JACQUES VAPILLON


simply providing relief. The shape that we’ve chosen allows the shaft not to be in the water at all times, and the foil also helps the keel by taking on some of the lateral force generated by the sailplan. ‘The keel can consequently be thinner, and the foils are now used upwind because they contribute to counteracting leeway, as well as generating upwards thrust.


‘As speed picks up this increases and it’s in reaching conditions that the advantage becomes really significant. At 14kt of speed the foil generates about 350kg of vertical lift, which amounts to 10 per cent of the boat’s weight. The Figaro 3 is lighter than its predecessor by 150kg – if you add 260kg saved due to the absence of water ballast and the foils’ contribution, the overall gain exceeds 750kg! ‘That’s where the real performance lies, not to mention that we also have a more efficient sailplan, and a keel with considerably less drag. Overall we’re contemplating an increase in speed of about 15 per cent, which is not negligible…’


Whereas previous Figaro designs have generally remained for specialist consumption, if the Figaro 3 goes as fast as it looks (left) it may generate some interest as a more modern IRC racer that prompts a little ‘wow’ each time you walk down the dock. One of the many shining talents to rise through the Figaro ranks was of course that ‘young’ François Gabart (above) – who went on to dominate every single major offshore race that he entered


‘As he or she helms, the skipper can access both winches from


the sitting position. Since the mast is set aft the traveller is all the way at the back and down level with the cockpit floor (hence the flared out cockpit in this area, to make more room for the track). ‘Some candidate projects also went for more helm protection, not unlike what we find on the Class40s, but we did not consider it: we wanted to offer something simple to build, and consequently light – anything we did not deem indispensable had to go. ‘We also integrated the location for the liferaft into the design of the cockpit, so as to avoid ending up with something obviously added later – then crudely strapped on. In terms of appendages, we have a traditional twin-rudder arrangement which allows for easy angle (Ackerman) tweaks using a simple adjustment system. The keel is L shaped: Yann and Pascal were adamant it could not be a T, and so were the Figaristes in general. ‘You have to remember these guys are obsessive about not dragging kelp around, and with a T shape it can be problematic to get rid of unwanted “salad”. On a coastal race at night they tend to check every 15 minutes as a matter of routine, without even wondering if their speed has changed. We then worked with the yard on materials and settled for a cast-iron fin, allowing for a thin profile, without any fairing.’


Let’s now talk about those famous things that protrude, but before going into the specifics of their properties, was the fact that they stick out an issue? ‘Well, we have discussed that a lot, since some people were concerned about damage, as close combat on the startline is not uncommon in the class, not to mention that the harbours that welcome the Figaros are sometimes a bit tight… ‘Having said that, sailors are adaptable and will keep their distance when necessary – Imoca sailors did it when outriggers started to be commonplace. What we came up with is a foil that, when retracted, is within maximum beam: sure, it does stick out of the hull, but it does not extend beyond the boat’s 3.47m beam – that’s the constraint we set ourselves.


‘If we had wanted to design fully retractable appendages we


would have ended up with a shorter and thus much less effective foil. A choice had to be made, we went for performance. It’s a modern, high-tech, visible solution…


‘As far as the shape is concerned, we’re not in Dali moustache territory, we call this arrangement a “chistera” [ed: reference to the Basque ballgame played with a wrist-mounted curved throwing device]. If you imagine the boat with both foils extended, and mentally place a kind of float under each curve, you end up with a trimaran of sorts – that’s part of the idea, I guess! ‘As the boat is relatively small the speeds it can achieve are not that high – we’re talking more 6.5kt upwind than 10, and 12kt reaching rather than 18 – so we’re asking more from the foils than


A view from the yard – Gianguido Girotti (aka ‘G3’), Bénéteau marketing director ‘We were looking for a new yacht that could be relevant and remain up-to-date for at least the next 10 to 12 years. The Figaro 2 was quite innovative in its day and remains a good contemporary racing boat – we’re willing to compromise a little to achieve the same degree of longevity.


‘The design put forward by VPLP won us over with the way they adapted the foils to the small boat format: the resistance (drag) generated by the moustache foils would have been too detrimental on a 30-footer [ed: due to the shaft’s drag].’


Gianguido readily admits that being the first manufacturer to come up with a foil-equipped mass-production boat is a bold move that now positions Bénéteau at the forefront of innovation, but there is more than image at stake here: ‘Firstly, this project will allow us to understand the potential of this new generation of racers, and to be in a position to industrialise the process. ‘Secondly, we will push ourselves hard when it comes to saving


weight, as this is crucial on a foiler: eventually, we’ll be able to define new standards that will benefit the yard overall.’ This aspect is taken very seriously, and the Figaro 3 is the initial spark that led to the creation of the Groupe Bénéteau Racing Division, which was set up on the former Jeanneau Techniques Avancées site. JTA was responsible for building famous Orma 60 racers such as Fleury Michonand Pierre 1er, Formule 40s, several one-tonners and America’s Cup challengers – in all around 50 prototypes were built at the facility, which until the Figaro 3 project had been mothballed.


‘GBRD is a clearly defined entity, bringing together specific employ- ees with specific skills,’ says Gianguido. Does that open up some doors for further collaboration with VPLP on an IRC project maybe? ‘Certainly we’ve started something here – now both the market and time will decide where and how far it goes. But for the time being we have plenty on our hands with the Figaro 3 because the timing is very tight, as we have to deliver a prototype in June. ‘And all of this while developing a new production capacity for


racing and high-performance boats, and not so far down the line delivering 50 one-designs for the first year with the new boat (2019). ‘Given the size of the Bénéteau group, it’s a manageable project, but we’re still talking about many million euros of investment. We’re completely refurbishing the JTA factory, which is the right size to be managed by a relatively small team of about 12 people... not enormous, but it’s what we estimate will make the equation work. ‘After the launch of the Figaro 3 prototype in June we have 10 or so weeks of tests already carefully scheduled, both static and at sea with a team of the best professional skippers… among them current Figaro expert Yohann Richomme.


‘So far we’ve built a mock-up of the cockpit, complete with electronics, to validate all the gear… What we can say is that the reception the project received when we presented it at the Paris Boat Show was amazing. To give you an idea, the visibility of this launch on social media was four times greater than any boat launch that Bénéteau have ever undertaken… way beyond anything we had expected.’


That ‘visibly modern’ at work once again maybe… q SEAHORSE 51


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