Tuesday 29 September 2015

Shutdown of updates to the news section of the Trimaran Projects and Multihull News blog

This blog has been a labor of love over the years but lately I'm not so keen on posting news with a busy life taking more of my time.  I'll still periodically update so it might be worth using the follow function or a website content scanning tool like Feedly.  My trimaran projects are all still very much underway with more updates to be posted over the next few months.

I'd like to thank all my readers for following along and all the positive emails and feedback I've received over the years.  The blog content as it stands will remain for its archival reference value but I'm not going to update links if they become broken as some inevitably will.  I still post shares and news regularly to the Facebook Group "The Multihull Appreciation Society" so if you're a Facebook user you might like to check it out.

I also recommend the excellent trimaran enthusiast blog "The Trimaran Journal".

http://trimaranjournal.com/

and also the World of Trimaran enthusiasts blog:

https://trienthusiasts.wordpress.com/

Cheers and all the best!



Friday 21 August 2015

Rolex Fastnet Race, multihulls home in light and variable conditions

The largest multihulls have now all finished the Fastnet Race.  Spindrift 2 took line honours but by only 20 minutes in the last few miles the MOD70 Phaedo managed to sneak into second just edging out the Prince de Bretagne Maxi 80 that claimed third place.

An article on Spindrift 2's Fastnet Race:

http://www.sail-world.com/2015-Rolex-Fastnet-Race---Thrilling-tactical-race/137607

and one that focuses on the general multihull and monohull fleet.

http://www.mysailing.com.au/news/light-winds-forgotten-big-grins-and-tight-finishes-for-fastnet-race



Phaedo3 taking part in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2015 from Ocean Images on Vimeo.

Wednesday 19 August 2015

Monday 17 August 2015

2015 Rolex Fastnet Race gets underway in very light conditions

The race has started in very light conditions this year a strong fleet of race multihulls are competing including the MOD70's Oman Sail, Phaedo and Concise 10 in the Ultimes Spindrift2 and Prince de Bretagne Maxi 80.

http://www.sail-world.com/Record-fleet-for-46th-Rolex-Fastnet-Race/137522

The tracker is here:

http://yb.tl/fastnet2015


Saturday 15 August 2015

2015 edition of the Artemis Challenge sees Musandam Oman Sail take line honours

This year the now super experienced Musandam Oman Sail crew on their much campaigned MOD70 took the win with close competition from Team Concise on the recently purchased and rebranded Paprec recyclage MOD70.  In third place was Lionel Lemonchois on his custom trimaran Prince de Bretagne Maxi 80.  Charging up close behind was the MOD70 of Team Phaedo.

More details on the following article:

http://www.artemischallenge.com/news/view/Musandam_-_Oman_Sail_win_charity_sprint_at_Cowes_Week

and some videos of the event:





Friday 31 July 2015

Gitana Team video of new lifting foil trials on the MOD70 trimaran Edmond de Rothschild

The Gitana team have been making progress on their implementation of a foiling solution for offshore use on the modified MOD70 trimaran Edmond de Rothschild.  In the Route du Rhum Seb Josse tested out T rudders with success and now with the addition of the lifting foil are conducting trials to test the modification under ocean conditions.  The trimaran is still running a C foil on the starboard side as a control.

From the following article on Yachting World:

http://www.yachtingworld.com/news/video-the-first-foiling-mod70-gitana-teams-edmond-de-rothschild-flies-during-her-first-trials-66373

Stand by for lift-off.
If you were impressed by the speeds of the AC45s last week off Portsmouth, check this out – the MOD70 Edmond de Rothschild is almost twice the size, has an extra hull, and is sailing, sorry flying, in the open ocean…

read more here



There is an additional press release from the Gitana Team that goes into more detail on the foil program and results so far:

http://www.gitana-team.com/en/event.news.aspx?eventid=97&newsid=1123

Saturday 18 July 2015

Offshore multihull racing legend Laurent Bourgnon lost in diving accident

One of the giants of multihull racing Laurent Bourgnon has been lost in a diving accident in French Polynesia.  He was reported missing on the 25th June and despite a comprehensive search no trace has been found.  His brother Yvan Bourgnon who recently completed a circumnavigation by a specially designed beach cat mounted his own search sadly without success.  Laurent was best known for his victories in the 1994 and 1998 in the solo Route du Rhum onboard the ORMA trimaran Primagaz.

A few additional details in the article below:

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/06/25/swiss-yachtsman-bourgnon-missing-french-Polynesia

And a tribute from his brother Yvan Bourgnon.  Vale Laurent Bourgnon.


Hommage à Laurent Bourgnon from Thomas Chabrol on Vimeo.


Update from the Lending Club team on day 2 of their Transpac record attempt




Wednesday 15 July 2015

Monday 13 July 2015

Phaedo3 completes Trans Atlantic race and takes line honours in the open division

Phaedo have finished the Trans Atlantic race and took first place in the open division.  Paradox are still at sea with about 254 nm to go.  They are about 30nm astern of Rambler 88.

