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2 Introduction With the help of friends who worked at The Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan, Gougeon Brothers formulated their own WEST SYSTEM Brand epoxy that was ideally suited for their application. Modifying the epoxy system so it was suitable as a coating was a major breakthrough. It had long been known that epoxy resins had very good moisture resist- ance, but they were so difficult to apply that they weren’t used as a moisture barrier coating. With the new formula- tion, the epoxy could easily be applied as a moisture barrier over wood or fiberglass surfaces. WEST SYSTEM Brand epoxy was born, and the company plunged into a long succession of research and development projects to support new wood and epoxy construction techniques. Much of the early success of WEST SYSTEM epoxy was due to its compatibility with wood. In addition, the epoxy could be used both for the construction of new craft and the repair of old. By the early 1970s, mass- produced fiberglass boats had essentially replaced the traditionally-built wooden boat. But with the aging of the fiberglass fleet came the need for a dependable repair resin. Polyester resin had been used but with mixed results. WEST SYSTEM epoxy became popular because it offered superior moisture resistance and the ability to bond to almost all substrates then in use. Technical research, application testing, and production capability for the manufacture of WEST SYSTEM epoxy have grown every year since its inception. Racing Success of Wood/ WEST SYSTEM Epoxy Boats Following its early success with iceboats, Gougeon Brothers rapidly expanded into other boatbuilding efforts. During the 1970s, it built a few high-profile racing sailboats using construction techniques that were based on laminating wood veneers together with epoxy that had been developed for building iceboats. The Ron Holland-designed 2-ton yacht Golden Dazy, which won the Canada’s Cup Regatta in 1975, was particularly notable. Others include Accolade, a Bruce Kirby-designed 30' (9.1m) half-ton monohull, in 1974 and Hotflash, a Gary Mull-designed 32' (9.8m) half-ton monohull, in 1976. The success of these wood/epoxy composite boats led to a “mini-revolution” amongst builders and designers. They realized that they could build stiffer and stronger hulls with wood and epoxy than they could with fiberglass, and do so with less weight. Many custom builders continue to choose wood and epoxy as their construction materials today. Important multihulls built by Gougeon Brothers include Phil Weld’s Rogue Wave, a Dick Newick-designed 60' (18m) trimaran, in 1977 and Slingshot, a Georg Thomas- designed 60' (18m) proa in 1978. Slingshot recorded the second fastest time at the World Speed Trials in 1979. Gougeon Brothers also developed a production version of the Olympic Class Tornado catamaran, and a Gougeon-built Tornado won a Silver Medal in the 1976 Olympics. Patient Lady, a C-Class catamaran built by Gougeon Brothers, won the 1977 Little America’s Cup. Adrenalin, a Formula 40 trimaran built for Bill Piper, amazed the sailboat racing world by taking an extremely close second place during her first regatta in the Formula 40 Grand Prix circuit in Brest, France, in 1988. In 1989, Jan Gougeon started developing the Gougeon 32 (G32), a trailerable, water-ballasted 32' (9.8m) racing/cruising catamaran. Fourteen G32s were manufactured between 1990 and 1994, and they have had good racing success. Development of Wind Turbine Blades In 1979, the reputation of Gougeon Brothers for excellence and innovation in wood/epoxy composite construction captured the attention of NASA researchers. During the 1980s, the corporation became heavily involved in research, development, and manufacturing processes associated with the use of wood/epoxy composites in the construction of wind turbine blades. The success of the wood/epoxy blades led to multi-million dollar contracts with General Electric, Westinghouse, and Bendix. Between 1979 and 1993, Gougeon Brothers produced 4,300 blades, from 10' (3m) to 70' (21m) long. The wind turbine business allowed the company to fund an extensive research program, particularly fatigue testing to evaluate long-term performance of epoxy resins and composites. The testing is ongoing, and its results have been instrumental in developing extremelyPDF Image | Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction
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