Yachting World journalist Rupert Holmes reports on latest developments in wooden construction, and why this ancient material is being used for hi-tech contemporary design.
On answering his question as to why I am interested in this material:
‘Modernity does not neglect where we all come from, on the contrary it makes the best of it. Reinstating wood as a modern material increases the number of options a naval architect has for creation and performance. To ignore wood would be to ignore the essence of yacht design and building.’
THEY TALK ABOUT US
YACHTING WORLD – MAY 2023
EXTRACT
Why would a naval architect and structural engineer used to working with cutting edge materials for America’s Cup teams, including INEOS Britannia, and companies like Airbus, be excited about working with wood?
“It’s quite simple for me,” says French designer Thomas Tison, “Modernity is not to neglect where we all come from-on the contrary it is to make the best of it. In a way a boat is a heritage, so to ignore wood would be to ignore the essence of yacht design and building.
“Carbon fibre is only an evolution from this heritage and reinstating wood as a modern material increases the number of options a naval architect has for creation and performance“
Elida is built of diagonally planked sitka spruce covered with a 3mm mahogany veneer. Additional internal stiffening is provided by local layers of 200g carbon fibre. The result is a very stiff structure- projected forestay loads match those used on TP52s, yet the total weight of the 48ft hull shell is only 1,000kg.
Read more in the May 2023 issue of Yachting World online here.
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