A set of sail battens, the largest of which measures 24m, was delivered by rigging specialists Marine Results to the megasized sailing yacht Mirabella V. Picture it – one long batten, the length of the average mast on a 46 foot racing yacht – and that’s long. Making a single batten 24 metres long is no mean feat, and when Marine Results was given the task of replacing the original set of battens in sailing yacht Mirabella’s mainsail, because they kept failing, it was a question of designing something that was tougher, more flexible, and with a longer life.
Biggest sail battens ever made delivered to Mirabella V
Biggest sail battens ever made delivered to Mirabella V
The sail battens are now fitted into a brand new massive 1557m² (16,760ft²) mainsail, supplied by Doyle Sails, which was used for the first time in March when yacht Mirabella V raced at the St Barths Bucket superyacht regatta.
The team at Marine Results designed the necessary specification and then called in engineers who were able to design the fabrication of the battens, numbering twelve in total (six and six spare). The battens were tubular and made of high-strength carbon fibre in an epoxy resin matrix. Because of their length they had to be transported in lengths under 12m and were then joined together on site. The diameters of the battens varied – the top batten was 72mm diameter and the bottom batten 93mm diameter.
