Plastic on the waves

A scientist at the University of Southampton's department of ship science has joined with the Vosper Thornycroft shipyard to be the first to use fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials in high-speed ship building.

Ajit Shenoi said the materials must be undetectable to radar, yet strong enough to weather the sea and climate from the Artic to the Gulf Stream. FRP, previously used in aircraft and spacecraft engineering, will mean fast, safer and more economical ships.