Epoxycraft
Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Epoxy Basics
  • How To
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
  • Trade Secrets
  • Projects
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
    • Motorsport
    • Aviation
    • Architecture
  • Meet The Maker
  • News
  • Contribute
  • Contact

Projects: Two products for top performance
1st November 2018

Two products for top performance

Based in West Yorkshire, Winder Boats builds high performance racing dinghies and foils using PRO-SET epoxy. The key to success was finding the right product and – literally – sticking with it.

Anyone who has sailed a Merlin Rocket or Fireball dinghy knows the exhilaration they give from close racing in a stiff breeze and the international competition is as fierce as it gets. As such, these boats need to be as light and as strong as possible, which is why Winder Boats moved away from working solely in plywood a decade ago and now creates a range of composite hull types using PRO-SET epoxy.

As business partner David Winder explains, they found that two products could do just about every job in the workshop, which keeps the inventory low and the skill set high.

“We use PRO-SET INF Epoxy (INF-114 Resin with a combination of 211 or 213 INF Hardeners) for infusion, and PRO-SET LAM Epoxy (LAM-125 Resin with a combination of either 224, 226 or 237 LAM Hardeners) for hand lay-up and general bonding,” David said. “Infusion is a great way to make a moulding but sometimes you can get a better result by using hand-applied epoxy, especially if the mould tool has some awkward shapes. The Merlin Rocket, for example, has a mock clinker design, where the ‘planks’ overlap. This lends itself more to using a hand-layup technique, as you can insure full epoxy saturation by working it into the turn of each join.”

The switch to composites

Guy Winder founded his company in a garage in 1976 to make a range of sailing dinghies, from popular trainers such as Mirrors and GP14s up to white knuckle ride Merlins, Solos and Fireballs. The family are racing enthusiasts so they live and breathe their products and the company has since grown to employ 5 more staff. The website states ‘A winder boat is not just built to win championships, but also built to last.’ The company is also able to customise the designs, so can supply a Mirror with an outboard bracket and rowlocks, or a GP14 that is tough enough to withstand serious abuse.

“We were originally building everything in wood but realised we could get a lighter and lower-maintenance product if we switched to fibreglass or epoxy composite,” David said. He joined his father’s company straight from school in 1986 and now leads the production team in development and innovation.

“We had to teach ourselves the techniques and began with using infusion on the top-end dinghies,” he said. “We approached West System International (WSI) for advice and resident expert David Johnson came up to help us.”

The first composite Merlin Rocket was created in 1989 and proved a huge success, so the processes were moved across to other boats in the portfolio, including National 12s. Initially, Winder Boats had begun by using another manufacturer’s epoxy and whilst effective they found that it was not particularly user friendly.

“We had always kept in touch with David at WSI and when he told us that they had a new formulation of PRO-SET epoxy coming out, we asked him for a demonstration. We found the PRO SET LAM and INF epoxy products to be exactly what we wanted. They have virtually no odour and by using a blend of hardeners we can get the epoxy to cure at exactly the right speed for our production schedule.”

David Winder’s main concern was the effect of temperature on a dark hull as many international events are held in very hot climates. However, the PRO-SET INF epoxy was already post cured at 60oC and proved indestructible, even when a dark hull was being sailed hard in the Tropics. “I raced one of our PRO-SET epoxy Fireballs during the World championships in Carnac, Brittany, this year,” David said. “It was August and in the middle of a record-breaking summer. Despite the blistering heat, it didn’t cook. The layup is incredibly stable.”

Speed of production

Apart from the low emissions and customised cure times, the main reason Winder Boats likes to use PRO-SET INF epoxy is the speed at which a hull and deck can be made.

“The process is also very easy to teach to new staff,” David said. “The hull can be assembled by one worker in the morning and infused during the afternoon.” (See our feature in Epoxycraft on the whole infusion process, or watch our video)

With another worker assembling the deck, a boat can be put together in a day.

“We use PRO-SET LAM epoxy to bond the hull and deck together and to create other smaller components. The foils are also infused, with either kevlar or carbon, depending on class rules or a customer’s requirements.”

