Seldén mast chosen for Golden Globe Race

Taking part in the ‘loneliest sporting event in the world’, Ian Herbert-Jones has chosen a new Seldén rig and an extensive range of Seldén’s deck hardware to aid his solo, non-stop circumnavigation in the Golden Globe Race 2022.

Herbert-Jones has given Puffin a complete refit to ensure it’s ready for the challenge ahead, including replacing the mast. The boat previously completed the Golden Globe Race in 2018 with skipper István Kopár.

“Puffin had a super strong rig from Seldén which was still in great shape after the 2018 race,” says Herbert-Jones. “However, when I decided to add a second headsail stay, a Solent stay, to Puffin’s rig I started to look at refurbishing the mast, after all it had already done 30,000+ miles, all be it in a short space of time.

“Going back to Seldén was a natural choice, given how well the previous mast had fared following its circumnavigation, and the team in the UK were very supportive of the project.

“At this point, I took the opportunity to look at the new mast sections that Seldén is offering and found that we could reduce some weight aloft, while strengthening the lower part of the mast all in a single section. This seemed like a good upgrade for Puffin with what lays ahead.”

Working with its authorised dealer Allspars in Plymouth, and locally in Herbert-Jones home port of Pwllheli with The Boatshed Wales, Seldén designed and manufactured the new rig.

“The mast that went round in the last race was an aluminium two-piece C245 section,” says Michael Calvert, sales manager at Seldén Mast. “Within Seldén there’s a constant evolution of mast profiles to suit new market demands, and this latest mast utilises our C225 mast profile, creating a lighter one-piece mast which offers the same stiffness characteristics.

”We have carefully chosen the fixtures and fittings on the mast, taking into account the length of the trip and the expected conditions. For example, we’ve used seltangs to offer greater articulation to support the increase in forces which may be generated along certain passages of the voyage. Working with the technical teams in the UK and Sweden, no stone has been left unturned with the specification process to ensure we supply the best quality mast for the job at hand.

”It’s been a really interesting project to work on and we’re delighted to be supporting Ian as he participates in the Golden Globe Race and look forward to following his progress.”

Herbert-Jones, currently finishing his final preparations before leaving the UK at the end of July to join the fleet in Spain, is also using Seldén’s Furlex jib furling systems and deck hardware.

“I have chosen Seldén’s Furlex systems for my Genoa, Yankee and Staysail on Puffin, along with Seldén spinnaker poles and a number of deck blocks,” he says. “The Furlex is an industry standard for headsail furling systems so somewhat of a no-brainer, while I think Seldén’s roller bearing blocks are excellent quality and great value. I really appreciate the support the company has given me with kitting the boat out.”

Seldén’s carbon furling mast with push-button sailing technology is on the Oyster’s new 495 luxury sailing yacht, which has been visiting cities around the world since April 2022.