Sleek, stylish & silent - Halyard drastically reduces noise levels on Fairline’s Squadron 65

Visitors to this year’s Southampton Boat Show will be able to step onboard Fairline’s new Squadron 65 as it makes its UK boat show debut. Throughout the build of the Squadron 65, the luxury yacht builder has enlisted the help of Halyard Marine Ltd - specialists in the reduction of noise and vibration on boats – to produce an exhaust system which ensures a quiet and comfortable atmosphere for the yacht’s passengers and crew.

The Squadron 65 is an impressive motor yacht, built and designed with the passion, quality and attention-to-detail associated with the Fairline brand. In order to maintain a luxurious environment for the yacht’s passengers, consideration towards noise and vibration levels emitted from the engine room has been crucial to the overall design and build of the boat. Noise and vibration can cause fatigue, sea sickness and general discomfort for those onboard, and Halyard has worked closely with Fairline to create a sound pressure reduction of as much as 50%.

During the Squadron 65’s Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) passby test, the yacht achieved a noise level average of 74.6dB (a) against a maximum of 78dB (a). In addition, the back pressure associated with the engine’s resistance to gas flowing through the exhaust system was extremely low at just 50 millibar against MAN engines’ limit of 80 millibar.

Halyard achieved both low noise and low back pressure by installing its patented Resonator Silencer technology to the Squadron’s V10 configuration engine. Halyard’s Resonator Silencer is a unit up to half the size of a standard lift silencer that provides greater levels of low frequency noise attenuation. It can be optimised specifically to reduce the noise levels from a band centred around the engine’s firing frequency, significantly reducing the overall engine noise emitted.

The resonator’s unique design was created by Halyard’s own engineering team and combines two methods of noise reduction used in exhaust systems. By combining an expansion chamber and reactive resonator, the single unit can be placed in-line to make efficient use of the space in the engine room, whilst generating very low back pressure.

Halyard has been able to apply scientific theories to measure problem frequencies created by individual engines, and to predict the required end results direct from the product design stage. As a result, the Fairline 65 has been built with an assurance that its silencer can deal specifically with reducing the engine firing frequencies responsible for the majority of exhaust sounds, reducing noise for those on board and elsewhere on the water.

James Grazebrook, Managing Director at Halyard says, “This is the first time that we have used the Resonator Silencer on a V10 configuration engine and we’re thrilled with the result. To achieve a sound pressure at 50% of the RCD limit and a back pressure at around 40% below maximum is extremely good news for all involved.”

Oliver Winbolt Chief Engineer at Fairline says, “The Squadron 65 is the latest result of our very strong and successful working relationship with Halyard.  We feel confident that we can trust Halyard, as leaders in the field of marine exhaust systems, to work within our design constraints to provide technical solutions that meet or exceed our requirements.”

Halyard is the only company in the world able to manufacture an entire exhaust solution from “turbo to transom” in-house. Service and support starts from the initial designs through to assistance during manufacture and installation, right through to final sea trials. Throughout any project the company’s integrated 3D CAD technology enables fast and accurate document and design exchange and delivery, anywhere in the world, to ensure the project is fully documented and recorded.