Fabio Bignolini of Northern Light Composites and Ecoracer "We hate fiberglass"

During the trials of Ecoracer 25 in Port Ginesta (Spain) as part of the European Yacht of the Year award we interviewed the founder and CEO of Northern Light Composites who tells us about the genesis of the boat and its sustainable soul.

How did you start this adventure?

«We are a group of guys who have been sailing together for 11 years, also created a sports association in Trieste, the Northern Light Sail, with which we have won two Italian offshore championships and a European one. Each with his skills, three years ago we said to each other "why don't we do something new given our passion and ability"? Our eng. Paduano and the other guys have experience with sustainable composites thanks to the 1001 Vela Cup university competition, which required them to present a boat made with 60 percent sustainable materials, but we immediately set ourselves a higher goal, we wanted to reach 100 percent. And in two and a half years of research, development and smaller prototypes we have arrived at Ecoracer, a 7.7-metre boat with hull and deck built in flax fiber and thermoplastic resin».

When was the startup born?

«We founded it in December 2019, in 2020 we built the Dinghy and at the Genoa Boat Show we won the Design Innovation Award, in the meantime we had started designing the actual boat and all of 2021 was needed for the construction. At the end of the year we returned to the Genoa Boat Show where we won the Design Innovation Award again. We started sailing and in 2022 we went racing around Europe, with great satisfaction».

You also won an Italian.

«Yes, the season started with the victory of the Italian Minialtura Championship on Lake Garda. Ecoracer won the championship overall with the 2-3-1-1-4-2-5 result series in a fleet of almost forty boats».

What were the main difficulties in the design and construction phases?

«The search for the correct combination of materials suitable for a 7.7-metre racing boat with a weight comparable to a fiberglass boat. They are all materials never put together before, especially the thermoplastic resin had never been combined with linen fibers, so for months we built small pieces to find the correct production processes. It was complicated at the beginning, several infusions failed and we had to change and fine-tune the process before building the boat».

The first reactions of the market?

«It was difficult to explain that it was really a thermoplastic boat, many maintained that it was not possible, then when we demonstrated that it actually worked and showed the prototype we immediately noticed a great interest, both from the market and from those who deals with innovation and technology».

Are there any risks in using these materials?

«At this point I can say that there are no risks, the boats that use this technology work well. By using a traditional gelcoat to protect the composite the boats are basically like a fiberglass boat. Linen fiber is not suitable for all boats, for larger ones there must be carbon for reinforcements, but for small ones, the resin allows excellent rigidity and it is precisely in this size range that we believe this technology deserves to arrive quickly".

Thermosetting and thermoplastic resins. What are the differences?

«It is the type of resin that allows or not to recycle the boat. Thermosets are not recyclable, even if you use natural fibers like flax. With thermoplastics you can instead also use carbon or fiberglass and in both cases you get a recyclable product. And it is precisely for this reason that large shipyards, such as Bènéteau for example, focus heavily on recycling thanks to these new thermoplastic composites combined with glass, a fiber that costs little and can be reused to create mat, i.e. sheets of short fibers useful for non-structural parts . On an industrial level it is easier for a shipyard to use fiberglass, while in smaller productions, like ours, natural fibers can become. commonly used".

Are there already recycling plants?

«Yes, there are already functioning plants, you don't have to invent anything, you could start tomorrow. But until there are several boats at the end of their life and sufficient quantities of materials, it is a process that will struggle to take off».

And what do you get from the process?

«There is a mechanical and a chemical process. From the first a granule is obtained to be reused to print plastic parts, while with the second the thermoplastic resin is obtained which does not lose its original properties and it is possible to use it as if it were the first time. Before sending the boat for recycling, it must be "ground", that is, made into pieces and this is why the recycled fibers will be short, broken fibers, therefore not suitable for building another boat but for creating non-structural parts».

Let's close with the new 30 One Design, when will we see it in the water?

«We have finished the design process and have started with the promotion for the sale of the first ten hulls. The mold of the hull is in progress while that of the deck is already ready. At the end of June the boat will be launched in Genoa on the occasion of the arrival of The Ocean Race around the world. I remind you that our project was selected for the Call For Innovation - Sport in the blue economy organized by the Genoa Blue District, a district dedicated to the Blue Economy that integrates the sea supply chain, hi-tech, business and tourism and acts as an engine for the development of the city of Genoa. It is a modern boat designed to go fast with the aim of the One Design circuit, it is a very difficult challenge because we are a small company and we fight with large shipyards. For this reason we have relied on an established professional such as Luca Rizzotti for the launch of the circuit at an international level».