain gauges and other sensors below deck, accessible through an inspection hatch in the foredeck, to record bending and torsion. These are linked to an ESP32 mini-computer and can be analysed in conjunction with the time of day of the recording and the weather, wind and wave conditions that can thus be determined. "This allows us to draw conclusions about the material under real conditions and not just under idealised laboratory conditions," says Bednarek.

For the first time at the 1001 Vela Cup: "Förderacer" also build the trailers from flax

No other university team has ever used this method before. However, the technological advantage also cost the team a lot of working time, as the students developed and assembled the measurement electronics completely independently. The time required should not be underestimated. "Anyone who is involved in the team here will certainly take longer to complete their studies. However, I wouldn't see this as a disadvantage, but as a positive factor," says team captain Lucas Hummel, who comes from Worms am Rhein. This is because the students acquire important practical knowledge for their future careers at an early stage. "You learn to directly apply what you calculate in the exam, recognise differences and also the interplay between theory and practice," continues the 26-year-old. Then there's the network: "Shipbuilding is a small industry. Everyone practically knows everyone. And if you've been in a team like that, they know you even better."

The team from Kiel also want to be pioneers when it comes to the centreboard and were the first team to make it out of flax. The appendages are excluded from the rules, which is why the participants generally use carbon fibre here. The team is also taking a new approach to rigging, but is relying on tried and tested elements: an old 49er aluminium composite mast is on deck, and the self-tacking jib from the Olympic skiff has also been adopted.

Final construction steps and difficulties

Now it's time to carry out the final laminations on deck and paint the boat completely. The boats have to be built entirely by the students, Hummel explains: "We are all budding engineers, sometimes there are a few already trained boat builders among us. We have taught ourselves the craft accordingly - with a lot of trial and error."

Among other things, the rectangular centreboard box is not exactly straight in the ship's line due to an error during construction. There is still work to be done by the shipbuilding trainees. They have already measured the hull in 3D and are now producing a customised inlay. This will also allow different profiles to be tested and further development towards a gybing centreboard that can be adjusted while sailing.

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Every construction step is recorded in a detailed construction diary and every laminate laid is documented on video. The weight calculation is also meticulously maintained, as this must also be submitted to the Vela Cup in order to verify the organic content. "Every gram of resin, flax and every bit of filler as well as the varnish is of course recorded - we document everything, absolutely everything," confirms project manager Justin Bednarek. All of this is also to ensure the best possible transfer of knowledge for future generations.

Construction to receive foils

This is because they can take the existing design and optimise it further. "There are still designs competing that were originally built 20 years ago," says the 22-year-old from Magdeburg. He is convinced that their boat can also be further optimised after this year's competition. Among other things, there will be a variation of the format as part of the event: the 1001 Foil Cup. As the name suggests, the boats will be equipped with foils and the sail area is unlimited. However, all other regulations remain the same, so in theory every participant in the classic Vela Cup is also suitable for the Foiler Cup. After the current campaign, the Kiel team is aiming to do just that and make their design fly.

The "Förderacers", who have recently seen strong female growth, are undoubtedly still fully committed to their goals at the 1001 Vela Cup on Lake Como and are planning to complete their boat in May. The first test runs on the fjord will then take place just a little later, leaving plenty of time for optimisation and training before the competition in September.

Sailing skills will also play an important role. The only requirement for the two-man crew is that both must be enrolled at the respective university. Project manager Justin Bednarek, who spent several years on the 49er, among others, will take on the role of the foreskipper, while they want to utilise the location advantage at the tiller. "We have it relatively easy in Kiel because we have the Olympic training centre here and some sailors from there study at the university. The aim now is to inspire a 49er helmsman, to train with him and ultimately to take part in the regatta," he reveals.

More German universities at the start of the Vela Cup

The students from Schleswig-Holstein's state capital will have to prove themselves on the regatta course against crews from up to 13 other universities. With the TH Ostwestfalen Lippe, the FH Karlsruhe, the TU Munich and the FH Münster, four other German teams will be competing.

In addition, an innovation award is presented for all types of designs and developments. Bednarek, who completed his A-levels in order to study shipbuilding, is determined: "We definitely want to apply for that too and hope to do very well!"


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