Hot Spot

Austrian skipper will attempt to sail around the world to prove recyclable volcanic fibre could become a hot new material for building yachts.

- Joyce Yip

FIVE YEARS AGO, renowned Austrian skipper Nobert Sedlacek and designer Marion Koch launched a 16ftboat made of volcanic fibre for a 133-day journey across the North Atlantic Ocean. Sedlacek’s son, Harald, twice sailed it non-stop across the Atlantic, achieving three sailing records.

Sedlacek and Koch went on to co-found Innovation Yachts, which this May launched a 60ft version – the Open 60 AAL – at its base in Les Sables d’Olonne for a 34,000nm challenge known as Ant Arctic Lab (AAL).

On July 29, Sedlacek – the first German-speaking skipper to compete in the Vendée Globe – will set off in a bid to sail the eye-catching 60-footer around the world singlehanded, nonstop and assistance-free “to show that the boat and what we do isn’t some kind of stupid idea”.

The alleged “stupid idea” is actually everything but. The 56-year-old Sedlacek and his team at Innovation are further testing volcanic fibre, a material that’s more hydrophobic; UV and heatresistant; fire, explosion and acid-proof; and 100 per cent recyclable.

The Open 60 is made of volcanic fibre combined with balsa wood core and harmless epoxy to keep its weight low.

Compared to conventional carbon fibre, volcanic fibre has better vibration and shock absorption, higher breaking load and emits less greenhouse gases during the production process because it has no toxic reaction with air or water and is non-combustible.

Sedlacek says it’s also 25 per cent cheaper than carbon fibre and more durable, although he admits it’s more than twice its weight.