Websuit 1: The Protective Wetsuit for Olympic Foiling Sailors

Master thesis (2021)

Authors

M. Sammarco Industrial Design Engineering

Contributors

A.J. Jansen Materials and Manufacturing - IDE (mentor)
L. Goto Applied Ergonomics and Design - IDE (graduation committee member)
Inge de Zeeuw (coach)
Faculty
Industrial Design Engineering, Industrial Design Engineering
Copyright: © 2021 Matteo Sammarco
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Published Date

02-08-2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Abstract

The project focused on improving Olympic foiling classes sailing athletes' safety: Nacra 17, iQFOiL, and IKA Formula Kite. The primary objective was to investigate dangerous circumstances with foil sailors to research the mechanisms that cause injuries and develop a design solution to prevent them. The research performed provides an integrated perspective into the subject of foil sailing safety. The research methods include participatory observational research, one-to-one interviews, multimedia evidence analysis, incident reporting archives study, and explorative retail analysis. Current wetsuits fail to protect sailors from foil strikes, as they only cover limited areas of the body. Four primary objectives are established. Impact and cut protection on the entirety of the wetsuit's surface, comfort, and aesthetics, which are two factors in attracting the use of such a suit. The product's name is Websuit 1, which is a protective wetsuit designed for Olympic foiling sailors. Full-length woven Dyneema lining is stacked with lightweight neoprene and GRDXKN foam— a mix of comfort and unprecedented protection. Results of several iterations have proven that GRDXKN can be printed on Guard Shield. Furthermore, based on the tests, 100% Dyneema lining can be bound to neoprene rubber thanks to lining glues. The proposed wetsuit manufacturing method is the same as the current one, with the addition of a GRDXKN screen printing and heating phase. Under the impact tower, the GRDXKN absorbed 56% of the maximum force applied from a 10J impact. The developed reinforced neoprene has been shown to distribute the energy over a larger surface, which decreases the stress applied to the body. Furthermore, the reinforced neoprene did not tear or break under stresses caused by 50J impacts. In contrast, conventional neoprene concentrated the applied force on a smaller area for the same energy impact and was torn. This project provided the first steps into connecting innovative textile technologies with the sailing world.