WHO WE ARE?
MBSDES is a high-performance sail design and performance engineering studio built around one simple idea: fast sails are developed, not guessed.
We design sail shapes, run aerodynamic, structural, and performance analysis, and build the tools that connect digital design with real sailmaking and on-water performance.
Over the past decade, we have worked with sailmakers, boat builders, and racing teams around the world, from one-design class lofts to designers involved at America’s Cup level. Over 20 World Championship titles have been won on sails developed through our work.
We are a small team, and we like it that way. It keeps the work direct, focused, and personal. Every project gets attention from the first design conversation to the final shape on the water.
Our tool stack combines SMAR Azure Project with our own in-house software suite, including the mVPP and mRace modules developed under the SailSmart ecosystem. Together, they let us move seamlessly between geometry, aerodynamics, structural behaviour, performance prediction, and on-water feedback – within a single development loop.
Whether the task is a single sail design, an existing inventory, a performance analysis project, or a full development programme for a new class or racing team, our goal is always the same: faster sails, clearer performance answers, and decisions that hold up on the water.
PANKA Csepregi
CMO
MARTON BALÁZS
head of design
SERVICES
SAIL
DESIGN
We design sail shapes from the ground up — for one-design classes, custom builds, and full development programmes.
Using SMAR Azure Project and our in-house design loop, we develop shapes that fit the rig, hold their form under load, and deliver the performance the boat is built for.
Fiber layout can be integrated into the same process. By connecting the calculated flying shape with stress distribution and load paths, we make sure the structure supports the design — instead of fighting it.
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS
We run aerodynamic and performance analysis to compare sail concepts objectively.
This can include lift and drag, drive force, side force, drive/side ratio, pressure distribution, balance, and full Velocity Prediction studies across different conditions.
Our SailSmart toolset — including the mVPP and mRace modules — lets us rank sail variants, predict boat speed, and connect the numbers on the screen with what happens on the water.
Available as a one-off comparison study or as part of an ongoing development programme.
SAIL SHAPE OPTIMIZATION
We refine existing sail designs to extract more performance.
Through flying shape analysis, stress evaluation, and drive/side force comparison, we identify where a shape is leaving speed on the table — and what needs to change to fix it.
This is useful for sailmakers improving an existing range, teams chasing the last few percent in a one-design fleet, or development projects where each iteration needs to be measured, not guessed.
STRUCTURAL
DESIGN
We use structural analysis and finite element methods to evaluate how a sail behaves under real loads.
This includes flying shape distortion, stress concentration, fiber direction, panel layout, corner reinforcement, and shape retention over time.
The goal is simple: sails that hold their designed shape longer, fail less, and stay fast across their working life.
ON-WATER TUNING & DEVELOPMENT
Design only goes so far without sailing time.
We work on board to tune rigs, set up sails, test prototypes, and turn what the boat is doing into the next design decision.
This is especially useful during prototype testing, new class development, sail inventory evaluation, or pre-event preparation — where the gap between a design’s potential and its delivered performance often comes down to time on the water.
PRODUCTION SUPPORT & CUTTING FILES
We support sailmakers in turning approved designs into production-ready files.
This can include panel development, cutting files, nesting preparation, and cutting services based on our own designs or supplied files.
The aim is to make the transition from design to build clean, accurate, and repeatable — without requiring every loft to maintain the full toolchain in-house.
PROJECTS
PROJECTS
Selected projects from the past decade:
Foiling & High-Performance Catamarans
- iFly 15 foiling catamaran sail design
- GC32 Monster code0 design
- AC45F redesign to Lake version for soft rig
- AC45 Lake version soft rig sail design
- AC45 wider beam design
- AC45 softmast sail inventory optimisation
- Flying Phantom alternative decksweeper sails and new sail plan
Beach Catamarans (F18 / F16 / A-Cat / Nacra)
- F18 decksweeper mainsail and jib design for 1D One Design Sails
- Falcon F16 European production sail design and OEM sails
- BeFoil F16 and foiling sailplans
- Windrush Edge F18 jib endplate CFD and 3D modeling
- DS jib design for Windrush Edge F18
- F18 daggerboard design analysis
- Exploder F18 catamaran performance analysis and sail plan
- A-Cat foiling and classic performance analysis, sail optimization
- Nacra 17 performance analysis for multiple teams
Keelboats & ORC
- Speeder 40 sail plan and inventory design
- First 34.7 longer mast sail plan, sail inventory and performance analysis
- Rinaldi Sintesi 52 mainsail, headsail and flying headsail design and optimisation for ORC
- LP32 sailplan
- Nautic 311 performance analysis and sailplan optimization
- Jeanneau Sun Fast 32 long mast sail plan design and sailplan optimization
Foiling Boards & Specialty Projects
- Speedfoiler sailplan (www.speedfoiler.com)
- Surf foil design for Nazaré
- Windfoil sail design and optimization for racing
OUR CLIENTS
Our clients are located all over the world, from cruising sailmakers through boat builders up to top America’s Cup designers and sailor legends.
- Martin Fischer, America’s Cup designer (Groupama Team France, Oracle Team USA appendages, C-class boats, revolution of small racing catamarans)
- Gonzalo Redondo America’s Cup boat designer
- Mitch Booth, sailing legend, the father of the
Extreme 40 - Dany Paschalidis and Trigonis Konstantinos, sailing legends and RedBull athletes
- Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby, Catamaran legends, America’s Cup sailors, multiple Worlds Champions
- Emil Jarudd, Olympic sailor, F18 World Champion
- Iago Lopez Marra, Olympic sailor, European Champion, Silver Worlds medalist
- … among others
RESULTS
Sails developed through our work have collected:
- over 20 World Champion titles
- over 45 World podium titles
- over 10 European Champion titles
- over 10 European podium titles
- over 80 National Champion titles
BLOG
CONTACT US
Whether you’re planning a new design, evaluating an existing inventory, or running a development programme – we’d like to hear about it.
The best way to start is a short email describing the boat, the goal, and the timeline. From there we can usually tell you within a day or two whether we’re the right fit, and what the next step would look like.