News Around the World
Martin Le Pape and helmsman Thierry Chabagny (standing in for Charlie Dalin) blast across the finish line of the second stage of the new Sardinha Cup on Skipper Macif 2017, just behind stage-winners Tabarly/Leboucher on Guyot Environment. The event was won overall by three-time Figaro Solitaire winner Yann Eliès racing with Seahorse ‘Port-la-Forêt correspondent’ Sam Davies. In June Eliès will attempt to become the first person ever to win four Figaro races; Sam is already back at sea on her Imoca Initiatives-Coeur continuing Vendée Globe preparations while her team finish the design for her second set of new lift foils which will start building next month in time for the Transat Jacques Vabre. Sam will race the TJV with Route du Rhum winner Paul Meilhat as her co-skipper
FRANCE A new story begins Late March I was lucky enough to sail on one of the two Macif Figaro 3s with Martin Le Pape and Charlie Dalin. Martin has been selected for the Macif programme – only open to candidates who have already shown good results on the Figaro circuit. The programme normally runs for two years but Martin has been confirmed for a third year thanks to his excellent seventh place in the last Figaro race. Charlie Dalin, a previous Macif skipper, acts as his mentor to
help him keep improving. Charlie himself has been performing so well in the past two years – twice French offshore champion and always on or near the podium of the big Figaro events – that Apivia, a subsidiary of Macif, decided to sponsor the 34-year-old sailor from Le Havre for an Imoca campaign, including of course the next Vendée Globe on a new 60-footer designed by Guillaume Verdier which is close to completion at the CDK shipyard in Port-La-Forêt. Charlie is a graduate of the naval architecture school in South -
ampton, UK and is very much invested in the design and construction of his new Imoca. He is also pleased to be gaining experience with the Figaro 3 which he considers, particularly the addition of the ‘foils, as a ‘baby’ Imoca. While Sébastien Col drove me out to Macif by RIB I learned that
Sébastien, known for his experience in the America’s Cup, has also recently been appointed a full-time member of Team Macif which operates under the direction of François Gabart and his company, Mer Concept. François told me: ‘Sébastien was the driving force
20 SEAHORSE
behind my original involvement in the Flying Phantom cat, which we still use a lot for training and which has helped familiarise my whole team with the notion of flight. He seemed the obvious choice to fill a similar role with us on a more permanent basis.’ Sébastien will assist with the development of François’ new Ultim
Macif and also the development of Dalin’s Imoca 60 Apivia… plus the two Macif Figaro Bénéteau 3s of Martin Le Pape and Pierre Quiroga! ‘So you can see that he is an important person in the team…’ added François. ‘He manages the link between the different groups on the three projects, so that everyone shares and benefits from their knowledge and expertise. Sébastien also ensures that everything operates smoothly inside what is now a large group of very competitive individuals…’ During our brief time spent on the Bénéteau Macif Sébastien
was always close by in the RIB shooting photos and videos and making observations over the VHF. Actually, the Figaro 3 looks and feels as if it sits between the latest Minis and their grand brothers of the Imoca class. The key differences with the previous Figaro 2 are a lighter displacement, a much narrower keel (but still fixed), of course the foils (but not water ballast any more) and a rig equipped with a powerful fat-headed mainsail supported by twin backstays, plus the big gennaker flown off the bowsprit, which gives a real turbo charge in the right conditions. The gennaker is also used when sailing upwind up to 8kt TWS but is only practical on long stages as it must be rolled at every tack. Interestingly – and an area of much development, I expect – is
CHRISTOPHE BRESCHI
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