From the Phaedo facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=919096394795562&id=190043577700851

Phaedo3 records the fastest elapsed time (unofficial) in the 2015 Transatlantic Race
In spite of being becalmed for nearly two days early in the race, the MOD 70 trimaran Phaedo3 owned by owner/driver Lloyd Thornburg has crossed the finish line off the southwest coast of England to record the fastest elapsed time (unofficial) in the 2,800 mile Transatlantic Race.

Thornburg, co-skipper Brian Thompson, and the rest of the crew’s elapsed time of 7 days, 2 hours, 4 minutes, 9 seconds was well ahead of the other fast boats that started in Newport, Rhode Island last Sunday including Jim Clark’s 100-foot sled Comanche, George David’s Rambler 88, and Peter Aschenbrenner’s 63-foot trimaran Paradox. And since Phaedo3 was able to average speeds in the high 20’s once the wind filled in, they’re the 7th boat to finish overall and they came in well ahead the majority of the fleet that started a week before they did.

Phaedo3 continues to raise the bar of what’s possible in offshore racing and the numbers tell the story:

652 nautical miles = Max 24 hour miles covered
2,442 nautical miles =Miles covered in 4 days (once the wind filled in after being becalmed) averaging over 600 miles per day for 4 days
41.2 knots= Top speed

But this is only the beginning. Thornburg, Thompson, and several other Phaedo3 crew and going to keep racing (to Los Angeles for start of the Transpac) once boat docks in Cowes early tomorrow morning.

Thornburg and company have thrown the high performance multi-hull gauntlet down and hope to see more fast multihulls in future offshore races and they are putting their money where their mouths are. They’ll be racing aboard Thornburg’s original Gunboat 66 Phaedo as he goes for a rare Owner/Driver offshore double in the Transpac next week.

Wednesday 8 July 2015

Yvan Bourgnon completes beach cat circumnavigation

Yvan has completed his journey:

From Scan Voile

http://www.scanvoile.com/2015/06/defi-tour-du-monde-en-catamaran-de.html

Challenge / around the world in sport catamaran for Yvan Bourgnon, arrived at Ouistreham! (Images)

After a course of 55 000 km around the planet on his small sport catamaran, the adventure of Yvan Bourgnon ended yesterday after 20 months of navigation. Party in October 2013 of Sables D'olonne, after beaching, two capsizing, and thousands of hours spent at the tiller, the sailor crossed the line yesterday in Ouistreham, marking the end of his journey on June 23, 2015.

Challenge Atlantis Television, the first round of the world uninhabitable sailing
Yvan Bourgnon completed its World Tour! He arrived yesterday at 1 pm at the port of Ouistreham Riva Bella.

Back on the adventure
October 5, 2013, departure from les Sables D'olonne. November 2013, first storm with more than 60 knots of wind and first capsize.

February 2014, the sailor is the Panama canal with the ship dismantled, put on the deck of a sailboat.

August 2014, after 19 days at sea in full monsoon, Yvan Bourgnon ran aground at night on the coast of Sri Lanka. A part of the boat is destroyed.

March 2015, after repairing his boat on the place of his grounding, he resumed his challenge.

Around the world of Yvan Bourgnon in figures
55,000 km travelled either 220 days at sea
20 stages, 3 oceans and 13 crossed seas
10.5 km/h, speed average over the whole route
7 storms to more than 90 km/h
2 capsizing,
2 falls to the sea
12 hours of hand steering per day (on average)
 
 

Tuesday 7 July 2015

Trans Atlantic race, Open division deals with relatively light conditions

From the following press release on the Trans Atlantic race website:

http://transatlanticrace.com/2015-race/565-stop-start-transatlantic-race

Comanche, Rambler 88, Phaedo3 and Paradox – the four fastest boats in the Transatlantic Race 2015 – are now in hot pursuit of the remainder of the fleet.

Overnight the four have made solid progress with the Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD70 trimaran Phaedo 3 leading, having covered some 307 miles in the first 18 hours since starting. Jim and Kirsty Clark’s 100’ maxi Comanche was already 50 miles astern of the electric green tri, but was leading her smaller rival, George David’s Rambler 88, by 20 miles with Peter Aschenbrenner’s 66’ trimaran, Paradox, a further 30 miles back. This has been in less than ideal conditions, VMG running and having to gybe frequently in a 13-15 knot westerly as they attempt to take advantage of favorable eddies in the Gulf Stream.

“So far it is beautiful sailing,” said Ken Read, skipper of Comanche. “It is a nice way to break into a Transatlantic Race.”

