How to get more out of your sails

by Cyclops Marine 30 Dec 2024 08:00 PST

Consider the time you dedicate to selecting the right inventory, choosing the right sailmaker, and all the other meticulous considerations before you even hit the water.

This process is vital, but it's only the beginning. Even with all these efforts, there's no guarantee you'll unlock the full potential of your sails.

Sail makers have invested millions in the evolution of sail technology. The advent of structured luff technology and advanced sail materials has transformed yacht performance. However, there remains a gaping low-tech hole in racing - the method of setting batten compression.

Traditionally, this has relied on experience and visual estimation. This rudimentary approach is far from ideal, and in most cases leads to suboptimal sail-shape, mediocre performance, and potentially hours of wasted time re-hoisting sails when the setting is shown to be incorrect.

It's like purchasing a Ferrari and limiting the engine to 70mph. You have a high-performance machine at your disposal, but you can't be sure you are harnessing its full capabilities.

In worse cases setting batten compression by sight can seriously distort sail shape and cause damage.

Data-Driven Sail Performance

In response to this obvious need, world leaders in wireless load sensing for yachts, Cyclops Marine, have introduced smartbatten - a tiny solution placed between the batten and 'rocket' tightener, providing real-time compressive load data.

Imagine seeing your actual live batten compression, enabling you to match the sailmaker's recommendations every time. This is the dream that smartbatten brings to life - optimal settings and practical setup to get you flying around the racecourse with a new level of convenience delivered through Cyclops' app.

Mario Trindade, Sail Designer at Quantum Sails and J70 & SB20 World Champion:

"...the repeatable tension of battens is so crucial in the set-up of the sail, this device from Cyclops is the ideal solution to define and repeat the right setting."

The leading minds in load sensing at Cyclops collaborated with some of the world's best sailmakers to create this new innovation. Cyclops were determined to make the solution plug and play, and have produced a compact, practical solution which is easily added to existing sail battens. The smart sensor is an adapter for the C-Tech 22 batten, and comes with a rocket and custom compression block.

An essential requirement was low weight to enable sails to fly in the gentlest of wind. smartbatten is manufactured in titanium (size 1) & aluminium (size 2), and weighs in at a staggering 22g-net impact is 44g per batten.

smartbatten has garnered praise for its game-changing value for race teams at the highest level, particularly for 40 - 80 ft grand prix race boats. Pre-calibrated to within 1% of working load, smartbatten empowers sailors with the most accurate, performance critical data.

Designed with grand prix teams for grand prix teams, it charges wirelessly in less than an hour, with the latest in wireless charging technology providing 80 days of battery life from a single charge (up to 500 days onboard in napping mode) - making it perfect for the most demanding race programmes. Remote on/off from the App is a new feature for 2024.

smartbatten is available now here, or contact one of our experts for a consultation.