Interview with Philippe Facque of CDK technologies on Voiles et Voiliers

Interesting and far reaching article/interview on voiles et voiliers. It's in French of course but translates quite well with computer translate.

http://www.voilesetvoiliers.com/cha...pe-facque-la-monotypie-nest-pas-une-solution/

 

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Super find, Corley!

It's a bit long this article, and my time the next days is too short to put it into English, but it ought to be done, Philippe Facque is a dynamo.

Regarding the title "Monotype classes are not the solution", Facque talks first about about CDK's history and their current projects, and then about (his running of) the ORMA class Grand Prix events, the innovations re. broadcasting, combining live race footage and very impressive virtual race images.

He says that circuit was mainly done in by the "affaire Erika" (his main sponsor Total got hit with lawsuits re. the oil spill from a Maltese tanker that broke up), and the loss of Total as sponsor was what ended the series, and not the cost of the ORMA boats themselves - but he mentions it would have been better if the teams had not been allowed to change sail wardrobes and appendages in the course of the season.

Then the V&V interviewer Dominic Bourgeois says that unfortunately there is comparatively less innovation going on these days, only in Minis and to a lesser extent in Class 40 and IMOCA boats.

Facque: That's indeed a shame! Monotype classes aren't a solution, and the cost of a season in MOD70 is there to confirm it. There isn't much left to encourage the racers, the designers , the builders to find new solutions. Perhaps the new class of 100ft maxi-multihulls may permit a revival, I hope so in any case.

V&V: Because the MOD70 class is dead and buried, in your opinion?

(Note: CDK was lead constructor for all the MOD70's)

Facque: An investor ought to start it up again, because the boats are well-conceived and built, solid, high-performance, sane/sensible. It's impressive the speeds they averaged on the Krys Transatlantic Race and doublehanded in the Jacques Vabre! These are superb machines -


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Facque himself stopped competing after his teammate Loic Caradec was lost at sea during the 1986 Route du Rhum, but he mentions he still does participate in some little races, as last year for the 50th anniversary of the Muscadet class... look it up! All the enthusiasts there and the wonderful ambiance on (small and modest) boats superbly dolled up.

 

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Here's and English article on the Muscadet anniversary race last year: