Tag Archives: Cyclic loading

loss of stiffness swift solo

Loss of Stiffness in Small Boat Performance

by Meade Gougeon — GBI Founder

Above: The singlehanded sailing skiff SWIFT SOLO by Bram Dally was part of his design quest to prevent loss of stiffness in small boats.

Epoxyworks 21

Cover Photo: The SWIFT SOLO is a single-handed skiff built by Bram Dally. Stiff, durable hulls are crucial to skiff speed.

One of the little-known or understood characteristics of modern fiber-reinforced plastic composites is the loss of some initial stiffness capability after repeated cyclic loading. Loss of stiffness can be significant enough to cause a noticeable effect on performance, depending upon laminate makeup and degree of cyclic loading. Continue reading →

Swift Solo

Swift Solo

Building for Long-Term Competitive Performance

by Bram Dally

Above: The Swift Solo in action. The complicated rig is designed to be managed by one person while they hang from the side of the boat.

Swift Solo, a single-handed skiff built by Bram Dally.

When Meade Gougeon asked me if I’d write a piece about what I’m up to for Epoxyworks, I was honored. He had read the January 2002 article on my single-handed skiff in Sailing World and offered the assistance of GBI (Gougeon Brothers, Inc.) to do some extensive testing for us on several composite samples. Continue reading →