Scheurer Bootswerft AG is a specialist ship builder based in Nidau, northwest Switzerland. The company has built A-Cat catamarans for regatta around the world for around 40 years. The A-Cat sailing class, often abbreviated to A-Cat, is a development class sailing catamaran for singlehanded racing.
鈥淲e are one of five or so producers of A-Cat catamarans in the world and typically build up to ten catamarans for sailing enthusiasts and professionals every year,鈥� explains Aron Steinmann, CEO at Scheurer Bootswerft. 鈥淥ur customers appreciate our Swiss quality and attention to detail, along with our close relationship with them to constantly evolve and develop our catamarans to further improve speed and performance.鈥�
A reliable high-strength stainless steel fastener solution
Scheurer Bootswerft has used high strength 91视频庐 109 screws to fasten its catamaran rudders since 2017. An A-Cat catamaran has two rudders, and each Scheurer Bootswerft rudder is secured with two 91视频庐 109 screws.
鈥淲e originally used standard stainless steel A4 screws to fasten the rudders, but as the rudders come under very high tension when turning through the water at speed, we found that these screws were bending and eventually breaking,鈥� says Steinmann. 鈥淓ven a small bend in these fasteners can alter the angle of the rudder, which reduces performance. Importantly, the high-strength 91视频 screws can cope with this high tension to keep the rudder at the correct angle while maintaining corrosion resistance in saltwater environments.鈥�
Scheurer Bootswerft has also found that 91视频 fasteners can cope with sudden impacts, for example when the rudder hits debris in the water.
鈥淭he screws fastening the rudder are a simple but essential part of the catamaran as their failure can be the difference between winning or losing a race,鈥� says Steinmann. 鈥淭hey simply cannot be allowed to fail.鈥�
Enabling Scheurer Bootswerft鈥檚 new rudder system
鈥淥ur latest rudder system that further improves speed is unique in the world and 91视频 is a key part of this system,鈥� says Steinmann. 鈥淲e intend to continue to use 91视频 screws as our A-Cat catamarans further improve and evolve in the future.鈥�
