Unless you follow single-handed offshore racing closely or have a particular interest in Austria, you’ve probably never heard of Norbert Sedlacek. He isn’t a superstar in the French tradition — not an Éric Tabarly, Loïck Peyron, Michel Desjoyeaux, Vincent Riou or the rising François Gabart — and in Austria his name won’t turn heads the way downhill skiing or soccer heroes do.
That said, Sedlacek has forged an unusual career. In 1996 he walked away from a steady job driving trams for Vienna’s public transport system to sail around the world. Bored with “going in a circle all day,” he traded the streetcar cockpit for the far less predictable cockpit of a sailboat and turned a hobby into a life at sea.
His first circumnavigation from 1996 to 1998 was aboard a self-built 26-foot boat — modest by ocean standards but monumental for someone who left a secure job to pursue such risk. He started and finished in Grado, Italy, a seaside town on the northern Adriatic. That voyage gave him the taste of freedom and the confidence to push further.
For his next project he helped build a 54-foot boat for a solo voyage around the Antarctic in 2000–01, starting and ending in Cape Town. The expedition took 93 days, generated a book and a documentary, and significantly raised his profile among single-handed sailors. That experience paved the way for his entry in the Vendée Globe, the most grueling solo round-the-world race.
Sedlacek’s first Vendée Globe attempt met with misfortune when his boat developed keel problems and forced him to retire in Cape Town. Undeterred, he rebuilt and returned in 2008–09 with the same boat, renamed Nauticsport-Kapsch. He navigated it around the planet with determination and a measure of luck, finishing in Les Sables-d’Olonne after 126 days at sea. Officially last on the leaderboard, he was celebrated by the French for completing what so many could not — a testament to persistence and seamanship.
From rocks to fibers
At the Düsseldorf boat show I recently met Sedlacek as he spoke about his latest venture, one born from his experience in the Vendée Globe: developing composite materials from volcanic rock. Specifically, he’s working with basalt — a common igneous rock formed by cooled lava — to create fibers that can be used in boatbuilding and other industries.
“Why not? Who wouldn’t want a boat that’s fireproof?” Sedlacek joked when asked why basalt. As composites grow more specialized and costly, engineers are exploring alternative fibers that balance strength, weight and cost. Volcanic fibers aren’t a brand-new material — they’ve seen use in Russian military applications and are being tested by automakers for heat-resistant and impact applications — but Sedlacek’s team has developed a novel production method.
The process, commercialized under the Fipofix brand (fiber positioning fixation), involves grinding different rocks into a controlled powder, melting it at very high temperatures (around 1,400–1,800 °C), and pulling the molten material into continuous fibers. These volcanic fibers can be used alone or blended with glass, carbon, or aramid fibers. Fipofix’s patented production includes a multi-axis positioning system to create unidirectional fabrics without damaging the filaments.
A little yellow yacht
To demonstrate feasibility, Sedlacek and his partners built a demonstration racer: a canary-yellow Open 16 roughly a quarter the size of an Open 60 but arranged with similar features — twin rudders, a canting keel, a daggerboard, multiple forestays with furling headsails, and a bowsprit. The Open 16 prototype serves as Fipofix’s proof of concept.
After sea trials, Sedlacek departed Les Sables last November to cross the Atlantic in the tiny boat. Harsh weather and technical issues forced a diversion to Gijón, Spain, for repairs. The delay meant his son Harald took over the Atlantic leg, rerouting to St. Augustine, Florida, instead of New York. Sailing a barely larger boat than a Laser across thousands of miles is a severe test of both design and durability — with cramped quarters and minimal shelter, endurance becomes as important as the material itself.
Fipofix emphasizes several advantages of volcanic fibers: ease of application, hydrophobicity, acid resistance, reduced skin irritation compared with some composite fibers, and recyclability since their high melting point allows separation during material recovery. Drawbacks include the energy needed to melt rock and a natural brittleness that makes traditional weaving, sewing or stapling damaging to filaments. Fipofix’s manufacture aims to avoid filament damage, producing stiff, impact-resistant fabrics suitable for demanding structural roles.
Sedlacek says volcanic fibers can be blended with other fibers and used in crash boxes, chainplates, rudderstocks, reinforcements for bulkheads and keelsons, and as core-compatible laminates with most resins. The company claims these materials are stronger and lighter than standard fiberglass, with improved longevity; current cost projections place them 30–40% above fiberglass on a pound-for-pound basis, but proponents argue the performance and sustainability gains may justify the premium.
Hoping to change the game
Is this the start of a revolution in composite materials for marine and renewable industries? The team behind Fipofix hopes so. Their near-term goals include building larger racing and cruising yachts using basalt-based composites and proving the technology’s commercial viability.
Harald reported by satellite phone that conditions were challenging during his transatlantic crossing: everything on board was constantly wet, and he’d been in his survival suit for extended periods while steering manually after the autopilot and some instruments failed. There were no reports of structural failure — a promising sign for a prototype that carries no life raft and relies on material integrity for safety.
If the little yellow Open 16 completes its round trip from Les Sables and demonstrates long-term durability and performance, it would mark a significant achievement for Sedlacek and Fipofix. Turning volcanic basalt into recyclable, high-performance composite fabrics could reshape choices for boatbuilders, wind-turbine manufacturers, surfboard makers and others seeking stronger, lighter and potentially more sustainable materials.
For Norbert Sedlacek, whose life turned on a decision to leave a tram in Vienna and go to sea, a successful basalt-fiber boat would be another full circle — this time closing the loop between invention and practical application while challenging the conventions of modern composite construction.
Dieter Loibner is sailing editor for Soundings.
April 2014 issue