Superyacht supplier Rondal is engaged in the manufacture and supply of the masts, booms, rigging, winches, deck equipment, furling systems, hydraulics and sails for the new Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior III. Due to be launched during the organisation’s 40th anniversary year in 2011, this 58-metre sailing vessel aims to follow their eco friendly ethos and harness the power of the wind in the most efficient possible way.
Currently under construction at the Fassmer Shipyard in Germany, Rainbow Warrior III has been designed by Dijkstra and Partners the firm behind the design of the rig used aboard the superyacht Maltese Falcon.
They have designed the rig to consist of two 45-metre high aluminium A-frame masts carrying five hydraulically furling sails. This is in a bid to minimise the amount of standing rigging required. A-frame masts create a relatively simple rig to operate and will allow Greenpeace to land a helicopter on the aft deck.
For Rondal it is an exciting challenge to design and engineer the unusual masts in aluminium, with their curving legs and mast bend.
In addition to the masts, the company will supply three booms, all standing and running rigging along with five hydrofurls, eight reel and, four deck winches. Deck fittings, sails and the hydraulic valve blocks for the winches and furlers are also to be part of the package.
Rainbow Warrior III includes many green technologies throughout, including the use of heat created by running the generator being used to warm water and pre-heat the engines. Greenpeace is also committed to harnessing the power of the wind as much as possible rather than using fossil fuels, and this means that the design of the mast and the positioning of the sails have been optimised for efficiency.
As you might expect from a campaigning vessel each of the masts have crows’ nests, tracks that can be used for hoisting huge banners and there is a larger than usual quantity of antennas sprouting from the masts for communications and navigation.
Delivery of the rig is planned for the summer of 2011, with handover of the completed vessel to the client in the autumn.
