Hello, Le Havre! The Franco-English duo give a ‘private’ TJV briefing to some of the team from the charity Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque Enfants which benefits directly from a long and successful association with the offshore racing programme that was started by De Lamotte 15 years ago
have managed have always reaped huge benefits – one example being Ellen MacArthur when she built Kingfisher in New Zealand and sailed her back to Europe; it gave Ellen a handy edge on her rivals in the 2000 Transat (first) and Vendée Globe (second). So I am keen to do the Barcelona race and luckily my sponsors are supporting me. So where are we now? Well, IC3 is in
this. Racing at this level is a selfish thing to do – everything revolves around getting the best out of our performances so we are permanently the centre of attention. Now I have a ‘real’ reason to race, and the better I communicate my adventure the more lives our campaign will save. It is that simple. Often when Tanguy and I have found
ourselves having a bad day on the water (like in the 2015 TGV when our rudders ripped off and we had to make a lengthy stop for repairs) we look at the photo of Ardacha on the mainsail (a little girl saved by the actions of our project) and we are rapidly reminded that we chose to be out there racing – compared to what these kids and their families are going through we have nothing to complain about. So now I am in a great position: with
three years to go to the Vendée Globe I have my boat and I am entered for the race. For me it is vital to have this time to train, develop the boat and pack in as many confidence-building miles as I can. Our ongoing technical budget is similar
to any top-level Imoca project. In this case our two main sponsors are the joint owners of our IC3 boat and, along with Vinci Energies (co-sponsor), they finance the Imoca programme budget – as well as also donating to the charity. Initiatives Coeur 3 is the ex-Maître-Coq
from the last Vendée. A Verdier-VPLP design, she was initially launched as Foncia in 2010 (a Mich-Desj baby!) and then rapidly renamed Banque Populaire for the 2012 Vendée Globe. She finished second and third in the last two Vendée Globes. In 2016 she was the first non- foiler to be retrofitted with foils, designed for Jérémie Beyou by BAR’s new America’s Cup design chief Nick Holroyd. Last year was my first Transat on a
foiling monohull. There are so many new sensations and adjustments to think about and changes to make with the conditions (foils, keel, sails, ballasts…). It was only last February that the first foiler completed a circumnavigation and there is a huge amount still to learn and enormous scope for development. Our current foils are small and not very
powerful compared to the latest iterations and we struggle in reaching conditions
52 SEAHORSE
against the new boats… but upwind and downwind we have the advantage of less drag. However, the conclusion from last year’s experience, especially sailing along- side the newer foilers, is that we would like more powerful foils ourselves! Imoca 60s are not comfortable, but they
are incredibly fun to sail. For me the fun hugely outweighs the lack of comfort (luckily). But the increased average speeds and vertical accelerations with foils mean that it is now really hard just to stand up onboard and much more dangerous to move around. I sometimes wear a helmet just to go to move the stack, for example. Noise is also an issue, as we have more
appendages to vibrate and resonate (some of the noise coming from the solid carbon rigging). Most Imoca sailors now go to sea equipped with ear plugs and noise- reducing headphones. So with more powerful foils I will have
to accept even more hard-core discomfort. Nav station seating and bunk technology is getting increasingly complex but it is being given higher and higher priority to reduce fatigue (and injury) during a Vendée. Increasing foil size will also increase the
dynamic righting moment of our boat. This will clearly raise rig loads so the current mast will probably have to be reinforced to handle it (which is permissible as our 2012-generation boat and rig benefit from being grandfathered.) So new foils are in the programme but
not for this year. Right now I have enough to learn getting back to solo sailing after a few years’ break – including racing the previous Volvo on SCA – and this year’s Route du Rhum is the perfect next objec- tive. I also need more time to get used to foiling while still using my small ‘stabil - isers’ as a stepping stone towards the increased power of the 2019 versions. Following the Rhum next year’s
Barcelona World Race will provide me with an opportunity to take my new boat into the Southern Ocean on a ‘training run’ – with the added security of racing two-up and having a stopover (in Sydney). Ocean miles are vital to prepare for a
Vendée Globe and it is hard when you are based in the north Atlantic to get into the Southern Ocean to practise… Those who
refit. We are converting our ballast to the 2016 rule configuration which basically allows more righting moment for a lot less (ballast) weight – around 800kg less for the same righting moment in our case. It is a big job cutting out all the old tanks and laminating in the new ones; parts of the original tanks are structural to the original hull design so it is no easy task and every- thing has to be calculated meticulously. We are also researching the new sail
limitation rule. As of last year the Imocas are only allowed to race with eight sails onboard (including storm-jib.) The previous limit was nine and our sail wardrobes were optimised accordingly. Last year we sailed IC3 with old sails
while we were learning our ‘new’ boat, so we still have the budget to build new sails designed around the new rules, tailored to the way I sail as well as my physical strength and particular skillset. We are also optimising the autopilot and elect - ronics to suit my pilot preferences (critical for a solo sailor.) Now is certainly the time to try things out while there is time to make mistakes well ahead of 2020. For a sailor it is a frustrating phase
when your boat is on land. It is important for me to spend some time with the shore team learning the boat while she is disman- tled, modified and later reassembled, but I am also trying to get some sailing in with the Figaro training sessions here in Port La Forêt. There is nothing better than Figaro training to keep you on your toes… Winter is also a good period to spend
time with my sponsors. And our charity… I recently went out to Burundi in Africa with Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, volun- teering in a hospital with the cardiology team as they monitored the children whom they’ve operated on and identify other poorly children whom the charity can help. For me being an ambassador for a charity is not just about sticking a logo on your sail – I love getting totally involved in the chain of solidarity that supports this amazing cause. Plus it is the only way you will ever be convincing when promoting it. I can’t wait to get IC3 back in the water,
though. Despite the three-year build-up to 2020 I know the time will rush by and I want to make the most of my sailing time to prepare for this huge challenge (again!). Sam Davies, Port la Forêt
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VINCENT CURUTCHET
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