Glossary · Hull & structure
Prepreg
Also called: Pré-imprégné, pré-preg, autoclave, cuisson
Fibre cloth already impregnated with resin, cured in an oven or autoclave to harden.
Prepregs reach the yard with just the right amount of resin, kept cold. Once laid up in the mould, they are vacuum-bagged and cured, sometimes in an autoclave (a pressurised oven). The parts are lighter and more consistent than with resin applied by hand.
It is the technique behind top-level hulls, masts and foils.