What if the next big offshore sailing arms race isn’t happening below the water… but high above it?
For years, IMOCA and ULTIM teams have pushed relentlessly into foils, hull shapes, autopilots, ergonomics and skipper comfort. Now another area is starting to receive serious attention: mainsail shaping.
Actual Ultim 4 has introduced a new dynamically bendable mast, combined with LiDAR sensors that can measure the real 3D shape of the mainsail while sailing. Gitana 18 is exploring the same problem from another direction, using movable spreaders to influence mast—and therefore sail—shape.
These ideas have clear roots in America’s Cup development, where increasingly sophisticated control of aerodynamic shape has become one of the key performance battlegrounds.
So are we now seeing the beginning of the next major offshore development race?
In this episode of Sea Wolves, we look at how mainsails are evolving from something sailors simply trim into part of a measured, actively controlled aerodynamic system—and where this technology could take the world’s fastest offshore boats next.
#Sailing #Ultim #IMOCA #AmericasCup #OffshoreSailing #SailingTechnology #RouteDuRhum
