NOVELTY - The method comprises disposing a body comprising an unidirectional fibrous reinforcement and a thermosetting resin into a mold cavity portion of a first mold part (84), locating a second mold part relative to the first mold part to form a mutually spaced configuration and to enclose the body within an intermediate mold cavity defined between the spaced first and second mold parts, providing a peripheral hermetic seal between the first and second mold parts, and applying a source of vacuum to the intermediate mold cavity through a conduit extending into the intermediate mold cavity.    USE - The method is useful for manufacturing a molded article of fiber-reinforced resin composite material, where the molded article is an elongate structural element such as a spar cap or a structural spar for a wind turbine blade and a tidal turbine blade (all claimed), and the spar is a bridge spar.    ADVANTAGE - The method is capable of economically and rapidly manufacturing the molded article with high quality, enhanced performance, increased mechanical properties and tensile strength and excellent stiffness and strength and without inadvertent tow breakage.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method comprises disposing a body comprising an unidirectional fibrous reinforcement and a thermosetting resin into a mold cavity portion of a first mold part (84), locating a second mold part relative to the first mold part to form a mutually spaced configuration and to enclose the body within an intermediate mold cavity defined between the spaced first and second mold parts, providing a peripheral hermetic seal between the first and second mold parts, applying a source of vacuum to the intermediate mold cavity through a conduit extending into the intermediate mold cavity, moving the first and/or second mold parts to move the first and second mold parts together to define a final mold cavity, and heating the body to form a molded article within the final mold cavity. The vacuum extracts air from the intermediate mold cavity. The excess resin is extracted from the final mold cavity through the conduit under vacuum. The conduit is located at a periphery of the final mold cavity. The first and second mold parts are maintained in the mutually spaced configuration by a spacer mechanism. The spacer mechanism is disabled in step of moving the first and second mold parts to permit relative movement together of the first and second mold parts under a clamp pressure. The peripheral seal is mounted around the second mold part, which is disposed above the first mold part, and engages the periphery of the first mold part in step of the applying the source. The first mold part defines a female mold cavity portion. The second mold part includes a male portion adapted to fit within the female mold cavity portion. The final mold cavity is elongate cavity. The layers of fibrous reinforcement are impregnated with the resin. The layers of fibrous reinforcement impregnated with resin: are successively laid up within the mold cavity portion; have an indeterminate length when laid up within the mold cavity portion and the fibrous reinforcement is cut to the length of the mold cavity portion after laid up within the mold cavity portion; and are directly fed into the mold cavity portion from an elongate fiber impregnation bath in which fibrous reinforcement of indeterminate length is longitudinally conveyed through the bath and is submerged in a liquid resin. The fiber impregnation bath includes nip bars located along in a mutually spaced configuration. The fibrous reinforcement is fed through the nip bars when submerged in the liquid resin. The nip bars apply progressively increasing nip pressure to the fibrous reinforcement that is fed through the fiber impregnation bath and fed through the nip bars as a layer of controlled width. The fibrous reinforcement is fed into the fiber impregnation bath as spaced fiber tows. The spaced fiber tows are fed from a fiber condenser board comprising mutually spaced holes extending through the fiber condenser board. Each fiber tow is fed through a respective hole. The fibrous reinforcement in the molded article consists of the fiber tows. The liquid resin in the bath during impregnation has a viscosity of 160-180 centipoises. The fibrous reinforcement comprises carbon fibers having a fiber diameter of 5-15 microns. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) an apparatus for manufacturing a molded article of fiber-reinforced resin composite material; and    (2) an elongate structural element.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a schematic side view of an apparatus for producing a spar cap composed of a fiber reinforced resin composite material.    Fiber rack (4)    Fiber splice (14)    Condenser plate (16)    First mold part (84)    Clamping devices. (87)