From America’s Cup to Our Catamaran: Rescuing a Carbon Legend

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Author: Shayne and Anna

Key Message: The centerpiece of our rig is a mast with a legendary past: Rig #12 from Team New Zealand’s 2000 America’s Cup campaign. Rescued from a Valencia scrapyard where it was destined to be chopped into pieces, this carbon fiber wing mast represents an incredible piece of sailing history. We simply couldn’t stand by and let such a masterpiece of engineering be thrown away, embarking on a massive lockdown project to give this America’s Cup veteran a thrilling new life on our catamaran.

Every boat has a story, but some are more legendary than others. In this chapter of our refit journey, we put our new anchor stowing system to the test and then settle in for a detailed discussion about the heart of our rig: a carbon fiber rotating wing mast with a past life in the America’s Cup.

A Smooth Anchor Stow Test

Before diving into the mast, we had some practical boat work to do. We took the opportunity of a calm day to test our new method for bringing the anchor up from the bow and stowing it away. The system worked well, proving its worth for calm conditions. (A special note for our observant viewers: Shayne is still yet to add a safety line to that R-clip!)

The Mast with a History: An America’s Cup Rescue

Now, onto the main event. What would you do if you saw a piece of sailing history about to be thrown away?

We faced that exact scenario. Our mast is no ordinary piece of carbon fiber. It is Rig #12 from Team New Zealand’s 2000 America’s Cup campaign. After its time with the Kiwis, it made its way to Spain to be used as the French challenger’s rig in 2007. When the French team didn’t make the finals, the rig was left behind, forgotten in a Valencia boatyard for over 12 years.

In 2019, the yard’s new owners were cleaning house, and this priceless piece of engineering was destined for the chopping block. We simply couldn’t let that happen.

The Transformation: Making a Cup Racer a Cruiser

Lockdown during the pandemic gave us the time to undertake this massive recycling project. The process was far from simple:

  • Chopping to Size: The original 33-meter mast had to be cut down to suit our catamaran, carefully preserving the heavily reinforced sections where the original rigging attached.
  • Engineering a Rotating System: We designed a custom cup-and-ball system at the base, using an oil-impregnated nylon cup and a large aluminium mast ball for significant weight savings without sacrificing strength.
  • High-Tech Repurposing: From re-using the original titanium track to refurbishing a carbon wind wand, every step involved innovative problem-solving to bring this elite piece of gear back to life.

The result is an incredibly stiff, spreaderless mast that effortlessly handles our large square-top mainsail and code zero. It’s a testament to the fact that with vision and skill, even “trash” can be transformed into a yacht’s greatest treasure.

This project was a labour of love, a challenge we embraced to preserve a piece of sailing heritage and give it a new purpose on the open ocean.

Interested in Learning More About our Rig?

Read the blog posts and watch the videos below:

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