How does the new PRIME NUMBER differ from the earlier version?
A The principal difference is in the method of manufacture. The hull is now moulded in pre-preg carbon and autoclave cured at 100-120 degrees C giving a lighter, stronger, stiffer, more heat resistant hull. New moulds were required to enable hulls to be produced this way and we took the opportunity to revise the detail design as well as the way in which the moulds are used. The hull shape below the deck edge has been retained but instead of the moulds being split down the centreline the moulds are now split around the deck edge. This permits many detail changes that are useful in the build and fit out process. For example the recess for the pot and the whole deck area is now built in at the hull moulding stage. Recesses for the headsail sheet fairlead, the headsail boom swivel attachment and the sheet return block are built in too. This saves weight and completion time. The fin box and mast tube are also built into the primary hull moulding at the same time.
