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 RFRA CONTENTS

Continuous Winding
Continuous Winding p2

core TECHNOLOGY p3
Dry Fibre
TSC
FlexCTM

Weight & Windage P6

Cable Core
Terminations
Aero

Longevity / Durability p8

SERVICE recommendations p10

p12
Right Fibre for the Right Application
 CORE TECHNOLOGY

core technology

p.5
 Weight & Windage

Cable Core

p.6
 Weight & Windage

Aero
At relatively low wind speeds, frontal area (i.e. cable diameter) plays a dominant role and therefore
Future Fibres TSC is currently the lowest windage product available on the market.
However, “aero” is currently the centre of a lot of attention. So let´s consider the facts about aerofoils:

Terminations
Competitors´ friction/cone/plug terminations all require metal and/or filling voids with resin which
requires additional / significant weight. Dry fibre wound terminations, can be used without any
metalwork or resin thus offer the lightest possible solution. Some metal is generally involved to allow
interface with terminations and improve longevity, however, a fully composite termination is the
Drag increases exponentially as wind speed increases
natural “end game” and is most feasible with wound technology.
2
Aerodynamic Drag = ½ x Cd x x A x V
Where = Cd = Drag coefficient, = Density of medium, A = Surface area, V = Wind speed
10-15 years ago, maximum downwind sailing speeds were 12-16 knots but with canting keels,
fathead mainsails, asymmetric kites and much faster, planing hull shapes, Volvo 70´s, Open 60´s and
racing super maxis are regularly exceeding 30 knots. Double the apparent wind speed and the drag
quadruples! In a recent study conducted for Future Fibres, Juan K´s office predicted a half day gain
could be made during a transatlantic crossing on an Open 60 by reducing drag on lateral rigging by
85%.

Drag is therefore a significant frontier for development, however, what is clear is that fixed aerofoil
standing rigging will, on average, increase aerodynamic drag. Rotating sections could provide
significant benefits but their application requires a careful balance between increased weight vs drag
reduction.
p.8
 Longevity / Durability

Longevity / Durability
 The Right Fibre for the Right Application

SERVICE recommendations

Regatta race ////////////// Offshore race /////////// cruise ////////////////////////

years* years** years**
8
4
2
Right Fibre for the
Right Application

p.15
 The Right Fibre for the Right Application

It is clear that certain cable types will favour a

particular fibre or construction technology but
programme priorities refine the suitable options
even further. The choices are complex but one
thing is crystal clear: no single fibre or construction
technology offers the best solution across all cables
or sailing needs.

Future Fibres fundamentally believes in the simplicity,

safety and strength of continuously wound fibre
construction and its ability to maintain a long term
performance advantage. Having pioneered this
process, Future Fibres has taken this core technology
and refined it to take advantage of the relative
benefits across the full range of available fibres in
order to offer THE OPTIMUM solution for any given
combination of project and cable requirements.

p.16
Photo Credits: Mark Lloyd, Manuel Artero, Rick Tomlinson, Onne van der Wal,
Yvan Zedda, Benoît Stichelbaut, Ignacio Baixauli / RC44 Class.