On Macif two ‘bumps’ running down each gunwale provide more rigidity, especially in the longitudinal axis, than the previous convex foredecks or single centreline ‘sausages’. This can all be taken as extra stiffness or some of it can be traded for savings in deck weight. But by running down each side the stiffness benefits now extend along the full length of the boat rather than stopping at the coachroof. The comparatively higher freeboards of the new Macif add further to global rigidity as well as keeping the decks less awash
we already face serious challenges. ‘A large multihull can crash but the
narrow hull shapes slow the boat much less than with an Imoca. Without an elevator Macif is already moving very fast and we have enough work to try to make our weapon more stable as well as more reli- able at high speed… ‘One battle at a time!’
that the last boats with big foils and honey- comb hull floors have a rather uncertain future. Their time is limited. It will end as Guyot did, with a failure of the core. The curved foredeck ‘bump’ used to
improve the structural rigidity of Apivia has also been extended further to the edge of the deck on Macif, to provide better structural continuity. An Imoca hull is like the load-bearing shell of a house… except with 20 tons of compression amidships at the foot of the mast and stays and runners forcing the hull sides and ends up in the opposite direction! Somehow a very light hull-deck assembly must prevent or at least minimise this deformation. Now these ‘bumps’ run all the way from front to back to better resolve the large bending forces.
Down below Experience has shown that an Imoca is a desperately violent and uncomfortable vessel racing offshore. Macif’s new ergo - nomics are designed to both reduce this dis- comfort and optimise the management of singlehanded manoeuvres. The cockpit, enclosed with a rigid roof, is now located in front of the living area – a completely new arrangement which was carefully devel- oped making use of a full-sized mock-up that was built of the deck and interior. The space for manoeuvring is deliberately extremely confined to make for a more secure operating position for the skipper. From the coffee grinder which he handles
facing forward, with his back pressed against a bulkhead, if necessary, Dalin con- trols a battery of four R300 winches (the same as on Apivia) where dozens of differ- ent ropes are led, while close by a lever controls the rake of the foils hydraulically. On either side of this small working area
a step is judiciously placed allowing Charlie to climb outside and, if necessary, to steer
46 SEAHORSE
the boat using an inverted L-stick – ‘but,’ he says, ‘I only really steer when I enter or exit a port.’ The bubble canopies feature various
types of opening and closing mechanisms, along with a watertight ventilation system using multiple water traps. The quest to minimise the amount of movement required of the skipper and the space for him to be bounced around is a clear differ- ence on Charlie’s new boat; the small working area with the separate living area at the back accessed through a passageway. The chart table and its battery of displays
on the port side pivot on a vertical axis, so from his berth to starboard in the living pod Charlie can monitor all his data and even eat without having to get up and move around. Because of its aft location this living area (from which Charlie can escape through the stern survival hatch) is no longer filled with the big intrusive tubes for the halyards and control lines which usually take up much of the interior volume. Of course I am left wondering where the
extra space for a crew is, but then this is a boat built to win the Vendée Globe – for which no crew is allowed! ‘And,’ says Charlie, ‘for life onboard the stern of the boat is the least bad place for slamming… except when the transom crashes down after take-off…’ A final word on the possibility of the
Imoca allowing rudder elevators, as we are beginning to see on the Proto Minis… ‘It is technically attractive because it will
make the boats go faster and be more stable in the flying mode, but this increase in speed will demand a further increase in the strength of the boats – especially the rigs – and therefore big changes in terms of struc- ture. Plus then the “crash” will be even more violent: going from 40kt to 7kt, instead of 32kt to 7kt as we do now… and
Charlie Dalin with Pascal Bidégorry A few years ago they didn’t know each other! The first exchanges took place in 2020 on the pontoons of MerConcept while the two skippers were preparing for the Transat, one in an Imoca and the other in an Ultim, the event finally cancelled due to Covid. ‘Seeing me on the dock,’ Pascal says,
‘Charlie invited me over to go for a sail with him on Apivia. I discovered a very talented, hardworking, empathetic and humble skipper… and our first adventures together were very successful! ‘Since then I have worked and sailed a
lot on the two 11th Hour Imocas under the direction of MerConcept and we have collaborated a lot between the two big projects. So when Charlie contacted me in January to make this proposal to join forces on Macif I didn’t take long to agree!’ Charlie Dalin also knew early on who he
wanted as co-skipper in the new project. ‘Our first sail together on Apivia in 2020 was particularly rich in lessons. Pascal is the right person to help develop a new boat, as evidenced by his recent experiences with 11th Hour and more recently Holcim- PRB. I am delighted that he has accepted and our discussions and early work together are already very rewarding.’ Pascal will take part in all of the boat’s
training sessions and the official events of the Imoca circuit: the Fastnet Race, the Défi Azimut and the Transat Jacques Vabre. ‘I am becoming a specialist in the devel-
opment of new boats and I am delighted!’ he adds. ‘It is a great feeling to discover a new
boat, her specific qualities, her sensitivities, and to participate in her improvement and optimisation. The schedule will be tight but this team is extremely efficient, with a deep well of real expertise. And everything is always very well organised. ‘We will do everything to make this new
boat perform. I last raced a Transat Jacques Vabre in 2015 on the brand new Macif trimaran with François Gabart… and we won that,’ smiled Pascal.
q
∏M HORLAVILLE/MACIF
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