From Design to Construction: The S2 Phase Begins

The journey began with the meticulous 3D printing of our negative hull mold. Staying true to precision, we then milled and hand-sanded the printed sections, refining them into the exact contours of our hull. After polishing to a high-gloss finish, the mold was treated with release agents to prepare for vacuum infusion. By Easter, it was ready—ushering in the next big milestone: infusing the hull using our sustainable material system.

Parallel to this, our engineering team finalized critical components like the gantry. Using Finite Element Method (FEM) analyses, we optimized the layups for each structural element, ensuring both performance and resilience.

A Design Anchored in Sustainability

As first-time participants in the SuMoth Challenge, our goal has been to build a fast, functional, and future-ready Moth. Our design prioritizes early lift-off while keeping weight to a minimum—thanks to a detailed optimization process grounded in FEM simulations.

But beyond speed, sustainability is our compass. Our team lives by the motto “Engineering maritime circularity.” That philosophy is reflected in every material choice: from basalt fibers and rPET cores to a recyclable resin system. Not only do these choices reduce environmental impact, but they also lay the foundation for scalable, industry-ready construction processes.

Milestones Reached: From Düsseldorf to Deutschlandstipendium

Despite a delayed start, 2025 is already shaping up to be a landmark year. We kicked off the season at Boot Düsseldorf, where our boat Schickeria turned heads at a joint booth shared with Team Förderacer. In a commercial environment where sustainability is often overlooked, our message of eco-conscious innovation found fertile ground. We used this opportunity not only to raise awareness—but to forge new partnerships and attract potential sponsors.

Shortly after, we presented our project at the Deutschlandstipendium ceremony at the Technical University of Munich, an event that brought together students, faculty, and donors in a celebration of academic excellence and innovation. It was a proud moment to reflect on our journey and share our vision for the year ahead.

Most notably, we are thrilled to announce that Bayern LB has joined us once again as our main sponsor. Their continued support under the banner of “Financing Progress” is a strong endorsement of our mission and capabilities. We are deeply grateful for their trust, which makes this year’s ambitious project possible.

What Lies Ahead: Final Assembly and Testing

While major milestones have been reached, the path to competition remains demanding. We’ve already completed extensive material testing, verifying compatibility between our mold, release systems, and the Swancor resin. Mechanical testing on braided components provided insights that are helping us strengthen critical areas of the boat.

We’ve also scanned our second-hand foils to assess their hydrodynamic behavior through simulation—a valuable step in anticipating real-world performance.

The next phase will focus on mounting the appendages, finalizing the gantry, and adapting a second-hand rig to our specifications. From there, we’ll transition into testing and performance tuning—ensuring our Moth is as fast, stable, and sustainable as we’ve envisioned.

Stay tuned as we continue our journey toward the Foiling SuMoth Challenge 2025. With wind in our sails and purpose in our work, Impetus Sailing Team e.V. is ready to make waves.