Hall Spars Launch Sail Battens at METS

Hall Spars and Rigging's hollow composite battens set a new benchmark in mainsail shape control at Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam, NL. With considerable interest and a raft of orders already secured for the high quality pre-preg carbon fibre battens manufactured in custom solid aluminium female tooling using 6 bar of pressure, Hall Spars is set to take ownership of a new market. A full range of end fittings is offered; from soft sail furling to batten receptacles, lashing outboard ends to adjustable outboard or inboard ends with screw adjusters. 

Please email: battens@hallspars.com to enquire or order your new set of state of the art battens.  

Hall Spars expand ground presence in Australia through key local hire

Hall Spars, makers of high-performance spars and rigging, have demonstrated their commitment to support and growth of the Australian market through the recruitment of Sydney based yachting veteran Ron Jacobs.

“At Hall Spars we are focused on delivering outstanding customer service and we saw an opportunity to further support our clients in-country” says Garry Hassall, Managing Director of Hall Spars and Rigging NZ.

“In Ron we have found a highly experienced, technically capable representative whose depth of industry knowledge and relationships speak for themselves. An oft crowned sailor himself, Ron blends a core understanding of client needs with an extensive background in project management.”

Jacobs’ marine experience spans 40 years of both professional and personal involvement with high performance craft. This has included a rewarding career with Sydney based loft Fraser Sails to project managing some of the most successful race winning yachts in Australian history including Sagacious, Beyond Thunderdome, “97”, Quest and Exile. Ron’s personal successes include multiple outright wins at Hamilton Island Race Week and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

A qualified engineering draftsman, Jacobs has also represented Australia at various local & international Half and One Ton Cup regattas since the ‘70’s. This has informed an intimate and highly developed understanding of what makes a boat go faster both in theory and practice.

"My history with Hall Spars dates back to 2007” says Jacobs. “I have raced onboard many yachts with their high-performance autoclave-cured carbon fiber spars over that time and formed a close working relationship with the team in recent years on several projects”

“The (spars) proven capability on everything from America's Cup and Grand Prix race yachts to the largest luxury sailing vessels in the world is testament to Hall Spars world class technical skill and products. I have every confidence in the product range and I'm looking forward to working on the ground with our Australian clients to ensure they get the best in service and support."

Hall Spars New Zealand at Monaco Yacht Show

Hall Spars New Zealand's Managing Director, Garry Hassall, will be at the Monaco Yacht Show between the 23 - 26 September 2015. To arrange a meeting, please contact him on:

Tel. 0064 (0) 21 72 0094
Email. g.hassall@hallspars.com

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Production is booming at Hall Spars NZ

Hall Spars New Zealand has battened down the hatches as August 2015 brought further news of heightened production at their cutting edge Auckland facility in the shape of 4 new custom built Oceanfurl booms for the Oyster 825-05 and 825-06, a Hill 20-metre and Dubois 37-metre.

Sophisticated and functional, demand for Oceanfurl booms from the premiere builder of high-performance spars and rigging is continuing to grow with more construction set to begin later in the year. With a carbon fibre prepreg nomex cored design and streamlined carbon-fiber body and furling mandrel, these stalwart booms are extremely lightweight without compromising on safety or convenience. Drive options include hydraulic, manual or electric (for smaller booms) and the Oceanfurl can be reefed or furled when sailing at deep angles, improving comfort in all conditions.

Andy Sheltrum, Captain of Dubois 37m S/Y Bliss, says "We have used our Oceanfurl boom for over 5 years; racing in regattas and ultimately completing over 80,000 miles. The boom works as well today as it did when it was new. The large furling angles and electronic luff adjuster makes single person operation a breeze."

Hall's innovative 2015 range of Oceanfurl tooling utilises a precision single cook process in which the shell of the boom, flush ring frames, stiffening, patching and the shelf are co-cured in their custom aerospace grade autoclave; removing the requirement for secondary bonding and dramatically increasing the structural integrity of the boom whilst saving overall weight and driving performance. 

A new 2015 slim-line shape sees a greater taper and smaller aft end creating the sleekest profile possible. The front end has been re-modeled and is capable of open-front or traditional closed-front boom options.

This same level of attention to detail is reflected in the finishing with the fitting of dimmable recessed white or warm LED lights over consoles and guest seating areas as well as an integral boom cover with the option for hidden awning tracks.

Oceanfurl booms have a large size range with the very economical 50ft range to the very elegant 50m range used on boats like the Wally 50m Better Place. They can be retrofitted to any mast and operation is a breeze with manual or automated controls.

Our new design can be seen here on this beautiful Oyster 825 Maegan:

Get a behind the scenes look at how our Oceanfurl booms are made here:

The catamarans are coming

The Hall Spars' Auckland factory has all hands on deck at the moment with two catamaran masts underway. 

Combining luxury and speed with a classic design aesthetic, a Schionning 60 is due to make waves in Australia. The Schionning 60 will feature a high modulus Hall Spars seamless mast and raising wing boom for stowage of the mainsail when at anchor. 

Also under construction, a Roger Hill 20-metre is slated for September launch. The Roger Hill 20-metre has a seamless high modulus, rotating wing mast and Oceanfurl boom to enable full sail control from the cockpit.

Designed by engineers who are experienced sailors and constructed utilizing Hall’s proprietary Seamless carbon fiber process, the masts are cured to 6 times atmospheric pressure in an aerospace grade autoclave. Combining high-performance, style and toughness, the completely homogenous tubes deliver maximum structural reliability and save impressive amounts of weight. 

Upon completion, a Hall rigging technician from the international service team will be on site for stepping, dock tuning and sail trials, ensuring a perfect match between mast and sails.  

Hall Spars has specialty catamaran mast sections and specific multihull engineering programs designed to get the most out of your multihull, both in terms of safety and performance.

Dave Ridley, Hall Spars NZ Operations Manager, says, “Multihulls are a fast growing sector of our business.  We have devoted a large amount of resources into ensuring our engineering software and manufacturing processes are suited to the complex pitching and rapid spike loadings involved in multihulls. We have a range of sections available to best match your fixed or rotating mast with a range of high performance moduli of carbon that enable us to reduce the all-up weight and pitching of the boat. Both of these factors vastly impact a catamaran's performance and comfort in racing and cruising.”

Catamaran mast manufacture underway at Hall Spars Auckland

Mills 45 High Performance Now Under Construction

We've just begun construction on a high-performance Mills 45 race boat mast at our Auckland factory. With a mast made out of ultra high modulus and fibre that is .15 of a millimetre thick for specific laminate placement, optimal stiffness and weight reduction, this, combined with Hall's seamless technology, is set to give the best performing mast tube available.

Upgrade your performance

For boats looking to gain a performance edge, your mast is a good place to start for weight and righting moment gains. Boats Like the KC44 Swish in Sydney, carrying new high modulus spreaders, are seeing gains with simple equipment changes that deliver on the course. Improve your boat's performance in small increments without breaking the bank by trying a carbon forestay or rigging set, spreaders, backstays, running rigging or boom as a great way to lighten the boat. Ready for a new mast or upgrade? 

 

Slots for 2015 are almost 100% taken with only very limited positions available. If you are thinking of purchasing a mast, please get in touch with Dave or Garry to book your build slot for 2016.
Email Dave
Email Garry 

Swish shows what she can do on the water. Photo courtesy Howard Wright

Swish shows what she can do on the water. Photo courtesy Howard Wright