The We Explore catamaran, produced from 50% flax fibers, was ranked 2nd in its category on the Route du Rhum

We Explore, a 18m catamaran crossed the Atlantic from St Malo to Pointe à Pitre piloted by Roland Jourdain in 16 days 07 hours 21 minutes, ranking 2nd in the Rhum Multi category.

A technical challenge has been achieved: a proof of concept through this collaborative innovation.
The initial challenge became reality in just a single year. This collaborative innovation, supported by Bureau Vallée, Glasseo and Terre de Lin, was initiated by Kairos with the collaboration of Outremer Catamarans, yachts manufacturer and the Terre de Lin cooperative. Terre de Lin supplied the flax fibres and designed the reinforcements produced in collaboration with its weaving partners.

We Explore faced the realities of the race : changing winds at the beginning and rough seas as it crossed the trade winds. Among the 3 leading skipppers in his category all along the race, Roland Jourdain, already two-times winner of the Route du Rhum, won a double victory thanks to his experience and determination: winning a second podium place in the Rhum Multi category, and proving the concept of an alternative construction using flax fibers. This success opens up new perspectives and encourages the nautical world to get knowledge and use flax fibres.

This eco-designed boat made of 50% flax fibres from Terre de Lin proves that flax is a solution for the composites of tomorrow.

Terre de Lin has been working for 15 years on the use of flax fiber for composite markets.
Curious at the start, today composites professionals are interested in this fiber because of its multiple advantages:

• Low density
• Vibration/acoustic absorption, a major advantage especially as regards sailing or sports and leisure markets
• Coming from renewable resources and from a culture that requires little water and chemical input
• Meeting the need of manufacturers and end-users to manage the composites end of life (energy recovery with thermoset resins / recycling with thermoplastics)

Flax is a solution that addresses some of the current environmental challenges.

For all the partners, this project opens up new opportunities and is an incentive to pursue their efforts: improving the industrialization and implementation of flax fibres, evaluating and positioning flax fiber environmental gains in relation to technical benefits according to their application and thus promoting flax fibres to manufacturers in the sailing, sport and mobility fields.

Terre de Lin will continue to open up new outlets for flax fibres in composites and technical applications based on this proof of concept.

At JEC World 2021, TDL Technique (subsidiary dedicated to composite and technical applications of Terre de Lin) marketed a range of flax fibres rovings for technical weaving. Its objective is to consolidate relations with weaving customers and expand its business in the sale of flax fibres for composite and technical applications.