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A very different type of foiler… unlike the growing number of downwind-oriented Mini 6.50s that are experimenting with full flight, a design for the diverse Figaro circuit must deliver a good balance of all-round performance. And while it must be fast – certainly faster than its predecessor – it must also be tough enough to be raced really hard by a solo skipper with all the ‘violence’ involved when heavy-air manoeuvres do not go smoothly. The new Figaro 3 is best described as ‘foil-assisted’ rather than as a full ‘foiler’ – like the last-generation Imoca 60s
Visible elements of modernity
Certainly one of the big events of the last Paris Boat Show was the unveiling of the next-generation Figaro 3 one-design. The VPLP foil-equipped solo machine is expected to be up to 15 per cent faster than its valiant predecessor, and will also be built at the newly refurbished Jeanneau Techniques Avancées site, of Fleury Michon VIII and Groupe Pierre 1er fame. Jocelyn Blériot caught up with Vincent Lauriot-Prévost to get more of the detail
‘We knew that the boat would be up for a revamp and that Bénéteau would invite proposals, but neither they nor we had any preconceived idea of what we would put forward,’ Vincent explains. ‘Before being handed the brief we did not spend time thinking about it, nor did we try to be on the lookout for potential clues. We waited patiently for the class and the yard to come up with their requirements. ‘It was a quick process, and once given the brief we had three weeks to submit our proposal: the first step was to really understand what the stakeholders wanted to achieve with the new one-design. We called Yann Eliès and Pascal Bidégorry, with whom we have a good relationship and whose insights are invaluable, to see if they’d help us think through the conception phase. Only then did we take to the drawing board to turn our choices into a coherent project. ‘It seemed clear that the Figaro class put the emphasis on a boat that could be relevant and up to date for as long as 10 years after its launch… which means that we needed to project ourselves to 2030, give or take, considering the Figaro 3 will enter service in 2019. It’s not a small challenge.’
Asked whether, to his knowledge, other design offices had also teamed up with sailors for advice, Vincent says: ‘Three teams were selected – Mer Forte, Conq/Manuard and ourselves. Mer Forte, being Michel Desjoyeaux’s company, naturally benefits from strong racing experience, and for the Pascal Conq-led effort Sam Manuard brought his considerable on-the-water expertise and design skills.’
The overarching philosophy emanating from the brief can be summed up in one sentence, says Vincent. The idea was to come up with a boat that ‘reflects contemporary solutions, all within a defined budget [ed note: €150K], incorporating visible elements of modernity’.
‘At least, that’s how we interpreted it,’ he adds, ‘even if it was not expressed in those exact terms.’ The word ‘visible’ is surely important here, as somehow it meant that going with foils was just about decided from the outset, since the newest appendages embody modernity itself as far as sailing is concerned? ‘Yes,’ concedes Vincent, ‘but it does not come down to one element alone – things like hull shape, a bowsprit and a carefully designed sailplan also contribute a lot, of course. ‘But two things we have not mentioned yet despite them being fundamental are reliability and compliance with strict one-design rules. The boat needs to finish races even if a skipper hits the bottom, and it has to be easily repairable between legs so no one gets stuck missing a start…
‘It’s key to focus on minimising the risk of sailors having to retire due to gear failure. As far as rules are concerned, a successful one- design class is one that involves solutions that are easy to measure, control and validate.’
Reliability-wise, the current boat has an excellent track record, and if one puts aside some teething problems for the first few units (keel fairing issues which were quickly dealt with), the Lombard- designed Figaro 2 has set the bar high. ‘It’s indeed a good reference point, and for sure we’ve already spoken about the keel for the new boat rather a lot!
‘It’s a “sensitive” part of the performance package, with courses laden with rocks and sailors who can get very playful when it comes to sheltering from adverse currents: hitting the bottom is not uncom- mon at all in this class, where incidentally boats are pushed rather
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