Future Fibres first entered the composite rigging market in 1997, after the company's founder, Tom Hutchinson, decided there was a better way to terminate composite fibres and devised a way to continuously wind PBO fibre around two titanium thimbles at any required length. At that time aramid fibres were only considered suitable for aft rigging, as the then dominant fibre (Kevlar) had stretch characteristics that made it unsuitable for standing rigging. A decade on, Future Fibres' inherently safe and simple construction methods have revolutionised the rigging industry, allowing PBO rigging to be used on every area of the boat. Today the company continues to lead the market, as the world's largest composite rigging manufacturer, with more experience and sea miles than the rest of the competition put together.
With unmatched technical experience and class leading customer support, Future Fibres has gained a reputation as the composite rigging provider of choice to the grand prix race, superyacht and performance yacht markets. Future Fibres' PBO composite rigging has been supplied to the majority of professional yacht racing teams around the world, from the first composite project on board Lawrey Smith's Silk Cut, through Ellen MacArthur's famous Kingfisher Vendee challenger to Alex Thomson's latest Hugo Boss. In the superyacht field the company's credentials are no less impressive. Future Fibres entered the superyacht market in 2005, on the retrofit of Hasso Platner's Visione, and just four years later the company has grown to be the largest rigging supplier to this fast moving section of the industry. Future Fibres' rapidly expanding team currently stands at almost 70 and the company has invested heavily in its 5,000m² purpose built state-of-the-art production facility in Valencia, Spain.
In 2007, Future Fibres became the first composite rigging manufacturer to be awarded Germanischer Lloyd Type Approval for its rigging system. Today no other manufacturer has been able to meet the required standard and Future Fibres remains the only holder of this prestigious rating. In the same year, the company won the coveted technology award at the Boat International Superyacht Awards, a high accolade achieved against tough competition.
With over a decade of experience in shaping the evolution of composite rigging technologies, Future Fibres has set the benchmark for innovation and quality. Today it continues this tradition through continuous development and further optimisation of its rigging technology, pushing the industry in new directions and exceeding the limits of performance and reliability.
