Dozens of articles chronicle the world’s largest yachts. But what about parts of yachts? They, too, deserve attention. This is particularly true for parts that make the yacht’s performance possible. When it comes to sailing superyachts, M5—or, rather, her boom—reigns supreme. Nearly 92 feet (28 meters) long, the boom is bigger than some motor- and sailing superyachts in their entirety.
Rarely do we get a visual that really puts component proportions into perspective. M5’s boom is shown here being trucked into Hall Spars & Rigging NZ. While you can’t tell the boom’s girth, it’s 6’6” (2 meters). Consider, too, that this behemoth of a boom belongs to an equally notable mast, rising 292 feet (89 meters) high—but just the boom is at Hall Spars & Rigging. It’s dwarfing everything else on the shop floor, too.
The specialist company is servicing the boom over about a month’s time. Some structural areas require replacing or upgrading, with assistance from the composites manufacturer Gurit. Like its fellow specialists, Hall Spars & Rigging employs ultrasound to determine structural integrity.
If you’re a sailing superyacht enthusiast, then surely you know that M5 is the world’s largest single-masted yacht. She’s not, however, the world’s largest sailing yacht, measuring “just” 256 feet (78 meters). And therein lies what makes M5’s 92-foot-long boom all the more impressive. Sailing yacht A takes top honors in LOA, at 468’5” (142.81 meters) —yet the longest of her three booms measures 90 feet (27.5 meters).
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