Miles Seddon, navigator on board Phaedo 3, agreed: “We had stronger breeze than forecast getting out of Newport and it has been good fun. It is nice to get offshore and into the routine of racing again.” This morning, Phaedo 3 was averaging 18-20 knots in an 11-12 knot westerly, gybing along the top of a Gulf Stream eddy, while also trying to circumnavigate the top of some high pressure approaching from the south.

read more here

Monday 6 July 2015

Former Maitre Jacques Multi50 trimaran to have a renaissance thanks to Thierry Bouchard will be renamed Ciela Village

The Multi50 Maitre Jacques suffered a float failure in the last Transat Jacques Vabre.  The trimaran has been purchased by Thierry Bouchard and is having new floats constructed at CDK technologies.  It will relaunch as Ciela Village and is being readied for the Transat Jacques Vabre.




The original press release (in French) can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/thierrybouchardcielavillage/posts/1601937736742502?fref=nf

And a rough bing translate below:

The Official Press Release. Now, you know everything!

The Mediterranean Thierry Bouchard launches in multi50. follower of the regatta, monohull competitor accomplished by class40, avid sports of adventure, it is lance on three hulls with an appetite for ogre. This winter he bought the multi50 Maitre Jacques which he renamed ciela village and to which it offers two new floats currently under construction at cdk technologies to port-LA-Forest. First round of heats, the transat Jacques Vabre in November.

Thierry Bouchard love the competition: ten tour de France à La Voile (once winner, three times second), six times winner of the snim in mumm 30. When he takes a departure it is rarely to participate. Moderator Regatta in contact in mumm 30 in particular, during the last ten years, its blunt and motivation is to broaden his horizons, he chose the class40. break-neck to earth, Thierry practice to high level the bike, the atvs, the High Mountain Sports and overall everything that relates to the adventure of nature. The race off the seduced.

Why spend in multi50?

" I love the boats that go fast and which are fun. The Typology of class multi50 corresponds to an evolution of the class40. there are pros and amateurs and it is the sign of the most dynamic classes. For me, this aspect is very important. The Amateurs ensure the stability of the class; the pros the drive with the sporty side and give to the fans the urge to invest in their boats, optimize them ".

Why this vplp of 2005? (the former Master Jacques, EX-crêpes whaou! 2)

"I have always found that the multi50" crêpes whaou! " 2 and 3 were very beautiful boats. And they work very well. It has not had a chance on the last two seasons (breach of float on the Jacques Vabre 2013 and rum 2014, Ed). I told myself that it really would be a pity that this boat ceases to navigate. It is true I could have done more simple, choose a multi already ready to run. But to be familiar with my boat, it is also important to put my grain of salt in the construction, to make my own modifications. So I chose to make two new floats, in mussels of fenêtréa-Prysmian. They are currently under construction at cdk. We have modified the sampling, placed the weight smart ".

For What program?

" Ciela Village will be put to the water in the month of August. We'll have a month to practice before the transat Jacques Vabre on which I will go to familiarize themselves with the boat. Before that, I'll request the expertise of loïc féquet (the former skipper) and some friends who know the multi. I wish that this ship is sailing as much as possible in the race and if I can't do the entirety of the programme of the following seasons, I shall be handing over to members of my team ".


The teams facebook page can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/thierrybouchardcielavillage

Ultime trimaran Sodebo relaunched after repairs from Route du Rhum collision

The Sodebo Ultime trimaran has been relaunched after repairs to the damage from the Route du Rhum where Thomas Coville collided with a ship.  Mods include more protection around the cockpit area and an interesting prototype lifting type float foil on the starboard side.


Final start of Trans Atlantic race, Phaedo3 and Paradox depart in the open division

Press release by the Trans Atlantic Yacht race organization.

NEWPORT, R.I. (July 5, 2015) – With 2,800 miles to sail and just two boats on the starting line, a conservative start would seem like the smart play. But for the 63-foot trimaran Paradox, owned by Peter Aschenbrenner and skippered by Jeff Mearing, the start of the multihull class in the Transatlantic Race 2015 offered up a wondrous opportunity to throw a little mud in the eye of Lloyd Thornburg’s Phaedo3, the 70-foot MOD 70 trimaran that is the odds-on favorite to take overall line honors in the race. It was too good to pass up, no matter what the overall risk-reward analysis might say.

The starboard end of the starting line was heavily favored due to the straight shot it provided out the channel, so both boats set up off the Jamestown shore for a long timed run on starboard tack. Paradox led into the starting area off the Castle Hill Lighthouse and, with both boats a few seconds late, seemed to be content to cross the line with a slight lead. At the last second, however, Aschenbrenner hardened up and cut off the path of the hard-charging Phaedo3, forcing the larger boat to spin head to wind on the wrong side of the starting line and turn an achingly slow 360, before setting off in pursuit of its rival.



