Update
We don’t need a new class of foiling monohull for the Volvo, we don’t need a second-tier multihull always to be overshadowed by the Ultim… what we do need and what it seems likely we may get is finally, finally to put together the once-pinnacle round-the-world race with today’s undisputed kings of the monohull arena. Add in next-generation foils and a full crew and these things will be off to Mars
MULTIHULL PORN – Jocelyn Blériot Thirty-eight years after its inaugural edition the Trophée des Multi - coques is coming back to La Trinité sur Mer, its historic venue and cradle of the French multihull scene. For four days, 28-31 August, the Bay of Quiberon will see today’s record-breaking Ultims, many of the stars of yesteryear and a fleet of modern produc tion foilers battling it out on a range of courses. In the spirit of the original, diversity and innovation will be at the centre of the weekend. An amazing mix of 22 boats entered the first edition in 1980,
which acted as one of the main catalysts for the explosion of the multihull craze. And if Eric Loizeau captured the limelight with his victory aboard Gauloises IV that year, the Trophée was from the very start an international affair, with Phil Weld making waves aboard Moxie, and the Newick/Greene designs showing their form. At the time, apart from the big oceanic events (OSTAR, Rhum,
Lorient-Bermuda), no official gathering existed for multihulls despite their rapid rise in popularity and unrivalled propensity to push the boundaries of technological innovation. Over two decades, ranging from Tabarly’s Atlantic-crossing record aboard the (heavy) foiler Paul Ricardto the golden years of Orma 60 racing in the early 2000s, multihulls have constantly redefined performance and contributed significantly to improving sailing’s visual draw for spectators. This is precisely what organisers Dominic Bourgeois (renowned
journalist and staple of the multi scene) and Marc Guillemot (of Vendée Globe and Jet Services fame) are intent on celebrating, while also providing a prelude to this year’s Rhum. But make no mistake, the Trophée’s intention is not to exist as a supporting
10 SEAHORSE
act: the idea is for the reborn event to carry on as a regular fixture. Such is the enthusiasm around the event that Loïck Peyron was
one of the first skippers to complete his entry form, as soon as the website opened… he will race aboard his Newick/Greene trimaran Happy, which he left alongside the dock in the 2014 Rhum, having taken the helm of Banque Populaire VII at the last minute to replace an injured Armel Le Cléac’h (yes, victory did ensue). Six Ultims will also take part (Idec-Sport, SodeboUltim, Spindrift,
Macif, Gitana 17 plus the re-rigged Banque Populaire IX), as well as a handful of MOD70s and Ormas. And while the big boats will set off on long courses – including a 24-hour race – Diam 24s, Golden Oldies (Hydrofolie, Moxie, VSD and others) and production foilers (Flying Phantom, Easy to Fly, Nacra 17 etc) will criss-cross the bay. And plenty of other well-known names, including Alain Gautier (Orma 60 Sensation) and Jacques Vapillon, who has restored the famous Fleury Michon F40, have jumped at the oppor- tunity. ‘We want to provide great racing on the water,’ says Bourgeois,
‘but also opportunities for the public to see these boats up close again, as well as to bump into skippers and crews in the race village which we will set up at the heart of the harbour in La Trinité. Ed note: and among the prizes will be a newly minted Seahorse Trophy. For further details:
www.tropheedesmulticoques.com.
NO CYBORGS ALLOWED – Jack Griffin Emirates Team New Zealand and their Challenger of Record Luna Rossa released the AC75 Class Rule on schedule at the end of
YVAN ZEDDA
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