Utilising the benefits of carbon fibre prepreg, the materials are fitted into the moulds with exacting precision to ensure the high loads from the hull are transferred into the main supporting structure. McConaghy Boats, who has a history of building outstanding racing yachts and advanced composite structures, have been selected to build Castlerock Carbon Cats’ newest vessel.
The prepreg material selected, SE84LV is manufactured by Gurit and has been the industry leading prepreg for high performance racing yachts and power boats for many years. The fibres, in this case a high elongation carbon is “pre impregnated” with epoxy resin at a predetermined ratio. The consistency of the resin’s chemistry is checked and tested prior to being frozen, at which point the resin’s chemistry is suspended and remains frozen until required in the factory.
The benefits for the structural engineers of using prepreg are that the mechanical properties are very uniform, ensuring a consistent high-quality laminate for the hull, deck and supporting structure. These benefits also ensure the lowest possible weight and outstanding thermal performance.
Castlerock Carbon Cat investigated and carefully considered the benefits of the materials and the manufacturing processes, to ensure that the vessels would meet and exceed the high standards that the owner will expect from such a high-performance vessel.
