Lorima uses a unique "one shot" construction technology for large wing masts.
This requires that wing mast tubes of composition ranging from monolithic to honeycomb sandwich in pre-preg carbon are cooked in one piece with a fore and aft over lap.
This state of the art technology insures that the tube is perfectly straight and aft the laminate homogeneous.
Also, we have adapted this building process to the manufacture of mega-yacht mast, with a port and starboard overlap, and the ability to separate the front and aft shell after curing to allow the instalation of diverse fittings inside the mast.
- Why a Carbon Mast?
- More Comfort during Navigation
- More Comfort when Mooring
- Security and Reliability
- Improved Performance
- The Perfect Choice
- Our standard Quality Controls :
- Lorima - Your Solution
- Experience
- Advise
- Security for our clients
- Performance
- A few records of boats equipped with masts from LORIMA:
Why a Carbon Mast?
More Comfort during Navigation
- A carbon mast, stiffer than an aluminum mast enables to simplify the rig. This makes it easier to maneuver the boat, especially with a short crew.
- On a multihull, going to carbon enables to get rid off the spreaders and diamond.
- Weight gain in the higher part reduces pitching, especially when sailing upwind.
- On a monohull, your boat will not heel so much with a carbon mast, as it is lighter than aluminum.
More Comfort when Mooring
- A carbon mast tube is about 40% to 60% lighter than if it was in aluminum, depending on the fibers used and the fabrication method.
- The weight gain is also important on the standing rigging as it is sized for lesser loads. This weight improvement reduces rolling when mooring. The rolling inertia is reduced thanks to the weight gain from a height.
- The boat equipped with carbon masts are noticeable on moorings, they’re the ones rolling the less.
Security and Reliability
- Carbon is a material with a stronger mechanical resistance than aluminum, resistance to impacts, without corrosion made by stainless steel on aluminum.
- The structure of a carbon mast will age much better than an aluminum mast.
- If you wish to have your mast painted, the adherence of the paint will be much more optimized on carbon and the pain will not flake away like it would on aluminum.
Improved Performance
- A carbon mast will make your boat more « nervous » and stiffer. The sails will therefore be more efficient and your boat will sail faster.
- You will notice less pitching and better performance for your boat, especially upwind with rough sea.
- Less heeling will also increase the performance and will delay reefing.
- As an example, on a 12 meter boat, weight gain with a carbon mast is about 70 kg. This weight gain allows reducing the weight of the keel and will lead to a stiffer boat during navigation.
- You will also save fuel when navigating with an engine: your boat will « dive » less into the waves and will maintain speed.
Some might not see the interest of a carbon mast for a cruising program, but it's important to keep in mind that carbon will bring you comfort, security and performance.
The Perfect Choice
Choosing to have a carbon mast rather than an aluminum mast is an important decision.
Choosing the appropriate fabrication method and the type of carbon is also essential. Each technique brings different performances to your mast, with regards to responsiveness, lightness and aesthetics.
For this, LORIMA makes use of its skills to help you choose the best for your sailing program.
Since it was created, LORIMA uses an original production technique, unique for very large masts and much more performant on various points:
- LORIMA uses pre impregnated fabrics :These kinds of fabrics together with the lamination technique enable us to know, prior to fabrication, the weight of the tube as close as 3%. There is no resin excess in the fabrics, to obtain a weight gain.
- LORIMA uses to half hulls female tools and not male mandrels (on which fabrics are rolled). Our technology allows a 15% weight gain compared with a filament winding method.
- The use of the moulds enables to align the carbon fabrics at 0° in the unique effort direction (representing 70% of the fabrics making a mast). The optimization of the fabrics directions leads to a weight gain and to a high performance mast.
- The first layers of fabrics being laminated are the external layers of the mast which will remain apparent after coming out of the mould. We can therefore obtain a very smooth and clean finish of the mast after coming out of the mould, requiring no additional weight due to additional fairing, paint or resin. Yet another guarantee for weight gain, performance and… aesthetics.
