The IMOCA 60 Future Gets Clearer

Launch Sept. 2 of DMG MORI, for Kojiro Shiraishi, a VPLP design essentially sister-ship of Charal :
https://voilesetvoiliers.ouest-fran...ie-beyou-ceeb5dee-ccbe-11e9-b985-707ad0eef1db

Next launch planned tomorrow sept. 5 : Advens for cyber security / Thomas Ruyant / Verdier design

 

Hugo Boss flying (almost):---from sa
sailing to the max®️ on Instagram: “@alex_thomson_racing going fast #sailingtothemax” https://www.instagram.com/p/B2CP6PyhGvA/?igshid=nm5orezclsn5

 

Seen earlier,I have other and larger images but not readily available.

 

The former Hugo Boss is now named 11th Hour Racing, for VOR veterans Charlie Enright and Mark Towill, will trained offshore Port La Forêt base side to some French Imocas, in view the next Jacques Vabre starting 27 October :
Ocean Race Veterans Charlie Enright & Mark Towill Set Sights on Third Race Around the World with 11th Hour Racing https://www.imoca.org/en/news/news/ocean-race-veterans-charlie-enright-mark-towill-set-sights-on-third-race-around-the-world-with-11th-hour-racing

 

The launch of Advens for cyber security, the Verdier design initially for the VOR new formula, it seems there is a slight V in the fore half bottom of the hull :
Le nouveau bateau de Thomas Ruyant mis à l'eau. Sport https://larochesuryon.maville.com/sport/detail_-le-nouveau-bateau-de-thomas-ruyant-mis-a-l-eau_54135-3827626_actu.Htm

 

I have one or two fairly close range photographs of the boat that I took on Friday afternoon.Sadly I brought the wrong cable to connect the camera to my laptop so can't upload them until I return home in a few days time.As you can see from the link, the foils are extremely wide and the hull itself is very flat in cross section.I was also a little surprised by the apparent minimal freeboard.It was interesting to compare the foils with those of Initiatives Coeur as the new boat has just a single fence at the inboard end and the well tried bot has several fences along each foil.

 

Here we have the photographs I mentioned earlier.It continues to surprise me just how much space is beneath the hulls with the boats in their cradles.

 

Video of the 1st day of the Défi Azimuth, the runs (from 00:58 in the video). : 1. Charal. 2. PRB 3. Arkea Paprec . To remind that 11th Hour is the ex Hugo Boss, with skipper Charles Enright (US) and co-skipper Pascal Bidegorry.

 

Défi Azimuth great race 685 NM started today, presently Charal is leading, closely followed by 11th Hour, their average speed during the last 4 hours is 22,9 Knots. The tracking : https://www.defi-azimut.net/fr

 

... and a short Video on Advens / Thomas Ruyant :

 

A video of the Arkea Paprec run yesterday, rather spectacular :
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7leart

 

How long before they get canting rigs? The bow–up attitude and leeward heel makes them look ungainly.

 

Charal still leading at an average speed of 23 Knots ! with 11th Hour not far (7 NM, great performance of Charlie Enright although discovering this circuit and these Brittany waters, and the ex Hugo Boss is still a reference re. speed) and PRB (24 NM). Great performance too of the old non foiler APICIL (Finot Conq 2008), and their skippers Damien Seguin (who has the handicap of no left hand) and Yoann Richomme. They soon arrived at the end of the second leg of the triangle, then the third one (190 NM) to return to Lorient will be upwind with tacks option, very interesting, nothing is fixed in the rankings.
https://www.defi-azimut.net/fr

 

To be positive, we could say that they have invented a new figure of style, as in figure skating

 

Charal still leading and positioned south for a direct Route to Lorient in any case of wind rotation a priori while avoiding light winds from south. Now it is PRB the first follower, 11th Hour invested in a double counter tacks to be in the South, but that seems not rewarded up to now and they are now 3rd. At the contrary, on the North route, Arkea Paprec try everything for the whole : they did no any first counter tack and headed directly East after the second mark with the hope that the wind will rotate south soon enough to avoid fatal tacks at the end. Still remarkable position and speed of the non foilers APICIL and Banque Pop, respectively 5th and 7th. On board Banque Pop, it is another masterclass (after the Fastnet and before the Jacques Vabre) of Armel Le Cleac'h for the benefit of Clarisse Crémer who is in preparation for the next Vendée Globe on this boat.
https://www.defi-azimut.net/fr