Phaedo3 (left) and Paradox at the start of the Transatlantic Race 2015 (credit Daniel Forster)

For a race of this extreme distance, such an advantage at the outset means little. To wit, by 3:30 p.m., 90 minutes into the race, Phaedo3 had rolled over the top of Paradox and was scorching south of Martha’s Vineyard on an east-southeast heading at 30 knots. Paradox wasn’t exactly plodding along, hitting over 22 knots according to the tracker, but was quickly losing touch with the competition. Hopefully the early win helped ease the pain of watching Phaedo3 disappear over the horizon.

Anticipation for today’s second start—the final act of the fortnight of U.S.-based activity for the Transatlantic Race—has been building since last summer when the news broke that two new super maxis – the 100-foot Comanche and Rambler 88 – would be competing in the race. While both skippers have downplayed the duel—the boats have different design briefs and there is a 12-foot difference in overall length, in a sport where longer is often faster—the sailing public hasn’t let go of the “which one is faster” debate. It doesn’t hurt that the two skippers—Ken Read, who is skippering Comanche for owners Jim Clark and Kristy Hinze-Clark, and George David, the owner/skipper of Rambler 88—were once crewmates on David’s IMS 50 Idler, which competed as a part of the American team in the 1999 Admiral’s Cup.

Whether despite this or because of it, the final start of the Transatlantic Race 2015 was more true to expectations for such an event. Both boats maneuvered significantly through the pre-start, probing for an advantage. But with neither boat providing an opening, the afterguards of each boat were content to blast across the line in sync, Comanche to leeward and slightly ahead. As with the trimarans, the speeds jumped significantly once the boats passed the R4 channel marker south of Brenton Reef and were able bear off and ease the sheets. At press time, Comanche had pulled out to approximately a 1.3-mile lead over Rambler 88, with both boats recording speeds in the low 20s.

No matter where they stand relative to their respective competitors, sailors on all four boats have to be extremely pleased with the weather, which provided them with ideal reaching conditions for the escape from Newport. Whether it lasts, however, is a significant question. In the immediate future it appears to be some lighter winds. Any advantage or disadvantage at the start will be quickly forgotten if any of the boats struggle to push through to the next band of breeze.

TR 2015 Roster of Entries Starting on July 5 (4 boats)
Comanche, Jim Clark & Kristy Hinze-Clark, New York, N.Y., USA
Phaedo3, Lloyd Thornburg, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Paradox, Peter Aschenbrenner, San Francisco, Calif., USA
Rambler, George David, Hartford, Conn., USA

The tracker is here:

http://yb.tl/transatlantic2015

And a video of the start from the Phaedo team:


Phaedo³, TR2015 start from Ocean Images on Vimeo.

Saturday 4 July 2015

Hydroptere fails in attempt to better Los Angeles to Honolulu passage record

The Hydroptere teams attempt at bettering the Los Angeles to Honolulu passage record has fallen short.  Stymied by light winds and unfavorable wind direction the hydrofoil was not able to show the high speeds it is capable of achieving. 

From the following article on Sailing Scuttlebutt:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/07/03/slow-trip-for-hydroptere-to-hawaii/

Honolulu, HI (July 3, 2015) – The 60-foot foiling trimaran Hydroptere left Los Angeles on Monday June 22 and has just arrived in Honolulu after a crossing of more than 2215 nautical miles (4102 km). Hydroptere becomes the first flying hydrofoil to cross an ocean.

The transpacific speed record from Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii was not beaten as the weak wind conditions along the route did not allow the trimaran to achieve high cruising speeds. The outright record is 04:19:31:37, set by skipper Olivier de Kersauson (FRA) and crew on the 110-foot trimaran Geronimo in November 2005. The Hydroptere passage took nearly 11 days.

read more here

Friday 3 July 2015

Trans Atlantic race, Phaedo3 and Paradox in the open division.

The final round of departures in the staggered start of the Trans Atlantic race are set to depart Sunday 5th July at 2pm local time.  This year in the multihulls will see the MOD70 trimaran Phaedo3 and the Nigel Iren's designed cruiser/racer Paradox squaring off.  Phaedo3 is clearly the favorite but Paradox is no slouch either.

There is an article on Sailing Scuttlebutt with more details.

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/07/02/transatlantic-race-saving-the-biggest-for-last/

Event website:
http://transatlanticrace.com/

The tracker is here:
http://yb.tl/transatlantic2015

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TransatlanticRace

Tuesday 23 June 2015

L'Hydroptere foiling trimaran departs on record attempt LA to Honolulu

From the following update on Sailing Scuttlebutt:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/06/22/foiling-from-los-angeles-to-honolulu/

(June 22, 2015) – Alain Thébault (FRA) and a 5-man crew on the 60-foot foiling trimaran L’Hydroptère left today in an attempt to beat the transpacific speed record from Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii. The outright record for the 2215nm distance of 04:19:31:37 was set in November 2005 by skipper Olivier de Kersauson (FRA) and crew on the 110-foot trimaran Geronimo.

read more here

The yellowbrick tracker is here:

http://my.yb.tl/Hydropterehawaii

Another interesting article on L'Hydroptere's departure by Kimball Livingston:

http://www.blueplanettimes.com/a-tender-spot/

Thursday 18 June 2015

GF42 foil assist trimaran launched, videos of the boat in action

Following up on the GF42 trimaran design that was a collaboration between Greg Lynn and Fred Courouble.  The boat has been launched and after some initial problems (the mast dropped and broke when initial installation was attempted) has been out tearing up the ocean.  Future plans involve cruising the coast at speed and competing in the various events that are now welcoming multihulls on the West Coast scene.