The infusion process pulls the INF-114/211 epoxy evenly throughout a mix of reinforcements chosen for their strength-to-weight ratio and includes 300gsm woven glass cloth and the strategic use of foam cores. The hand lamination is reserved for smaller components and the inside of the Merlin Rocket’s hull.

“With the hand process, you can target the epoxy more precisely, so it is possible to make a lighter moulding. However, infusion gives an excellent product, with an even distribution of epoxy, although you have to be very diligent with sealing the vacuum bag. The slightest leak can compromise the whole process, so we are particularly careful with bag integrity.”

Winder Boats says it is always looking to optimise the production process, so is constantly investigating new products and processes to refine construction further. In the meantime, whether you want a bulletproof trainer or a high performance race winner, it will have the boat for you.

For more details, contact David or Guy Winder on  01535 604980 or email david@winderboats.com.

Website: www.winderboats.com

If you want to drop by, the address is Winder Boats, Kensington Street, Leighly, West Yorkshire BD21 1PW.


Share on


Back to projects

Subscribe to our newsletter
Our unique epoxy knowledge and experience, delivered straight to you

Events

Future dates TBC

What is epoxy?

Epoxy Projects

UK Chandleries Open – January 2021

As England, Scotland and Wales enter another lockdown, you may have started work on those home projects. Whether it’s boat maintenance and repairs, a restoration or a brand new build,

Creating an Artisan Gold Ring with Canadian Maple and Epoxy

You may be surprised to learn that the UK is home to some of the finest gold around. Mark discovered this as a child when his father, Edward, would take

Heritage 9.9

Castagnola Launch Heritage 9.9

Castagnola Shipyard has launched the elegant, custom-made Heritage 9.9. Able to reach a cruising speed of 34 knots, the 10.91m custom-built luxury yacht is a fine example of what happens

Nick Zammeti Gets Creative with Epoxy and Liquorice Allsorts

What happens when you give Youtuber Nick Zammeti lots of epoxy and bags of Liquorice Allsorts? You get one incredibly funky table! Nick is well-known and loved in the industry

Meet the Maker – The Resin Reserve

Resin artist, alchemist, resin-gineer. Kate Ede of The Resin Reserve has always kept us in awe of her marvellous and beautiful creations. Inspired by patterns in nature, Kate is a

Split Film Festival Trophies

Creating the 2020 Split Film Festival Trophy

The Split Film Festival is one of the oldest film and video festivals in Croatia, showcasing new films and radical works of all styles, themes and genres. The festival celebrated

Hot Box

How to keep your epoxy warm in winter: build a hotbox

Winter is a challenging time for epoxy products. Warmth is needed to keep the resin fluid enough for dispensing pumps to work well and cold ambient temperature can greatly reduce

How to Work With Epoxy in Cold Weather

The frosty mornings and dark evenings are drawing near. There are projects that need finishing, but what do you do when epoxy and cold weather don’t get on too well.

Mas Snowboard

Snowboard Enthusiasts Taking On The World With Incredible Designs

To many a holidaymaker, Turkey is a haven of golden sand beaches, historic landmarks and party towns. However, it’s not just those looking to top up on their tan that

Class Xero Yacht

Class Xero Combines Coffee and Epoxy in Sustainable Yacht Design

Image credit: Alec Smith - https://www.imagemundi.com Craig Palmer, based in Worthing, is looking at opportunities to bring the marine industry together in a collaborative way. In the middle of building

Craobh Woodwork

Bringing a New Lease of Life to Reclaimed Scottish Timber

Tucked away in the highlands of Scotland is the small village of Culbokie, home to Craobh Woodwork and artisan Bruce Neill. Specialising in producing bespoke timber products from the highest

Final Bar Design

Cheers! Leeds Furniture Maker Creates a Bar Worth Celebrating

James McKay has been a creator since his early years. His fascination for creativity guided his interest into art, design and technology during his school years. James went on to

  • Home
  • Epoxy Basics
  • Projects
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
    • Motorsport
    • Architecture
    • Aviation
  • Trade Secrets
  • How To
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Boat Building
    • Woodworking
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contribute
  • Contact
West System
Pro-Set
Entropy Resins
Subscribe to our newsletter
Copyright © 2021 Epoxycraft | Website by MAA