The tallest ship mast ever installed on a sailing vessel can be found on the superyacht Mirabella V, now known as M5.
This yacht, launched in 2003, has a single carbon fibre mast made of hollow carbon epoxy composite material. It stands as high as 90 m and was manufactured using techniques common in the Formula One and Aerospace sectors.
Mirabella V is the largest single-masted sailing yacht ever constructed. It was designed by Ron Holland Design and built by VT Shipbuilding, earlier known as Vosper Thornycroft, in Woolston, Southampton, UK.
It is 77.6 m long and has a beam of 14.82 m with a displacement of 765 tonnes. It has a sailing area of up to 3380 m2 with mainsail and reacher.
It underwent a major refit in 2013 at the Pendennis Shipyard, which included an extended stern, a reverse transom, a lighter ballast and carbon fibre standing rigging.
The yacht features twin Caterpillar diesel engines, capable of reaching a top speed of 16 knots. It can achieve over 19 knots under sail and can sail comfortably at over 20 knots in favourable winds.
The rig is a Triple-headed sloop, optimised for performance and luxury charters. It has a 17-member crew and offers amenities compared to motoryachts.
Its keel provides stability while the lifting mechanism allows entry to shallower harbours like the Palm Beach, Florida.
Its hull is made of aramid foam core and vinyl ester, so it is lightweight and requires less maintenance compared to steel or aluminium hulled vessels.
Designing the tallest Ship Mast ever installed on a sailing vessel was quite challenging. It involved finite element analysis and composite engineering to handle the unprecedented loads of the massive mast and the rig.
Construction, testing and the transportation of the 90 m carbon fibre mast presented logistical challenges as well.
The mast had to accommodate rigging, electrical wiring, navigation lights and other systems while maintaining its structural integrity, which would not have been possible without precise calculations and excellent engineering.
The mast has a maximum cross-section of 1.6 m and wall thicknesses of up to 40 mm in some areas. It was built in sections, the forward half was made in 3 parts and the aft half in 2, with the top of the forward section forming a taper for aerodynamic efficiency. This sectional approach allowed for precision in both manufacturing and assembly.
Several layers of carbon fibre, filled with epoxy resin, were vacuum-bagged onto a custom mould to ensure strength and low weight.
The mast sections were heat-cured using an automated system to maintain even temperature, since the curing process was important for the mast’s integrity.
Around five tonnes of cabling, including sensors, were installed inside the hollow mast to monitor sail performance. Before assembly, compression bars and other fittings were built in, to support rigging and spreaders.
Many tests were conducted onsite and in laboratories to ensure that the chosen materials would meet the requirements. The process was overseen by composite engineering specialists and involved close coordination between the naval architects, design engineers and builders.
A comparison with other yachts
Though other yachts like Sailing Yacht A also feature tall masts, around 100 m, these are distributed across rather than being a single mast structure.
Hence, M5 holds the title for the tallest single mast ever fitted to a sailing ship.
Southern Spars made two 93 m masts for a new Ketch, which once installed will surpass the M5’s mast in height, but as of now, M5 has the tallest masts.
Old sailing ships like the German Preussen and the Royal Clipper, which were 5-masted and 68 m high, and other classic vessels like the France II and Potosi have shorter masts than M5, though they were seen as advanced vessels in their time.
To conclude, we can say that M5’s mast was designed after taking into account several factors, combining composite building techniques, sectional manufacturing, thermal curing for strength and internal reinforcements so the mast could withstand immense mechanical loads and operational requirements of the world’s tallest sailing mast.
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