Girlfriend on the road from Greg Lynn FORM on Vimeo.



GF42 first race MDR to Pt. Dume from Greg Lynn FORM on Vimeo.



afternoon trip from MDR to Catalina and back from Greg Lynn FORM on Vimeo.

Friday 5 June 2015

Francis Joyon on the new IDEC trimaran (formerly Groupama3/BPVII) to make attempt to better Jules Verne record

Francis Joyon has announced that he will attempt to better the Jules Verne record currently held by Banque Populaire V on his new trimaran the former G3.  He is going to make the attempt with a relatively smaller crew of just six. 

http://www.mysailing.com.au/news/francis-joyon-to-tackle-crewed-around-the-world-record

Spindrift Racing also have their eyes on the prize and are going to go on standby around the same time on the specially modified 40 metre trimaran Spindrift 2 which is now sporting a new mast and various tweaks to enable the boat to be sailed by less crew.

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2015/06/reaction-from-yann-guichard-to-francis-joyons-announcement/

Tuesday 12 May 2015

Gitana XV first home in Tour de Belle Ile, race report by the Daily Sail

The Seb Josse-skippered foiler sets a new record in the Tour de Belle Ile
From the following article on the Daily sail posted on Saturday May 9th 2015, Author: James Boyd, Location: France
 

France's equivalent to our own Round the Island Race - the Tour de Belle-Ile set sail yesterday at 10:00 local from the Baie de Quiberon, with almost 500 boats, taking on the annual lap of Belle-Ile.

This race, the eighth that has been held, was won on the water by the foil-born Multi 70 Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, which overtook her less optimised sisterships Oman Sail and Paprec Recyclage. Skipper Sébastien Josse and his crew managed to establish a new race record for the course, while in the monohulls it was Paul Meilhat's new IMOCA 60 SMA (ex-MACIF) that was first home.

read more here


Thursday 7 May 2015

Musandam/Oman Sail team set new Round Ireland record on their MOD70 trimaran

From the following article by the editor, Sailing Scuttlebutt:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/05/06/musandam-oman-sail-set-new-round-ireland-record/

The six-man crew, skippered by Sidney Gavignet, and including Omani sailors Fahad Al Hasni, Yasser Al Rahbi and Sami Al Shukaili, key members of last year’s Round Britain and Ireland world record setting team, plus Spain’s Alex Pella and French multihull veteran Jean Baptiste Levailland, set a new Round Ireland, non-stop, crewed record in the MOD 70 Musandam-Oman Sail. The team crossed the finish line beneath the Kish Lighthouse off Dublin Bay just before 1000 UTC (May 6) having started their record attempt at 1704 UTC on Monday, May 4.

They needed to be back by 1500 to take the record but their breakneck speeds down the west coast of Ireland, at one stage reaching 38 knots, meant they were finished well before that, some three hours and 50 minutes faster than the record of 44 hours 42 minutes held by Steve Fossett set in September 1993 aboard his 60ft trimaran Lakota. The record will remain unofficial until World Record Sailing Speed Council ratification.

read more here



Friday 1 May 2015

TC601 trimaran design by Tim Clissold

A new trimaran design by Tim Clissold (TC601) which is designed to use F18 beach cat hulls as floats and provide some useful volume in the main hull for racing and daysailing:

http://www.tcdesign.co.nz/TC_Design/Sport_Multihulls/Pages/New_TC_601_Wedge.html

and the build blog for the new design hull #1 to be built in the UK:

http://lwr600.co.uk/TC601/index.html

Friday 24 April 2015

Gitana team relaunch MOD70 trimaran with experimental lifting foil setup

From the following update on the Gitana team website:
 
 
In refit since her return from the West Indies back in December, the Multi70 Edmond de Rothschild left the cosy atmosphere of her technical base in Lorient this Wednesday morning to return to the liquid element. Benefiting from the first tide of the day and the summery weather, it didn’t take long for the members of Gitana Team to release the carbon machine, which is now safely tied to the dock at the Keroman submarine base. This launch is synonymous with the start of phase two of a project initiated in early 2014 by the team created by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild: namely the mission to make the Multi70 the first flying trimaran on the offshore racing circuit.

