RS Electric Boat (sister company of RS Sailing) launched the Pulse58 in January 2020. "Unveiled at Boot Dusseldorf, the Pulse58 is the product of 2 years of development and is ground-breaking as the first ever production RIB with a fully integral electric drive." "Pulse58’s sustainable construction comprises of Bio-based infused epoxy resin, recycled PET core material and … [Read more...]
New boats being built using basalt volcanic rock fiber fabrics
Famous skiff designer Chris Morejohn is making a new boat using basalt volcanic rock fiber fabrics. Chris has reported that he first made similar size panels of Fiberglass, Kevlar, Carbon and Basalt fibers to test. Smashing with a hammer each panel was easily destroyed except the Basalt which Chris says the hammer bounced off! Three other boat builders are now in the process … [Read more...]
America’s Cup AC75 Class Rule specifies basalt in mould construction
We are delighted to see that the use of basalt volcanic rock composite fiber has been included in the construction specifications of the 36th America's Cup AC75 Class Yacht. The AC75 Class Yacht is a 75 foot high performance monohull that will "permit technological development to spearhead the development of sailing and maintain the America’s Cup as the world’s premier … [Read more...]
Basalt fiber sailing boat nominated for JEF Innovation Award
LOOP 650: A sustainable cradle-to-cradle composite sailing boat built with Filava™ basalt fiber has been nominated for a JEC Innovation Award. Recognizing innovations in the composite industry. GS4C Sustainable Solutions is building a 100% recyclable sailing yacht, designed to race in the 2019 Mini-Transat, a single handed race across the Atlantic ocean. The boat will be … [Read more...]
Mold tool offers cost savings using basalt fabrics
Basalt fabric used for the tool mold of a carbon fiber yacht's bow. Basalt bi-axial fabric was used to make a tool mold for the nose cone of a very expensive carbon fiber yacht last month. I had been told that basalt was too different from carbon fiber and would have a different expansion and contraction coefficient. It did not! The basalt had no measurable movement at … [Read more...]