Rondal selected as 2023 JEC Innovation Awards Finalist for Automated Carbon Composite Wing Sail

Rondal Selected as 2023 JEC Innovation Awards Finalists for Automated Carbon Composite Wing Sail © Rondal

Rondal, the market leaders in superyacht spars and sailing systems, is delighted to announce that its automated, carbon fibre composite wing sail for yachts has been recognised by the JEC Innovation Awards committee and selected as a finalist for the 2023 JEC Innovation Awards in the category Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding.

Developed with project partners Curve Works and Artemis Technologies, the new wing sail concept aims to significantly increase the market share of wind-propelled yachts by creating a highly efficient, automated, composite solid wing sail technology that can be "ready-to-sail" in seconds, maximising the time vessels rely solely on clean, renewable wind propulsion. The wing sail created is also the world's first large structural composite wing produced using a single adaptive mould with integrated heating to manufacture individual curved wing skin panels from pre-preg materials which were then bonded together to assemble the final wing structure.

Rondal and Artemis Technologies employed the latest in simulation technologies to evaluate their wing design before the build of their 9 metre tall sailing prototype. An intensive sailing test program also allowed the project team to validate real-world handling characteristics of the wing versus its predicted performance, and provided key data for the next stage optimisation of the wing control systems.

The construction process for the new wing sail also represents a step-change in manufacturing sustainability for such large wing structures, with Curve Works integrating a new mould heating system within their adaptive tooling system. As the Rondal innovation also offers fully customizable wing planforms that can match both the performance and styling requirements of each unique yacht design, utilizing this single mould tool corresponds to a massive reduction in landfill waste resulting traditional composite tooling.

The JEC Innovation Awards - organized by the JEC Group - are recognized as the composite industry's most prestigious awards. The 2023 award winners will be announced at a ceremony in Paris on the 2nd of March, with Rondal, Curve Works and Artemis Technologies also displaying the wing as part of the Industrial Planets at JEC World 2023.

"We are thrilled to be nominated as finalists for the 2023 JEC Innovation Awards and are absolutely delighted that the awards committee has recognized the potential of our new wing concept. Rondal's passion for innovation, along with the design, simulation and manufacturing support of our partners Curve Works and Artemis Technologies has created an extremely exciting new sailing solution. We can't wait to continue leading the way in enabling a new generation of clean, silent and highly efficient yachts powered solely by the wind," comments Hermen de Jong, Innovation Manager, Rondal.