An adventure in two chapters

Back in 2014, true to its philosophy, the team created in 2000 by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild paved the way by opting to kit out its 70-foot trimaran with lifting surfaces on the float rudders. The aim at that time was to participate in the 10th edition of the famous Route du Rhum and hence cross the Atlantic singlehanded. It was a bold challenge! Indeed, besides the technical development required by such a project, on the water the human commitment was significant since Sébastien Josse would have to compete against the giants of the Ultime class; the largest of which measured twice the size of the Multi70…

read more here

Tuesday 21 April 2015

All conquering Phaedo3 team release highlights video of racing in Les Voiles de St. Barth Regatta



Phaedo³, Les Voiles de St. Barths 2015 from Ocean Images on Vimeo.

Phaedo3 took a clean sweep of the racing in the multihull class at the Les Voiles de St. Barth Regatta.  You can find the results for all classes including the multihulls here:

https://app.regattaguru.com/lesvoiles/100085/results

Gunboat G4 foiling catamaran capsizes at Les Voiles de St. Barth regatta

The Gunboat G4 foiling catamaran capsized while racing at St. Barths only slight injuries onboard and the boat was righted without any major damage.


Wipe Out from Gunboat on Vimeo.

And a good article over at Swizzle Media about the capsize.

http://swizzlesportsmedia.com/g4-undaunted-and-even-more-badass-after-capsize-recovery/

Lending Club Sailing set new record on the Newport - Bermuda route

The record for the Newport - Bermuda route has long been held by the maxi catamaran PlayStation skippered by the late Steve Fossett.  The Lending Club sailing team have set a new reference time for the route smashing the existing record and reducing the record time to less than 24 hours!

From the following article on the Royal Gazette:

http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20150418/NEWS/150419690

Lending Club 2 successfully completed an attempt to break the Newport to Bermuda course record with plenty of time to spare.

The 105ft trimaran simply obliterated the previous record that had stood for 15 years, taking less than 24 hrs to complete the 635-nautical mile ocean crossing from Castle Hill Lighthouse in Newport to Kitchen Shoal Beacon in Bermuda.

The new record, subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, is 23hr 9min 52sec at an average speed of 27 knots.

The trimaran, believed to be valued at about $3 million, completed its record attempt at 1:44.32am — shaving a staggering 15 hours off the previous mark set by the late Steve Fossett aboard the catamaran PlayStation.

read more here


Thursday 16 April 2015

Corsair Pulse 600 trimaran update # 15

From the following entry by Corsair marine:

http://sail.corsairmarine.com/development-update-15-on-the-pulse-600

Following some great sailing last weekend on hull 3, it really feels like this Pulse is getting its rhythm!

We had decent wind conditions with 12-15 kts of breeze in semi-sheltered waters and the boat just felt fantastic. We were running without the bowsprit option (coming soon) and had some great screacher runs where the boat really got up and started to sing. As if the blood wasn’t pumping enough, skimming along at around 13-16 kts with the kite up, it was time to test the rudder balance. It felt so controlled that taking your hand off the tiller extension and letting the boat go was never an issue. So there we were, on a brand new boat, with all hands off. A great feeling!

read more here

Wednesday 15 April 2015

New Harryproa website launched

Rob Denney's Harryproa website is active again and includes updates on current projects including the demountable and container transportable racing proa "Bucket List".

http://harryproa.com/

Video of day 1 of racing at Les Voiles de St Barth by the Phaedo team


Phaedo³, Day 1 of Les Voiles de St Barth from Ocean Images on Vimeo.

And an article on Sailing Scuttlebutt with more details of the days racing:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/04/14/les-voiles-de-st-barth-starting-off-just-right/

results from Day 1 of racing in the multihull class:

https://app.regattaguru.com/lesvoiles/100085/class_results/100688

Pegasus Aeronautics release wind instrument and mast rotation systems to suit trailerable trimarans.

Pegasus Aeronautics website:

http://www.flyorsail.com/

and Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PegasusAeroNautics


Lending Club Sailing, Newport Bermuda record next to be contested

Lending Club 2 is now at the Newport Shipyard and the crew welcome visits for a look around.  They will remain on standby till a suitable weather window for the record attempt presents.  You can follow their updates on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/LendingClubSailing

And a press release from the team in regards to the upcoming record attempt:

NEWPORT, R.I. (14 April 2015) – Just two weeks ago the maxi-trimaran Lending Club 2 set a new world sailing speed record on the English Channel: from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, to Dinard, France. Driven by Renaud Laplanche, CEO of Lending Club, with co-skipper Ryan Breymaier, the 138-nautical mile passage was completed in 5 hours and 15 minutes at an average speed of 26.36 knots; shaving 8 minutes off the record that had stood since 2002.

