It may seem like we are witnessing the extinction of traditional ropes, but textiles have not disappeared; they have actually become even more essential,” says Luigi Maffioli, technical director of Gottifredi Maffioli, a company exemplifying “Made in Italy” and “Hi-tech ropes manufacturer since 1926,” summarizing the situation of “ropes” at the 37th America’s Cup.
Much has changed since Gottifredi Maffioli first produced ropes for an America’s Cup challenge, Azzurra, in the historic 1983 edition. Reliability, quality, and performance have characterized the company’s products over the years, allowing them to always offer the highest performance.
This was just the beginning of a series of collaborations that have seen Gottifredi Maffioli become a benchmark in the oldest sports trophy in the world. In 1992, the Novara ropes were on board the Moro di Venezia, the first participation of an Italian boat in the America’s Cup thanks to the victory of the challengers’ selection. The company continued to enhance its position, taking to the field with Luna Rossa in the 2000 Cup, contributing to the Italian team’s successes and starting a historic collaboration that lasts to this day. Reliability, performance, and innovation did not go unnoticed, leading to lifting the Cup to the sky first with Alinghi and then with Oracle.
Today, Gottifredi Maffioli supplies INEOS Britannia, Luna Rossa, Alinghi Red Bull Racing, and Orient Express: the four European teams of the 37th edition. “Extinction of ropes, at least the traditional ones,” continues Maffioli, “in the sense that today with hydraulics prevailing, textiles are required to create flexible connectors, slings, rings, and ties between the hydraulic actuator and the regulation object, which must be absolutely precise. The textile part, besides being resistant, must indeed be precise and accurately crafted and ensure absolute consistency in technical qualities to guarantee always identical, millimetric adjustments. For this reason, the teams create these equipment components themselves to be free to experiment with different lengths and achieve the most precise possible measure.”
Gottifredi Maffioli provides engineering support, ensures accurate calculations for connection sizing, and guarantees absolute consistency in the product with extremely precise production processes. The America’s Cup has always been a development laboratory for solutions that in subsequent years have reached the racing world and then general boating: during the 2000 Cup when the company had the intuition to use PBO for Luna Rossa’s cover, it was thought that this innovation would remain confined to that world; today GMZ covers are also used on small racers.
It is interesting to note that the only real rope under development during this Cup is the towing rope. Up to 4 minutes before the start, the boat can be towed to take off with little wind, and the towing rope has become a crucial element for the success of this operation. Each team has transmitted different specifications for a product that until a few years ago was negligible and which today, like every element, is the subject of the most in-depth research.
