Langan Design Partners of Newport, R.I., has selected GMT Composites as the carbon rig supplier for a new 55-ft, high-performance yacht Langan has been commissioned to design for a Brazilian client. The rig will be built in Bristol, R.I., and shipped via sea freight from Bristol to the yard where the boat is being built in Brazil. The two companies previously collaborated on an intricate communications arch which was also built at their Bristol location for the 138-ft Langan-designed superyacht Calliope, and was shipped to where the yacht was built in Holland.
The new vessel is reportedly a cutting-edge design, and will have a canting keel and feature high-tech construction, topped by the GMT-built carbon mast and boom. Langan's design is said to suit the owner's desire for a very fast, yet manageable day boat capable of some racing, but also suitable fun and fast sailing with friends.
It is one of two rigs currently being built at GMT that are bound for Brazil. Langan Design partner Sam Howell commented on their previous experience with GMT in which the project was highly complex and challenging, "GMT delivered on time and to spec. They more than met our expectations."
This project is an interesting mix of performance and quality, yet without the no-holds-barred approach of a syndicated racing program. It will be built with direct input from the owner, who wants to balance quality, performance and budget. GMT reports that it's a combination that fits right in with GMT's and Langan's approaches. Both companies say they take pride in the opportunity to represent Rhode Island's marine industry on the international stage.
GMT Composites, since its founding in 1984, has strived for carbon fiber composite innovation and new applications development. Nonmarine projects range from products for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (Cambridge, Mass.) to robotic elements built for confidential military components. GMT has built carbon marine components for everything from Americas Cup and around-the-world race winners to cruising vessels and classic wooden boats. GMT has built carbon-fiber rigs and carbon-fiber composite components for boats and yachts that range from 20 ft to 150 ft in length.
For more information, contact GMT Composites' director of sales and marketing Jonathan Craig, Tel.: (401) 253-8802; E-mail: jcraig@gmtcomposites.com.
