the architects of choice, with their short- handed oceanic experience and bank of performance information placing them firmly at the forefront of open class design. There are several similar Finot-Conq designs competing against PRB. The sections of Isabelle’s saucer-shaped


hull are essentially very open V-shapes to provide leverage for the water ballast, with narrow waterlines to minimise the wetted surface when upright. As much as possible the designers also try to keep the water- lines as parallel as possible when heeled – not easy on such wide craft. Two small asymmetric daggerboards in front of the mast improve performance upwind. Now the introduction of the canting keel (first pioneered in the Mini class by


42 SEAHORSE


Michel Desjoyeaux) also offers reduced bulb weight when compared with other designs which still depend entirely on more familiar lateral water-ballast tanks for additional righting moment. PRB carries twin rudders, each mounted on small skegs for extra security in the event of a collision with a floating object (UFO). But that won’t stop a rudder breakage for Isabelle in the 1996-1997 Vendée Globe. The curvature of the deck is now zero


and the coachroof is kept to the absolute minimum to lower the centre of gravity. But this will increase the stability of the wide flat hull when it is upside down. And Isabelle will pay for it – on 15 February 1999, during the third stage of the Around Alone race, the French skipper is forced to


abandon her overturned sailboat, unable to get it upright even with water ballast and the keel tilted to the maximum 35°. This edition of the Vendée Globe is won


by Christophe Auguin onboard Geodis, another Finot-Conq plan, similar to Isabelle’s PRB but built with a fixed keel. Auguin and Geodis had won the 1994- 1995 BOC Challenge and between the finish of that race and the start of the 1996 Vendée Globe Geodis went back into the factory to have a canting keel fitted. With the extra power of her new keel


the ‘sailing’ displacement is reduced with the need for less water ballast. Perfor- mance improves dramatically. From now on you’ll need to have this type of keel to have any chance of victory in the big races.


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