Left: launched last autumn, the first new JND 43 Albator was developed as a Mk2 version of the super-successful Teasing Machine 2. Built at OceanTec in Slovenia, a series run is planned with a base boat starting at 360,000 euros. Meanwhile, King Marine in Valencia launched the 54ft Teasing Machine 3 (above) in time for the 2017 Middle Sea Race (third overall and first in Class 2) and the recent Transatlantic Race (first overall). Although Teasing 3 is a much bigger and more powerful boat the designers stayed with a low-drag fin plus relatively small twin rudders. The offshore orientation of this 54-footer is further reflected in the Imoca-style pit arrangement
Teasing 3 we feel we have probably reached the size limit for this design approach. With the early success of Albator and Teasing 3 we are already
receiving enquiries for bigger boats, but first we are taking some time out to ‘reflect’ which is already pointing us to something new. It looks pretty promising but we cannot say too much about it, as you will understand. SH: You broke ground with the A35 when you reintroduced the fin keel while everyone else was still adding bulbs… BN: Having the heaviest part of the boat at the lowest point under- water does not look to me to be the best option for sailing upwind in rough conditions. If I can get a capsize angle of 120° with a straight keel then I do my best to get rid of a bulb. Performance wise, a high-span keel with a bulb at the tip is powerful upwind in flat water, even with the IRC bulb penalty, but as soon as you get choppy seas it’s another story. The canting keel is of course even better, but the price is too high (in rating and in the wallet). SH: You both have interesting views about where IRC design should be pushed. Faster boats with offshore potential and more enjoyable to sail… AM: We will continue in this direction. But if we have to design a production boat obviously we will make some compromises, perhaps moving towards a modern version of the A35. These are still good all-round boats for racing but they can be rather boring downwind. Above 40ft it starts to get easier to design a more interesting IRC
boat because a lower displacement/length (DLR) is penalised less heavily. For example, you can build a faster 43-footer with the interior volume of a conventional 38-footer. If the TCC is OK and the boat is successful then you can add some interior and build a few cruiser/racers from the same moulds. That’s what we tried for the A13 Teasing 2 but unfortunately the moulds are still gathering dust. Before Archambault went bankrupt most of the enquiries were
for the cruising version of Teasing, which showed there is a market for this type of boat. If we push the concept up to 50ft the recipe is even better. You get the accommodation and rating bonus – so a competitive yacht and a very fast cruiser. The best way to encourage a more interesting variety of boats
is to mix up the regatta formats more, inshores/offshores/coastal races. The 2016 Commodores’ Cup was a good example of this: 10 races in one week, inshores, coastal and offshores and a nice mix of boats – including Teasing, of course – winning races. (And of course a French team won!)
Today the dominant factor in these designs is event format. So
lighter IRC boats like Teasingare successful offshore, which owners like, and still competitive inshore but harder to sail against high- pointing designs with symmetric spinnakers. But for a good crew the lighter boat is rewarding in these conditions and will still win. SH: In contrast, under the ORC system most events are short windward-leeward courses in light-air venues… But usually warm and sunny, of course! BN: Today there are two breeds of owners… The first one is as you describe, mostly racing windward-leeward courses in warm and sunny areas and expecting to be back to the yacht club at the end of the day. I remember a journalist comment during a TP52 cham- pionship in Marseille: everybody was anxious before the start of the ‘long-distance race’ of 60 miles! I couldn’t help smiling, thinking of the 200-mile races we raced in the 1980s on Quarter Tonners. The second breed of owner is mostly to be found in the UK and
around the northwestern part of Europe where French, Belgian, Dutch and English teams are crossing the Channel back and forth each weekend to go racing. A normal 140-200 mile offshore race starts on a Friday evening and finishes on Sunday morning, mostly under a nice Brittany drizzle. It’s just another world. SH: So which type of owner do you prefer to work for?!? BN/AM: (together, laughing) Guess! SH: Joubert-Nivelt have produced a huge number of production yachts with all the big yards. Are there more interesting new production boats also on the horizon? BN:Yes, we now have a new MAT 10.50 on the drawing table, which is light air windward-leeward oriented. And maybe we will have other bigger boats soon for the same shipyard. Actually, Alexis and I did collaborate with MAT about 10 years ago when they built three Mini 6.50 carbon protos. And we are designing a new Transquadra 34-footer; we had a lot of interest from owners who want a fast and fun boat to glide across the Atlantic on shorthanded, and who are looking for an alternative to existing heavy production boats. SH: Talking of Minis, what do you take from David Raison’s success with his scows? BN: It’s a very interesting concept but we have to find the time to work through it properly. It is not easy what David has done, not as simple as it may look from the outside. Actually, some time ago I did talk to David about working together on a project but when we submitted the price for the CFD study to our customer he ran away! Bernard Nivelt and Alexis Muratet were talking to the editor q
SEAHORSE 59
CARLO BORLENGHI
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