The second of Marc Lombard’s Lift40 Class40s, Black Mamba (yes, we know) is readied for launch in Lorient where she was built by Gepeto Composites. The new boat will be raced in the Route du Rhum by 2020 Vendée Globe hopeful Yoann Richomme – winner of the 2016 Figaro Solitaire. For this ‘almost’ scow Class40 Lombard uses the sharp chine forward to deliver some of the lift or ‘forward righting moment’ that has been forfeited due to the class ban on the full scow bow. These forward rounded underwater sections then continue undisturbed aft (opposite) to deliver a slippery shape in spite of a very full-looking hull shape. And it seems to work… the first Lift40, Carac, proved very competitive against Phil Sharp’s Mach 40 light-air flyer Imerys in the less than breezy conditions of the 1,000nm Normandy Channel Race


No coincidence – Part II


To head off an invasion of the scows the Class40 was swift to introduce a rule to control bow fullness. However, the recent course of designer Marc Lombard’s research in that fleet – as well as in the Mini 6.50s – still led to some innovative and rather clever new shapes (or you could say scows by any other name…) 50 SEAHORSE


Mini 6.50 Proto Two new Mini prototypes designed by Marc Lombard Yacht Design have launched recently, n°945 built and sailed by Axel Tréhin and n°950 built and sailed by François Champion. Their arrival in the class has been pretty impressive. Just a few days after going afloat they


finished respectively first and fourth in the Mini Fastnet race competing against most of the current class frontrunners. Of significance for us, during the reach


north across the Channel our designs were matching the best two scows in the fleet, n°865 and n°934 – which took the top two


places in the last Mini Transat in 2017. Once clear of Land’s End and down-


wind VMG sailing in light airs, our new boats then held off these two proven designs on the first part of the leg up to the Fastnet Rock (we were also particularly pleased to note that they were matching the downwind polars of our previous much less powerful Mini, n°800, winner of the 2015 Mini Transat). Once the breeze increased n°945 flew


away downwind to lead around the Rock, then on the wind on the return leg both boats also established themselves as strong upwind performers. Very promising for the


CHRISTOPHE LAUNAY


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