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Safran was the first foil-assisted Imoca 60 to go afloat back in March. Since then three more similarly-configured designs have been racing with mixed results against existing non lift-foil boats. However most comparisons to date have taken place in light to medium conditions and sailing on a variety of course types. The message of this image, plus designer predictions, is that power-reaching around the world in the Vendée Globe these boats will be extremely hard to beat – at least until starting the last drag up the Atlantic
FRANCE Big boys’ game
At the end of October the 20-year-old two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre left Le Havre for a 5,400 mile Atlantic crossing from north to south finishing at Itajaí, Brazil. There are four divisions competing and for the first time in the history of the race the Imoca 60s, with 20 boats taking part, represent nearly half of the 42-boat fleet. The driver for such a strong turnout is the relative proximity of the 2016 Vendée Globe, starting next November. That said, for such a complex and rather expensive class, 20 boats is still quite impressive. The other new feature of the TJV this year is the introduction of the Ultim division, with four maxi multihulls on the track. The two remaining categories are the busy Class40 and the Multi 50 – with only four boats this year.
Within the Imoca fleet everyone is focused on the battle between the new semi-foiling generation and the previous ‘conventional’ designs. Six new Imoca 60s have launched this year; Safranand Banque Populaireset the ball rolling for this new collection from VPLP-Verdier, these two teams sharing the very substantial initial development costs.
Hull shapes are radical and more powerful than previously, with a lower chine and even fuller bow sections, and are designed to sail heeled with minimum drag, rather like the Mini 6.50 scows. Structures are also more refined, more complex and lighter overall to compensate for the increased weight of the new one-design mast and keel.
Marc Van Peteghem of VPLP explains: ‘Adding foils is the natural evolution and continues to hold promise, but the Imoca rule evolution makes things harder with the number of appendages now limited to five.
‘The new rule with its one-design elements has also resulted in slightly heavier boats than those of previous generation.’ This is a disadvantage in light air but in strong winds the new boats will rely less on water ballast, which means less all-up weight. ‘The six new boats fit into three distinct categories,’ adds Marc. ‘The first category comprises Safranand Banque Populaire 7, both built by CDK Technologies, and Vento de Sardegnabuilt by Persico
14 SEAHORSE
in Italy (the Italian boat has now been sold and is under the management of Michel Desjoyeaux).
‘All three are based on the same hull shape whose main characteristic is their capacity to generate power when reaching. The design phase for the second category, comprising Multiplast builds Edmond de Rothschild and Saint-Michel Paprec, began six months later. For these two the specification focused on creating a more versatile yacht, rather than concentrating solely on power and maximum speed.
‘Nevertheless, these five designs all share the same foil philos- ophy and, in compliance with the rules, a similar sail plan. They all went for the one-design wingmast.’ In category no3 is the latest Hugo Boss, built in England by Green Marine. Skipper Alex Thomson and his team have put some unusual ideas into the mix and at first glance she appears the most radical of the six boats. ‘Choosing the “next wave” of foils, developed in-house by the Hugo Boss design office, also dictated other choices, such as the breadth and shape of the deck in the forward part of this vessel,’ concluded Marc.
During the summer the new Imocas have been sailing, training and racing. Except on a few occasions, the wind has been mostly moderate and in these lighter conditions the jury found in favour of the cream of the previous generation. Vincent Riou’s PRBwon both the Rolex Fastnet and the Azimut race in Lorient featuring 12 Imoca 60s. On the 200nm Azimut course PRBfinished first in front of Maître Coq and SMA, the former Macif and winner of the last Vendée, sailed by new skipper Paul Meilhat and Michel Desjoyeaux. The first boat with ‘moustaches’, as Michel describes them, was
the new Banque Populaire, finishing fourth. A few days earlier, at the end of a training session in Port La Forêt, Christian Le Pape, director of the Centre d’Entraînement, said: ‘This was the compar- ison the sailors wanted to see. There were no surprises and every- thing matched the performance forecasts of the designers. ‘The advantage for the foils was there on some points of sail and in certain wind strengths. But it is very hard to quantify and by now those boats with the original straight daggerboards are of course well tuned, while the others are still in development. For the
JEAN MARIE LIOT/DPPI
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