Leopard Catamarans, the catamaran brand from South African builder Robertson and Caine, has introduced single-shot infusion for hull construction. Building on the traditional three-step hull construction, the new method uses one shot of resin infusion to infuse the entire hull at once, bonding all core components in a straightforward, one-time process.

Providing an even distribution of resin, the technique leads to a more durable, stronger and lighter hull, removes the need for secondary bonding, and eliminates the need for structural repairs along the hull’s join lines, so enhancing overall integrity, according to Leopard.

Robertson and Caine has also adopted advanced acoustic leak detection. This technology verifies the vacuum system’s integrity before each infusion, further improving success rates.

The Cape Town shipyard’s other developments include carrying out a second phenolic hull sounding inspection on all vessels under construction. Carried out 30 days after the initial post-demoulding check, the inspection identifies any delayed anomalies and the testing of a thicker 600 CSM print blocker across all models to improve hull aesthetics and reduce the visibility of future rework.

Early this year, the shipyard updated all mould-shop quality documentation, reinforced key hold points and added new focus areas to strengthen the hull process control. Improvements included a redesigned infusion resin feed pipe layout to reduce dry spots and voids, providing a more consistent and robust construction.

Robertson and Caine is currently developing and testing a new resin recipe with its supplier to slow down the infusion process and improve consistency during the southern-hemisphere summer, with implementation planned for the end of 2025.

“The shipyard is also working on a project to implement hull temperature control versus entire factory temperature control to limit the environmental impact, as resin and temperature are influential factors in successful infusion,” said a Leopard Catamarans spokesperson.

“We support these improvements and believe they will enhance our already robust yacht’s durability, quality, and overall craftsmanship.”

leopardcatamarans.com