In Saint-Malo, the Mayero company, founded by engineer Lucas Le Gall, gives new life to an often neglected material: used windsurf masts. This equipment, deemed unusable for its original purpose, is transformed into accessories dedicated to boating. This initiative is part of a sustainable approach (upcycling) and offers ecological alternatives to yachtsmen.
A personal adventure at the heart of upcycling
In 2021, sailing enthusiast Lucas Le Gall and two friends set out on a circumnavigation of the Atlantic. Aboard a Sunshine 38, a second-hand sailboat purchased with their own savings, the young crew is preparing for a crossing lasting almost a year, which will require a number of modifications adapted to ocean sailing. Among the material challenges, the high cost of a stainless steel gantry to attach the solar panels is proving to be a major obstacle to their project. Rather than give up, Lucas explored an alternative. He used carbon sailboard masts, salvaged from a specialist store in Saint-Malo after customer feedback, to build a gantry.
This choice, motivated as much by financial constraints as by environmental concerns, marks the beginning of his commitment to upcycling: giving a second life to neglected materials to turn them into reliable, high-performance equipment. Using his knowledge of materials and know-how, Lucas designed a lightweight, robust gantry adapted to the demands of sailing. It quickly attracted the attention of yachtsmen he met during his stopovers, who were seduced by this original, economical and environmentally-friendly solution. These encounters gave him food for thought about other possible applications for recycled carbon. On his return to Saint-Malo in July 2022, Lucas decided to turn this experience into an entrepreneurial project. The result was Mayero, named after his sailboat.
A resource ready for a new purpose
Every year, sailing clubs renew their equipment and have to get rid of damaged windsurf masts. However, these carbon tubes, often damaged only at the junction, have some interesting properties. Both light and strong, they are ideal for a new life in a variety of applications. Mayero takes charge of this transformation, upgrading these materials to offer solid, long-lasting finished products for yachtsmen.
Mayero's inspiration for designing solar panel structures comes from the supports used in the Mini 6.50 class. The flexible panel is glued to a cross-member made of flax or carbon fiber, itself hinged to the end of a refurbished carbon mast. A high-performance plastic diabolo allows the whole assembly to be easily fixed and unscrewed, making installation and maintenance easy, especially during wintering.
For boaters seeking connectivity at sea, Mayero also offers easy-to-install Starlink antenna supports. These allow the antenna to be raised, offset and oriented to guarantee optimum reception, while combining practicality and ergonomics.
The company also reuses carbon masts to manufacture dinghy davits. These supports can be rotated, whatever the inclination of the mounting surface (deck or skirt). Thanks to the AxisLock system developed in-house, they can support tenders weighing up to 90 kg, yet are easy to dismantle for wintering.
Last but not least, Mayero also offers the possibility of installing carbon brackets for awnings on aft balconies: a system that eliminates the need for delicate deck drilling. Thanks to their swivel feature, these brackets can be easily adapted to standard shade cloths.
A collaborative approach
To collect these masts, Mayero collaborates with sailing clubs and specialist stores, installing recycling bins on the Brittany coast and soon nationwide. The company goes beyond traditional recycling by teaming up with local structures and players in the social economy.
Although the marine sports equipment recycling industry is still in its infancy, initiatives such as Mayero's are showing the way. Recycling composites, and carbon in particular, remains a technical and environmental challenge. However, thanks to projects like this one, the industry is beginning to realize the importance of sustainable management of these materials.
