Carbon masts now equip a large proportion of racing monohulls and multihulls. This makes boats more efficient by lightening their weight and giving them greater stability. Lorima, the only French company specialising in the manufacture of carbon masts of this type, is the official supplier to the Ultim class. This exclusive agreement obliges teams building a new boat to ask Lorima to build their carbon mast. The Ultim class now has 9 boats, 8 of which are equipped with Lorima masts.
Ultims, trimarans dedicated to ocean racing, are 32 metres long (maximum) and 23 metres wide (maximum). These boats, in their constant quest for performance, are setting the speedometers alight by going faster and faster, and require cutting-edge technical solutions to break records. They take part in prestigious races such as the Route du Rhum, the Jules Verne Trophy and the Vendée Globe.
The carbon masts manufactured by Lorima for the Ultim 32/23 class are autoclaved for several hours at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius : just enough time to cure the layers of carbon, which can be several centimetres thick at the fixing points. Each mast requires several thousand hours of work by a team of experts using cutting-edge technology.