10-Year Refit of M5
M5, the world’s largest sloop-rigged sailing yacht, has recently completed her 10-year refit, a significant milestone for a vessel of this scale and complexity. This latest refit provided the opportunity to verify the long-term performance of Carbo-Link’s CL-SOLID rigging under sustained high-load operation, while also introducing several new upgrades for continued efficiency and reliability.
Cable System Integrity Confirmed
A complete visual inspection of all cables, with working loads of up to 210 tonnes, was conducted on site in Marina di Carrara. After a decade in operation, no structural abnormalities were detected, reaffirming the robustness of Carbo-Link’s composite rigging and termination technology, even under extreme marine loading conditions. The yacht’s crew also repainted the cables during this service window, carrying out the task with exceptional precision and care, ensuring continued protection against UV and environmental exposure.
Foil System Refinement
The torsional foils, designed to handle torque moments up to 40,000 Nm and also built by Carbo-Link, were repainted. As part of the upgrade, new titanium feeders were designed, manufactured, and installed by Carbo-Link, featuring smoother transition zones to reduce stress concentrations and enhance the overall durability of the foil-to-sail interface.
New Carbon Runners — Built to Last
A significant addition during the 10-year refit was the replacement of the yacht’s Kevlar runners with Carbo-Link’s CL-SOLID rigging cables. While the previous Kevlar runners required replacement every 5 years, the new carbon runners are designed for a service life of 25 years or more, significantly reducing the cost of ownership through a vastly reduced maintenance program and no replacement, whilst also improving performance with increased stiffness and no degradation. The runners were delivered uncured and coiled, and cured on site using ohmic heating, a controlled process where the cables are tensioned between two stands and cured with electricity. The curing process was completed in just two days, with outstanding preparation and support from Marine Results and the M5 crew.
Looking Back: 5-Year Refit Weight Optimisation.
During the 5-year refit, Carbo-Link contributed to a significant weight reduction aloft by replacing all upper toggles (inner forestay, forestay, outer forestay, and backstay) with carbon fibre toggles. This upgrade achieved a weight saving of 150 kg at an average height of 60 metres, translating into an effective reduction of approximately 2.5 tonnes at keel level, based on a centre of gravity at 3.5 m. This not only improved performance but also reduced pitching and enhanced overall yacht handling.
