The boat captained by Tita-Banti wins the gold medal in Denmark, and once again ProM Facility has a hand in it
A new triumph for Italian sailing at the European Olympic Mixed Catamaran Foiling Championship held from 5 to 10 July in Aarhus, Denmark. Following their victory at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, the Italian duo Ruggero Tita – Caterina Banti confirmed their lead over other fleets.
The latest components designed in ProM Facility were recently installed on the boat, including the latest evolution of the traveler.
The Trentino technology launched in 2019
The sport-tech collaboration between Trentino champion Tita and ProM Facility began in late 2019 with the goal of making his boat as light as possible. The solution of the mechatronic prototyping lab’s technicians consisted in the use of titanium, which is light and can guarantee high strength, a fundamental prerogative to withstanding the stresses to which the boat is subjected during regattas. Components made from this material differ from all others thanks to their unique tailored design, which halves their weight, and to the mechanical properties derived from 3D metal printing.
With ProM Facility’s innovative technology, over the course of these years the Olympic champion has managed to optimize many parts of the boat and improve competitiveness, thus achieving the highest levels of performance, chief among them the 2021 Olympic gold medal.
The most significant work has been done on the traveler, which has been entirely redesigned and 3D printed to reduce its weight and change its shape to make the boat easier to steer. The piece is made of titanium and combined with polymer pulleys and ceramic bearings. It consists of two pulleys that work as a pair and allow the athlete to maneuver the main sail.
The new parts developed in ProM Facility
“In the last period we have been working in particular on the traveler covers, to further reduce the footprint and improve its aerodynamics”, explains Ciro Malacarne, Facility engineer at Polo Meccatronica.
Ruggero Tita is also testing the first prototypes of the rope clutch, a completely new part designed in the ProM Facility and under development. The rope clutch connects the rope attached between the boat’s mast and the harness worn by the champion, who in the initial request asked lab’s technicians to miniaturize the part. This component is of paramount importance especially in terms of safety, because it allows the position of the helmsman to be adjusted. “We reduced the volume by three times the original clutch and combined several pieces into one”, Malacarne stated.
From the first tests performed by the Olympic champion, the pieces seem to work very well. Tita will continue to test them over the next few weeks in Marseille, and then move to Canada for the world championship in late August.