New Dyneema® SK78 raises rigging performance and durability for a racing edge

Urmond, November 15, DSM Dyneema has introduced a new grade of their unique high modulus polyethylene fiber: Dyneema® SK78. The material, credited as the world’s strongest fiber, has been developed in conjunction with rope manufacturers and yachting teams for use in competitive sailing lines and rigging.

“We developed Dyneema® SK78 in response to market demand for next-generation yachting lines that can provide an edge in high profile races such as the Volvo Ocean Race and the America’s Cup,” said Rolf van Beeck, Business Manager Sports for DSM Dyneema. “Thanks to our collaboration with top sailing teams and rope manufacturers, we have been able to create a new material with exceptional performance and durability. In yacht racing, like other extreme sports, materials innovation can play a key role in winning.”

While preserving the high strength-to-weight ratio, high modulus and resistance to abrasion and chemicals of other Dyneema® grades, the new material adds improved creep performance to provide better stability under static loads. This property results in higher performance and extended life under extreme conditions. Dyneema® based ropes, already widely used for many years in yachting, are 30 to 40 percent lighter than aramid ropes of the same strength and only half the weight of polyester ropes.

Dyneema® SK78 will be used by leading rope manufacturers, including Gottifredi Maffioli and Gleistein, to produce a range of top-quality rigging. The new material will see its inaugural use in rigging developed by Gottifredi Maffioli for one of the teams in this year’s Volvo Ocean Race which started on November 5th in Vigo, Spain.

“We are proud to have supplied all the running rigging for the Pirates of the Caribbean team, skippered by the famous Paul Cayard.” Says Luigi Maffioli of Gottifredi Maffioli. “Their boat, The Black Pearl which is currently competing in the Volvo Ocean Race, is the first boat to use this new innovative product.”

Thomas Schlätzer, spokesperson of Gleistein Ropes said, “Racers and even recreational sailors are always looking for a new way to coax extra speed from their boats. Better rigging can make a measurable difference. With very low stretch, light weight and unsurpassed strength, Dyneema® yarns offer greater control for more precise sail-handling. We are very excited about this new material innovation and will be using it to develop the rigging for the BMW ORACLE Racing Team in the America’s Cup.”

Although designed primarily for competitive yacht racing, Dyneema® SK78 is also well-suited for halyards and backstays in performance cruisers, especially those competing in International Measurement System (IMS) or single-class races. The material will be available in a range of new ropes, rigging and yachting line applications by leading manufacturers throughout 2006.

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