My 2012 Starboard Futura has delaminated on the bottom in the middle for about 4 feet and the entire width. I would like to know if it is worth getting it repaired and how to stop this happening again (I loosen the vent plug between sails) ?

it could be the laminate wasn't wetted out enough on the layup , companies are trying to make light boards and not always the best option
my guess is the board in the pic wasn't wet out to the core where you can see no foam attached to sandwitch, so that's where the delam started once it lets go there its like a chain reaction

"edit" mark you beet me to it by one second

and no glass between the sandwich plate and styro?

This is the result of having people with very little understanding of how critical this first vacuum bagging is to the longevity of the board, building your boards!

^^^ huh? I don't think I have seen a WS board that is just glass over styro. Those bits you stuck back on are only .75mm thick?

What is the board?

I can see there is no PVC sandwich layer there. That looks like wood or something else...chop-strand and yellow expanding epoxy is another possibility..mistral germany used it successfully. If left damp in a board bag would explain the dimpling as the water would enter by osmosis initially then hairline cracks with the wood swelling and contracting.
Just a guess....

I **** you not. The thickness of those detached skin pieces was less than 1mm, hard and glossy. Glass.

evilC said..
My 2012 Starboard Futura has delaminated on the bottom in the middle for about 4 feet and the entire width. I would like to know if it is worth getting it repaired and how to stop this happening again (I loosen the vent plug between sails) ?

Firiebobs badly delaminated CA58 has had 12 months of moderate to heavy use since I mended it with 2 rows of deck to base stitching. I used the same repair method on Ado's Gillis 58, 4 years ago. It has several thousand kilometers on the clock since then and is still going strong.
Cant get a pic to stick in this post but it's in my profile.
Fatigue delamination is mostly caused by longitudinal compression of the foam sandwich bottom. The compression forces are at their most severe when sailing with mast foot pressure, i.e. high boom, front foot unloaded. These compression forces cause momentary lateral corrugations to be generated in the sandwich layer which must be accomodated by the elasticity of the foam core and adhesion of the core to the sandwich. If the elastic limit of the foam core is exceeded, or when a slight imperfection in the bond between the core and sandwich exists, a delamination will commence and slowly progress. The linear stiching inhibits the generation of corrugations and stops delamination. The board should eventually fail due to crush fatigue in the sandwich around the stiching.
Hasn't hapened yet

^^^ too hard to get the shape back if doing a whole bottom

ikw777 said..

I **** you not. The thickness of those detached skin pieces was less than 1mm, hard and glossy. Glass.

Apologies Ian. What model board is it BTW?

Clive,
That looks bad but probably repairable. Firiebob showed me some photos where he repaired a delam by cutting the area in a criss cross pattern (see photo below) so he could fold back each section to apply the epoxy, and tape it all back down under tension. Unlike what ikw777 did above, this way you don't actually remove the effected skin - I think it has merit if not too great an area.

BTW - I've had 10 starboards (some new and some 2nd hand) and apart from one snapping in two (due to a weakness at the wingers and some dubious layup around the break) I've never had one delam on me (touch wood). That said the boards are stored in a well insulated enclosed undercroft and I have only ever had my boards in the car on less than a handful of occassions travelling to and from events.

PS - I heard recently that someone had left the vent plug in his two *boards and they completely delaminated in his car on a hot day. I think one delammed both top and bottom of the board - that must take some amount of pressure!

Haggar said..

Thats a cool idea for the repair Sausage, was it then completely glassed over the top ?

I'm not quite sure but it would be prudent to put a layer or two over the top. Firie's probably typing as we speak so expect a post by tomorrow at the earliest.

sausage said..

This looks like an awesome technique!