SUPER STEEL IN VENDEE GLOBE - PRB’S KEEL VICTORIOUS
12 July 2001 - SSAB Oxelosund

Weldox keels are even lighter than carbon fibre keels, allowing weight to be added to the bulb, this gives better trimming qualities, better righting ability and ultimately a faster stable boat. The strength of the steel had already been displayed when the offshore sailing boat PRB, skippered by Michel Desjoyeaux won the tough Vendee Globe competition with a Weldox keel.

The high-strength Weldox Keel Steel from SSAB Oxelösund can play an important part in future offshore racing. The signs of this include prestigious victory by the PRB sailing boat in the recently completed Vendee Globe Race.

'This new steel really interests us and opens fresh and real possibilities,' says Pascal Conq, keel constructor at Group Finot, designers of the PRB keel. 'Weight is distributed more efficiently, while strength, endurance qualities and impact toughness are greatly improved. We really value these qualities since keels are under extreme stress for months at a time, with permanently alternating loads in a highly demanding marine environment. We’ve also made sure the steel has good welding properties and uniform characteristics, making it easier to work with.'

The secret behind the qualities of the material is in Weldox Keel Steel’s high tensile strength, with a lowest yield point of 1,100 N/mm2, making it the world’s strongest steel in its class.

This means steel in keels can be thinner, reducing weight while giving the whole keel construction greater fracture resistance.

Italian single-handed sailor Giovanni Soldini also used SSAB Oxelösund’s keel steel in his 60 foot boat FILA when winning the Around Alone Race in 1999.

Soldini took advantage of new possibilities given by the steel. In the FILA offshore-race boat, the 4.5 metre keel was also used as a diesel tank by making walls thinner without loss of strength. At the bottom was its 2,700 kg bulb. The keel was able to swing 40 degrees laterally for better trimming qualities, also making the boat rightable if capsized, an important safety feature for single-handed sailors. Experience from this will be applied in the new FILA project now underway.

Discussions are also being held between SSAB Oxelösund and several projects in future America’s Cup competitions, while enquiries are also arriving from boat projects in other offshore-race sailing classes.

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