The newest Class40 designs to launch are the Guillaume Verdier Pogo 40S4 (top) and the VPLP Clak40 (above). The Pogo is classic Verdier, powerful enough but minimising drag being the main driver of big design decisions. Not extreme in any single area, the new Pogo is even a little below class maximum beam. This design also features above-average rocker fore and aft. The second 40S4 out of the yard looked fast in all conditions in the TJV to take third. The radical VPLP Clak40 is made to look even more dramatic by a tall coachroof needed to offset the low freeboards to meet stringent Class40 stability regulations. This narrow-waterline, semi-chined hull should be fast in light air and downwind – however, the first boat did not start the TJV because of some last-minute build issues
However, as a result our pilots are less efficient than on the Imocas. For example, when the boat is heeling
our equipment does not detect if it is caused by a wave or by a sudden increase of the wind. Perhaps the Class40 would be better advised to limit the overall cost of all the electronics onboard and then let the skippers choose their priorities. That said, I understand that amateurs
should not be offended and put off by the need for extremely expensive equipment. On this subject I recommend the Ocean- Box solution that optimises the communi- cation flows, makes for reliable satellite connectivity and… prevents unnecessary extra costs! I was ‘tricked’ by my satcom during a race earlier in the season with an automatic update procedure that was very greedy in terms of data, and as a conse- quence made for a ‘greedy’ bill. OceanBox avoids all these kinds of problems. (In fact, Antoine accidentally left the
auto-download switched on and his system upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11… at a data cost of €30,000).
SH: Though you may not prefer solo racing this year the objective is victory in the Route du Rhum! AC: Yes, and it’s a big challenge because there will be crazy competition in Class40 and a record number of participants. The Class40 has now extracted an increased entry limit of 55 boats which is already full. It seems huge but I still wonder if some skippers will not step back because there are so many requirements for qualification. I hope also to be able to race other events
in 2022, including the Class40 World Championship which rises from the ashes in La Rochelle. I’m also thinking of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 that I would like to win in the Imoca class after winning the race in the Class40 (twice) and in the Multi 50 class (now Ocean Fifty) in 2019. [We can already write that Antoine Carpen- tier is, as far as we know, the first skipper to have won the last three editions of the TJV.] SH:When you think about Imoca you naturally think about the Vendée Globe? AC: Actually, no. A solo round-the-world race is of no interest to me. However, I
would be quite tempted to take part in a fully crewed race around the world like the Ocean Race… SH:Or maybe doublehanded on a Class40, like in the Race Around? AC: Currently I am not really looking at that. It depends first if we keep the boat till 2023… On the other hand, I feel that nine months of competition is huge. That said, there could be amateurs racing around the world two-handed who might need a pro onboard… Wait and see! SH:What are your immediate priorities before the start of another season? AC: Getting back into good shape physi- cally, because honestly the Transat Jacques Vabre has worn me out. Technically I’m thinking of some modifications to Redman’s deck layout to improve performance in certain conditions. I’m also thinking up other work to be done on the boat. But I don’t want to say too much yet…
plus there is the small question of the resources I will have! Patrice Carpentier, La Trinité sur Mer
q SEAHORSE 49
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