CompoTech congratulates Ellen McArthur

14 / 02 / 2005
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CompoTech congratulates Ellen McArthur on her success in becoming the fastest person to sail non stop around the world, and was pleased to have supplied the carbon steering rods for B&Q/Castorama

CompoTech was pleased to supply the steering rods which linked the three rudders on Ellen's impressive 75' trimaran, B&Q / Castorama . Five carbon fibre connecting tubes, 50mm in diameter and 2850mm in length, and two carbon fibre torsion tubes, 44.4mm in diameter and 1500mm in length, were used in B&Q / Castorama's steering equipment to provide a reliable and robust link between the rudders.

CompoTech's carbon fibre tubes, produced using its unique zero degree axial fibre laying process, provided a solution that was not only lightweight, but also strong enough to withstand the gruelling conditions to which the boat was subjected over the 71 days that she was at sea. The proprietary manufacturing process and machines used by CompoTech offer excellent fibre and resin consolidation. It enables the fibres to be laid accurately at the desired orientation resulting in a very high performance laminate. The final component offers more than five times the strength and more than twice the stiffness of an aluminium equivalent.