Now prominently berthed at the Newport Shipyard, the attention commanding 105-foot Lending Club 2 and her crew are in preparation mode for their next challenge: the 635-nautical mile Newport to Bermuda course record. The current record, which has stood 15 years, is held by Steve Fossett who set a time of 38 hours, 35 minutes and 53 seconds – at an average speed of 16 knots – with the 125-foot catamaran Playstation in 2000.

One Down, Two to Go Laplanche chartered the racing yacht for the 2015 season with the express goal of conquering three speed sailing records: Cowes-Dinard, Newport-Bermuda and the 2,215-nautical mile Transpac (Los Angeles to Honolulu). With one course record under their belts, Laplanche and Breymaier hope to sail Lending Club 2 – which is capable of speeds over 40 knots in the right conditions – to a new Newport-Bermuda record that is significantly faster than the existing time. The attempt will be observed and ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) and Guinness World Records.



World Sailing Speed Record Breaker Lending Club 2, driven by Renaud Laplanche and Ryan Breymaier,
during the Cowes-Dinard passage. (Photo Credit Lloyd Images).

The yacht will be on standby in Newport while the crew observe the weather and wait for suitable conditions, ideally a moderate following breeze, and manageable conditions, to allow for top speed. As of now, the weather window looks favorable for a departure on April 19.

Laplanche is no stranger to success – either on the water or off. A two-time French National Champion in the Laser class (1988, 1990), the now 45-year-old entrepreneur put an Olympic campaign behind him to focus on business and progressed from work as a securities lawyer to founding the software company TripleHop Technologies (acquired by Oracle in 2005), before founding Lending Club in 2006. It was while racing in the 2013 Transpac, on John Sangmeister’s 72-foot trimaran, that Laplanche met Breymaier and discovered a shared passion for sailing and winning. (They were first to finish and took first place in the multihull division on the Orma 72.) Breymaier, a native of Annapolis, Maryland, has become one of America’s most prominent offshore sailors and currently holds the world sailing speed record for New York to San Francisco: 13,225 nautical miles in 47 days.

Lending Club 2 will return to the City by the Sea following the Newport-Bermuda passage. The yacht will then head to New York for a week to share the sailing experience with Lending Club employees and guests, as well as with students from two New York-based maritime schools who hope to eventually make a career on the water.

In June the trimaran will arrive in San Francisco, corporate headquarters for Lending Club. A month is dedicated to sharing the sailing experience with employees and guests of the company, with early July reserved for sail training. In mid-July the crew will take the trimaran to Long Beach, Calif., for their start in the Transpac Race on July 18 (date to be confirmed by the Organizing Authorities once entries have closed.) Crossing the starting line of the longest ocean race in the world (first sailed in 1906) will be the culmination of months of effort; the focal point of this season’s two previous record assaults being a win of not only the Transpac course record but also the outright sailing speed record across the Pacific to Hawaii.

The Lending Club Sailing team is an international crew with a mix of American, French and German sailors. Training and racing together since the start of the program, the same team will race all three record attempts: Co-skippers Renaud Laplanche (FRA/USA) and Ryan Breymaier (USA), who is also the Project Manager; Captain Jan Majer (USA); Navigator Boris Herrman (GER); Roland Jourdain (FRA); Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant (FRA); Stanislas Delbarre (FRA) and Quin Bisset (NZL) who handles onboard media.

News updates, pictures and videos of the record-breaking runs can be viewed on Facebook or YouTube: https://www.facebook.com/LendingClubSailing https://www.youtube.com/c/LendingClubSailing/

About Lending Club 2The trimaran, designed by VPLP and built in France in 2006, was originally named Groupama 3. After three failed attempts, skipper Franck Cammas and his crew won the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe (48 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes, 52 seconds) in the spring of 2010.

The yacht was then modified for solo sailing (principally with a shorter mast) and has been sailed to victory in the last two editions of the Route du Rhum, from northern France to Guadeloupe.

When San Francisco-based Renaud Laplanche decided he wanted to return to break the Transpac course record from Long Beach to Hawaii, after closely missing the fastest time in the 2013 edition, he and co-skipper Ryan Breymaier negotiated the charter knowing this trimaran was the perfect vessel for their mission. Their first step was to reinstall the taller rig, bringing the yacht back to full power mode, ideal for crewed record-breaking attempts.

With special thanks to Lending Club Sailing technical partners:
Switlik Survival Equipment www.switlik.com
Marlow Ropes www.marlowropes.com
Guy Cotten foul weather gear www.guycotten.com
Events Clothing www.eventsclothing.co.nz
Underwater Kinetics technical equipment www.uwkinetics.com

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Lending Club's new record for the Cowes - Dinard route a detailed account by the crew

From the following article on Sailing Anarchy:

http://sailinganarchy.com/2015/04/09/grinding-it-out/

Well, that didn’t take long! Lending Club CEO Reynaud LaPlanche has only had his VPLP trimaran Lending Club for a few weeks, and he’s already set his first passage record. Look for some serious records to fall over the next 6 months thanks to this youthful and enthusiastic Franco-American billionaire. Project Manager and skipper Ryan Breymaier tells the story exclusively for you Anarchists…Mark Lloyd photos (except the last one, credit Quin Bisset) with galleries over here, and be ready for the LC’s next assault – the ages old Newport-Bermuda passage record – coming far sooner than you think.

