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Jason Carrington, president of Carrington Yachts Limited, gives his view on the pluses and minuses of composites in his world.
Jason Carrington, president of Carrington Yachts Limited, is sought after to create new sleeker, lighter yachts. In his experience as a project manager and an avid racer (he has competed in the Volvo Ocean Race four times), he helps designers and manufacturers find the right balance between speed and sleek sturdiness. Here are his views on the pluses and minuses of composites in his world.
When were you introduced to composites?
When I was in college I did an apprenticeship with Green Marine, the largest composite racing yacht builder in the U.K. They were one of the first companies to build yachts with composites, the first to do prepreg, and they remain very cutting edge.
I’ve been in the industry 20 years as a project manager. I’m not a designer or a manufacturer; it’s my job to sit down with a designer and help them with the layout and structure. I have a good understanding of what a boat will put up with because I sail and because I know how they are manufactured.
Do you advocate the use of composites frequently?
I am a big fan of composites because I know their advantages compared to their disadvantages. As a result I use them regularly; I can’t imagine a well designed, competitive yacht not using them.
The people I work with are building yachts to race, so the use of composites is never a discussion. Composites are lighter, stiffer, stronger and last longer, so we are always going to use them. I think people in general yachting don’t appreciate the positives and therefore don’t use them.
Why don’t people in general yachting use them as much?
Composites are still generally seen as high tech and therefore not available to everyone. In general there aren’t many people in a manufacturing yard that are capable of using composites, let alone using them well.
There are very few people within the UK, or the world for that matter, that know how to use composites well. Similar to Formula 1 racing, we need someone who is good at using it; however, there is a lack of skilled people. There are hundreds of boat builders in the UK, but if someone phoned me up for a recommendation, I would struggle to think of a place that knows composites well. Even in the world, I’d say there are five yards that I’d trust. Two in New Zealand, One in Australia and two in the U.K. Composites are just very easy to get wrong.
Where do you see problems with composites?
Again, it’s the dissemination of knowledge. Composites usage in racing yachts walks a fine line. Yachts built today are so much faster than they used to be and can go longer periods of time at faster speeds, approximately 30 knots. If you were doing that in a power boat, you’d slow down against a wake, but you can’t do that in a yacht. We face a constant slamming from waves, which can cause things to break from the hull or structure. In a competition, it’s our job to push the envelope. If we sail around the world and nothing breaks, we say it’s too heavy. Yet when something does break, there are few people who understand why it broke or how to fix it. If people could understand more how composites work, they would know if something was a big deal or not.
What more would you like to get out of composites?
Right now it is a bit off-putting when there are only certain weights of cloth or length that we can use. But, I can understand why companies don’t make more custom runs.
How could composites be more user-friendly?
Currently they achieve what we want them to do. But hopefully composites will steadily get cheaper. Once they are less expensive they will be used in more applications, and people will start to understand what composites are and how they work. When someone comes to look at, for example, a 40-foot boat, they love how it looks and behaves, but because we use composites it’s pricier. They can’t comprehend why it’s so much more expensive. I think the usage and benefits of composites could be portrayed better by the manufacturer. I mean, if I buy a Ferrari, I know why it’s more expensive than a Ford. But it’s harder to get that same sentiment across with composite boats and yachts.
Besides racing yachts, what group do you see as the next “big user”?
Superyachts are staring to understand the importance and benefits of composites. And since they have the money to afford luxuries, the potential is definitely there.
How specifically has the racing yacht industry been hit by the economy?
It’s been hit pretty hard. There are no one-off boats being built currently. Not only did the economy hurt, but also the legal mess between BMW Oracle and defending champion SNG (Societe Nautique de Geneve), surrounding and effectively delaying the 33rd America’s Cup for almost three years. Now that it’s back on track, it will be great news for manufacturing, including the composites industry, since they are huge spenders.
What is the next race you are preparing for?
The next race we have to plan for is the Volvo Ocean Race. So we hope that by the end of next summer there will be some proper 70s being built.
What is the typical timeline to manufacture a racing yacht?
It depends on what you’re building, and the timeline you’ve got to work with. A team is usually talking about the next race as they’re finishing the first. From design to completion, timeline is very important. Often, for Volvo for example, you have a deadline when a race starts and you know how much time you want to sail prior to the race. Generally between races you need at least six months of practice, giving nine months to build a new yacht.
Are there problems that consistently occur because of the timeline?
Inevitably everyone wants more time and tries to squeeze it from the other steps. I think timing issues could be alleviated if getting the material wasn’t so difficult. The material we need isn’t chop strand you can quickly order. There has to be a long lead time for the manufacturer to get what we need, and it’s not always exactly the same material.
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