The New Zealand-based, CT Sailbattens is now part of the Global Ocean race 2011-12 (GOR) Race Partner group. The company’s development has had a major impact on sail batten technology with exceptional results in the America’s Cup, IMOCA Open 60, Volvo Ocean Race and superyacht arenas. CT Sailbattens have agreed to work closely with the GOR teams in supplying and customising their high-performance, light and durable, prepreg, s-glass battens for the round the world Class40 fleet.
CT SailBattens join the Global Ocean Race as Race Partner
During the 2003 America’s Cup, three teams trialled the CT Sailbattens with Alinghi, Team New Zealand and Victory Challenge assisting with further technical development. A breakthrough into the European ORMA 60 and IMOCA Open 60 markets followed with further take-up from the Volvo Ocean Race teams. CT Sailbattens now supply their range of performance systems to skiff sailors and superyacht captains. The Race Partnership agreement is of immense benefit to the highly-competitive skippers in the GOR.
The Class40 Rule prohibits the use of carbon fibre in the sail systems and CT Sailbattens will supply the GOR teams with the CT22, full-length, black, s-glass battens. Professional sailor and European Agent for CT Sailbattens, Fraser Brown, explains: “They’re light and durable with unique stiffness properties,” says Brown. “The battens have been extensively tested and have performed incredibly well.” During the last Volvo Ocean Race, the seven boats carrying CT Sailbattens recorded no batten breakages throughout the entire circumnavigation. The battens, the luff receptacles and leech plugs are simple to fit to new sails and retro-fitting to existing sails presents no difficulties. There is also the option of customising the battens. “It’s very simple to adapt each batten for stiffness and draft,” confirms Brown. “For example, a skipper might prefer a stiffer top batten, while the remainder of the battens are standard CT22’s”
CT Sailbattens will organise shipment of the battens, receptacles and plugs direct to the team’s boat and will be available to advise on fitting all systems. Furthermore, the company’s headquarters is in Auckland and CT Sailbattens will be on site offering valuable support during the Wellington stop over at the end of GOR Leg 2. After two legs and approximately 15,000 miles of offshore racing, the company’s location in New Zealand is a bonus: “Wellington marks the halfway point of the Global Ocean Race,” says Brown. “We’ll be in town for the duration of the stop over and will check all the boats carrying our battens and advise the skippers on any aspect of our systems.”
Josh Hall, Race Director of the GOR, is delighted with this valuable addition to the event’s support network: “CT Sailbattens is the latest world-class supplier to join our ever-expanding group of Race Partners,” says Hall. “There is no question that their battens are the best way to achieve premium sail shape, adding more horsepower to the engine-room of the boat, so to speak. I have watched Fraser Brown and the CT SailBatten team develop this fabulous product over recent years and I am extremely pleased to welcome them onboard for the GOR,” he continues. “They are fully integrated with the best sail-makers in the world so our entries can be super-confident of superb battens and service.”
