Big Pimpin’
Day one of Les Voiles Saint Tropez 2015 regatta saw a crash between a smaller yacht and the rigging of Rambler 88, the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed Maxi. It could have been the end of the regatta for Rambler, were it not for the amazing character of her ECsix multistrand carbon rigging.
The smaller yacht became tangled in Rambler’s rigging, with extreme bending and breaking risk. Rambler could have been out for a decent part of the season, but thanks to ECsix’s multistrand construction, the rigging flexed rather than broke and she returned to port with her mast still standing.
ECsix technicians from Southern Spars/Future Fibres attended her in la Ciotat straightaway and made a reliable repair to get Rambler racing again rapidly. As the name suggests, multistrand rigging is made of a bundle of tiny carbon rods precision packed to form a cable (almost like traditional wire – but carbon).
When subjected to impact, the bundle flexes and moves out the way – rather than breaking. Any damage doesn’t propagate between rods so it is tightly confined and residual strength is easily measurable.
Rambler’s incident took place on the race track, but ECsix has saved the day when yachts have hit bridges, been struck by lightning, had collisions, been crash grounded; as well as overcoming the usual brutal weather and wear found in round the world racing and cruising.
Best of all, Rambler88 went on the next week and won line honours in the 2016 Middle Sea Race using their ECsix repaired stay. ECsix; Tested with no mercy.