- After that are fitted all reinforcements (eg. Attachments, spreaders) on the inside of fabrics laminated prior. Therefore no attachments will show on the outside of the mould after coming out of the mould, for an aerodynamics and performance gain.
Our standard Quality Controls :
- To maintain the chemical qualities of pre preg carbon fabrics, storage is made in a cool room at -18° C.
- We record all carbon batches numbers and compliance certificates.
- Temperature and hygrometry stability is controlled and monitored in the workshops.
- A quality control is carried out at each stage of the fabrication of the mast:
- All stages of the curing process of the mast are electronically recorded
- After the tube comes out of the mould, an acceptance report is done with a weight control, a centre of gravity, and a bending test to verity inertias.
- All parts are controlled prior to fitting (except for electronics).
- An ultra-sound inspection can be done in our workshops.
All the research and development work we have done on " High level racing " masts allows us to reach a cutting edge technology and to use it for both racing and cruising boats. Architects and Project Managers also trust us for our masts quality and dependability. Speed, but also safety and reliability can go together…
Lorima - Your Solution
LORIMA is a world leader in the carbon masts manufacturing. It is a team of 25 to 30 dedicated staff, most of them being present since the very beginning of the company, and including a calculations department. LORIMA is located in a 5000m² where the temperature and hygrometry are constant, which is ideal for carbon. Numerous controls are carried out at various stages of the production: control during lamination, vacuum control, electronically recorded curing, weight control and bending test after curing. A person is dedicated to the inspection of parts upon receipt. LORIMA does not want to get rid of these procedures in order to reduce its prices in front of its competitors.
Experience
Our double experience in Racing and Cruising makes us move forward faster than our competitors on a technical point of view. New ideas developed on boats for the Vendée Globe, the America's Cup or maxi multihulls such as Banque Populaire are being directly transposed on masts for cruising boats. The new masts sections and the equipment we develop are therefore validated around the world and become very efficient on cruising boats. Easier reef systems, lesser use on the ropes, reliable attachments on the mast, easier hooks use, simpler furling systems, we have no limits and work with the best teams and engineers on all parts of the rigging, for our clients pleasure, and their boats performances.
Advise
We meet our client during the early stages of his project to exchange on the type of the navigation he wishes, the sails choice, whether he is planning on sailing alone or with a skipper and/or a team. We then adapt the mast and the rigging choice according to these choices et offer an appropriate rig taking crew and type of navigation into consideration. An important work is also done on the equipment for the mast, electronic mounts, radar, lights, etc.
Security for our clients
Our masts have been winning all speed records around the world for many years now, yet being very reliable. We use the same technology, the same masts tools and the same men to fabricate the spars for our clients sailing on cruising boats. The same craftsmen supply us with the unique parts that make masts stand upright, for a maximum security.
Performance
Our geographical location: Lorient is the home of high sea racing in France, which facilitates relationships with all high-tech nautical professionals and enables the exchange of ideas with shipbuilders such as Multiplast, CDK, architects like VPLP, sailmakers North and Incidences. We work on a daily basis on performance with the best spokes participants. The "couple" mast/sails cannot be separated and we work closely to win all podiums and to equip catamarans around the world with what is best.
A few records of boats equipped with masts from LORIMA:
- Volvo Ocean Race : GROUPAMA
- Vendée Globe : FONCIA
- Around the World Alone : IDEC
- Northern Atlantic Crossing Record : MAXI BANQUE POPULAIRE
- The longest distance in 24 hours : MAXI BANQUE POPULAIRE
- World Sailing Speed Record : HYDROPTERE
- And also… the mast for the largest sailing catamaran ever built "HEMISPHERE "
A mast properly designed, will be well sized and adapted to the navigation program of your boat. Well built and equipped with reliable parts, we make no compromise on quality and control on each part. That is the reason why those who sail far, choose a mast fabricated by the team at LORIMA.
