Ultims are back in 2021

I reopen such thread as the Ultims are back on water to prepare the 2021 races which will culminate with the Jacques Vabre in early November, 7500 NM for the Ultims race :
Édition 2021 - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/edition-2021
At least 4 Ultims, perhaps 5, all able of full flying sailing :
Gitana 17, Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier
Sodebo 3 , Thomas Coville and X... (send you CV )
Banque Populaire XI just launched, Armel Le Cléac'h and Kevin Escoffier
Actual (ex Macif) , Jean-Yves Le Blevec and X .. : it is the ex Macif of Francois Gabart, see the video (the whistle is the real noise on board, not very pleasant !)

The new trimaran of Francois Gabart to be launched in July, sponsoring by ... ? (Send your savings )
François Gabart nous fait visiter son futur Ultime à l'avenir incertain https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/voile/francois-gabart-nous-fait-visiter-son-futur-ultime-a-l-avenir-incertain_AV-202104160264.html

 

Another video of Actual , said first offshore sailing :

 

Francois Gabart at last got a new sponsor , SVR Lazartigue (cosmetic products), which bought to Macif the new ultim trimaran foiler in finishing (launch expected for July) and committed for a 4 years programme. The ultim should be ready enough to participate for the Jacques Vabre in November. Budget is said ~ 12 M€ Investment + 2,5 M€/year for functioning.
Voile. Ultime : François Gabart a trouvé un sponsor « SVR - Lazartigue » https://www.letelegramme.fr/voile/ultime-francois-gabart-a-trouve-un-sponsor-svr-lazartigue-27-05-2021-12756918.php

 

Yesterday was the launch of the new Ultim of François Gabart, now named "SVR Lazartigue" his new sponsor. Impressive as usual. After the period of the first tests, François Gabart and his co-skipper Tom Laperche will then have three months to take ownership of the boat, adjust it and understand it before his first race, the Transat Jacques Vabre, which will start from Le Havre on November 7th.
Ultime. Mise à l'eau du Trimaran SVR-LAZARTIGUE de François Gabart (courseaularge.com)
Other Ultims for the Jacque Vabre 2021 will be :
Banque Populaire XI (Armel Le Cleac'h) , Sodebo 3 (Thomas Coville), Actual (ex MACIF) (Le Blévec), Gitana 17 (Franck Cammas, J. Vabre or Trophée Jules Verne ?)
Recent videos of Banque Pop (at 40 knts under a flashing storm) and Gitana (side to kite foilers) :
SOUS L'ORAGE À 40 NOEUDS - MAXI BANQUE POPULAIRE XI - VOILE BANQUE POPULAIRE - YouTube

 

Here is the video of the Fastnet start, you can see from about 40:00, the start of the multihulls inc. the Ultims is at 48:30, upwind in 23 Knots of wind :
LIVE: Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 - The Start - YouTube

 

Clear victory of Gitana, really an amazing Ultim (and crew) :
Maxi Edmond de Rothschild establishes new Rolex Fastnet Race record https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en/videos/1073-maxi-edmond-de-rothschild-establishes-new-rolex-fastnet-race-record

 

... and the interview in English of the winners :

 

Hervé is the video of the first sailings of SVR Lazartigue / Francois Gabart. It is said they can fly from 14 Knots of wind and they hitted 43 Knots effortless at their second day out :

 

An interview of Francois Gabart about SVR Lazartigue design options :
Gabart: "Saving 5 to 10 days on a round-the-world passage is definitely possible" https://www.tipandshaft.com/en/ultim-en/gabart-saving-5-to-10-days-round-the-world-passage-definitely-possible/

 

An interesting video from inside Gitana during the Fastnet :

 

The last video of SVR Lazartigue posted August 23th, called "Pure Speed", by without info about this speed neither about the wind speed :
Pure vitesse - TrimaranSVRLazartigue - YouTube

 

This video shows the start of the Defi Azimuth race, 360 NM, a small format for these Ultims but instructive because the first direct confrontation for the new Banque Populaire XI (Armel Le Cleac,h) and SVR Lazartigue (Francois Gabart) with Sodebo (Thomas Coville) and Actual (Yves Le Blevec). (Gitana was not there, they hitted an UFO and are in repair) . Light winds for this start but the video is beautiful in its kind and the Ultims are already fast in these conditions (it seems that their performance by light winds have improved a lot in the last 3 years) . Banque Pop won this race, 13 mn ahead of Sodebo, , about 1h ahead of Actual. SVR Lazartigue was forced to abandon after an hydraulic problem :

 

The Defi Azimuth race from inside the boats :
1. Banque populaire : PREMIERE VICTOIRE DU MAXI BANQUE POPULAIRE XI - DEFI AZIMUT 2021 - VOILE BANQUE POPULAIRE - YouTube
2. Sodebo : Immersion totale à bord de #SodeboUltim3 - YouTube
3. Actual : Défi Azimut 2021 - Team Actual - YouTube
4. SVR Lazartigue (abandon due to hydraulic problem ) : Défi Azimut du Trimaran SVR Lazartigue. - YouTube

 

Today is the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021, you can follow it in live with YouTube, from 13h french hour :
Le grand départ de la Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre en LIVE ! - YouTube
The web site of the race :
2021 Edition - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel
The 5 Ultims will be there (Banque populaire, Edmond de Rothchild, SVR Lazartigue, Sodebo, Actual), and their skippers with kilometric CVs, so a great expectation for this race : Skippers - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel

 

Edmond de Rothchild leader, Banque Pop second at 8 NM, wind is now light (~8 Knots) and speeds are < 20 Knots. The map tracker :
https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/en/map-tracker
Ventusky forecast :https://www.ventusky.com/?p=51.0;-8.6;5&l=wind-10m