 Goetz
has pioneered and perfected the composite building process
since 1975, advancing the technology to suit the needs
of each project. Through associations with marine and
aerospace engineers, GCB has been able to apply true
space-age technology to its craft. The victorious America3
campaign, for example, drew upon the expertise of engineers
from Stanford University’s Department of Aeronautics
and Astrophysics, as well as engineers from Lockheed
and Hall Engineering to perfect new construction techniques
and ensure the success of the revolutionary new design.
 GCB’s
state of the art pre-preg technology is a step beyond
the traditional wet-preg system of epoxy resin impregnation.
(Epoxy is the strongest, most waterproof adhesive available.)
When building a wet-preg boat, wet resin is applied
to a reinforcing material like carbon fiber. The actual
resin content varies depending upon application technique
and ambient temperature. A vacuum bag spread over the
laminate maintains pressure until the resin cures.
 With
pre-preg, the correct (minimum) amount of resin is applied
to the reinforcing materials in advance and frozen to
prevent the epoxy from curing. This pre-preg material
is precisely applied to the boat plug after which the
entire hull is vacuum bagged and baked in a custom oven
to cure the resin. The resulting structure is 25% lighter
and 10-15% stiffer, with greater impact resistance and
lower moisture absorption than the equivalent wet-preg
boat.
Racing yachts are often constructed
with composite skins of carbon fiber, glass or Kevlar
laminated around a honeycomb, foam, or balsa core. Cruising
yachts can be built with similar materials or less exotic
materials can be selected to achieve appreciable cost
savings. Regardless of the materials chosen, GCB always
makes use of its high-tech building techniques to maximize
strength, speed, and overall quality.
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