Southern Spars Spurs Innovation In Custom Composites

Another week, another story about the uses of custom composites in nautical applications? What can we say: composites provide such a great combination of strength to weight that they're just the best for demanding uses, like sailing.

In this case, we're talking about the very most demanding nautical application: world-class superyachting. A New Zealand company called Southern Spars has recently unveiled some new custom composites technology it calls "TPT" or "thing ply technology". TPT is a supposedly revolutionary new laminate composite. Says Wayne Smith of Southern Spars,

"Our designers now have the ability to design products using whichever ply angles are optimal for the loading situation at every point on the spar or boom," he says. 

"The plotter then lays the carbon fibre laminate more accurately and efficiently than can be achieved by hand. 

"It is also possible to individually position pieces rather than being required to lay all adjacent plies parallel to one another."

That's pretty awesome, especially when you consider the unbearable loads these components will be handling on the superyacht circuit. Our neighbors to the very far south are certainly coming up with some sweet composite technology.