Affordable lightweight stays for small and medium-sized sailboats and yachts

After six months of engineering and practical tests, Smart Rigging has succeeded in adapting America’s Cup stay technology to PBO fibre stays for pleasure and professional sailboats from 4 to 12 metres in length. The new product will be marketed worldwide under the brand name Easy Rigging ®, and made available through an extensive dealer network. This application had previously been impossible due to extremely high production costs. A smart new production technique and innovative use of materials allowed Smart Rigging to keep the new product extremely affordable despite its high degree of sophistication.

Easy Rigging ® is around 80 to 85% lighter than existing wire or Dyform stays. This guarantees increased stability onboard, which in turn results in gains in safety, sailing comfort and speed. The tensile strength is 1.5 to two times higher than that of steel wire in comparable conditions, ensuring improved performance and onboard safety at similar diameters.

The stays are entirely customised at the Smart Rigging facilities in Joure (the Netherlands) to suit any given sailboat or yacht.

Smart Rigging developed the continuous rigging for Easy Rigging in cooperation with a number of large ocean racing teams. This new system eliminates interruptions in the stays at the level of the spreaders, and the different D and V cables are fully integrated into a single cable that runs from the V1 turnbuckle upwards via the spreader to the mast (for the D cable) or the top of the mast, respectively. This eliminates the need for pins, strips or tip cups at the extremities of the spread, while retaining extremely strong links. In addition to improving the appearance of the spreads, they are also 15% lighter. And race fans will be happy to learn that the system decreases air resistance.

The Easy Rigging system is entirely compatible with all other existing wire, Dyform and rod systems. A comprehensive range of hardware (spanners, hangers, etc.), designed especially for these new stays, is available for delivery and installation. This makes Easy Rigging ideal for new builds as well as refits. The measuring of cable lengths and diameters can be done by an Easy Rigging specialist, freeing up precious time for customers and ensuring that there are no measuring errors. The lifespan of Easy Rigging stays is approximately three to four years, depending on maintenance and sailing patterns. Delivery time for a complete set of stays is around two weeks. All Easy Rigging products have a worldwide one-year factory warranty.

Here is an example of dimensions required for a given set of conditions:

This shows that Easy Rigging is a first-rate product that is superior to those offered by other PBO cable suppliers. The application of the advanced Endless Winding technology found in other Smart Rigging products ensures that Easy Rigging cables are always lighter, thinner and stronger than other PBO cables.

The first full set of Easy Rigging stays will be installed on a 40 ft Dutch pleasure/racing yacht by February 2007. This will save more than 25 kg in mast weight, allowing an additional 125 kg in the keel or more crew onboard without the need to compromise on speed. Easy Rigging hereby sets the tone for upgrading pleasure and racing boats in the Netherlands and Europe with more modern rigging materials and a performance to match.

Easy Rigging is also well underway to becoming a success in the catamaran market, where cable weight, flexibility and diameter are crucial. In this June’s Round Texel Race, for instance, Easy Rigging technology is set to prove its mettle by enhancing the performance of a number of teams in the first finisher and open classes.