About 15 minutes after our start in 20 knots of breeze upwind, JB Le Vaillant looked at me and said “We should turn around, go back and put all the sails up and start over!” I was tempted to agree with him as we found ourselves with the J2 and 2 reefs in the main upwind in 12 knots, tacking towards the Needles.

read more here

MOD70 trimaran Phaedo3 sets new Round the Island Record (St Maarten)

From the following article on the Daily Herald:

http://www.thedailyherald.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54775%3Aphaedo3-sets-new-around-island-record&catid=1%3Aislands-news&Itemid=54

SIMPSON BAY--It was a "magical day" for Lloyd Thornburg as he steered his Phaedo3, a Multi One Design 70 clockwise around the Friendly Island to set a new course record Friday.
Steve Fosset set the record on his 125 foot catamaran PlayStation back in March of 2003 at 2-hours 4-minutes 23 seconds.

The 70-foot trimaran hitting a top speed of 35 knots in the Anguilla Channel rounded the Island in 1-hoour 30 minutes 19 seconds.

read more here


Sunday 12 April 2015

Gunboat G4 launched and foiling in St Marteen, videos of boat in action

Several videos of the recently launched foiling Gunboat G4 catamaran have been published. 


GUNBOAT G4 from Gunboat on Vimeo.

The sound of speed onboard the fully-foiling Gunboat G4 from Bill Springer on Vimeo.

Multiplast rebuilds maxi catamaran Orange II as high performance cruiser Vitalia II

The maxi catamaran Vitalia II (formerly Orange 2 and one time holder of the Jules Verne record) is set to be relaunched on April the 17th at 4:30 local time at the Multiplast facility.

http://www.multiplast.eu/fr/actualit%C3%A9s/newsletters/actualit%C3%A9s-composite-yachts/763-mise-%C3%A0-l-eau-du-catamaran-vitalia-ii.html

The rebuild which was commissioned by Francois Bich has seen the one time race boat rebuilt with the intention of creating some creature comforts but retaining the essential performance qualities of the craft.

A website will be made live on the 15th of April to follow the boats relaunch and future adventures:

http://www.francoisbich.vitalia-2.fr/



Friday 3 April 2015

Corsair Pulse 600, development update #14 new folding system and refinements in place

From the following press release by Corsair Marine:

http://sail.corsairmarine.com/development-update-14?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuqnIZKXonjHpfsX56esrW6SzlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4DTcdgI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFTLLCMbR4w7gJWxI%3D

After the successful test sail on the water testing in Nha Trang last month (update #13 http://sail.corsairmarine.com/sailing-review-on-the-pulse-600 ) we have been focussing on some modifications to really take the boat to the next level, and ready for the real product launch. Hull #2 is heading out to Brisbane, Australia next week where it is to be demo sailed and then exhibited at The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. We also have Hull #3 due to hit the water here in Vietnam as we have some local testing and demonstration sailing to be done!

So what have we achieved?

Folding System
The biggest modification is the folding system. We have moved away from the soft lower strut system which was simply too hard to use and in reality didn’t offer the rigidity we required for this product. We have now replaced this with a new anodised aluminium folding system. Similar in concept to our larger Corsair models however the new folding system uses a solid “V-shaped” lower strut on all four beams.

The complexity of the geometry involved is particularly high as the buoyancy of the float will dictate how much you can push the float through the water when you are folding. Not easy to setup however after testing the boat on the water, we struck off another milestone with this project by confirming that it is now an easy single person job to fold both on the water and on the hard. Another important feature to mention here is that the capshroud does not need adjustment when folding the boat. Likewise, the trampolines require no adjustment when folding as they self-tension when the folding system is opened out.

read more here

Pulse 600 with dual strut folding system fitted, photo courtesy Corsair Marine

Thursday 2 April 2015

Lending Club sailing set new multihull record on the Cowes - Dinard route

A new record has been set on the Cowes Dinard route by Lending Club Sailing who have chartered the former Banque Populaire VII trimaran for a crewed record program.

The average speed for the crossing was 26.35 knots the new record time (yet to be ratified) is 5h 14 mins and 7 seconds.  This new record improves the reference time by 9 minutes and 25 seconds.  The record time was previously held by the maxi cat Maiden.

https://www.facebook.com/LendingClubSailing/posts/603745413062218

and a press release from the Lending Club team:

http://ir.lendingclub.com/file.aspx?IID=4213397&FID=28694340

Monday 30 March 2015

The Brisbane to Gladstone Multihull Yacht Race to start on 3rd of April

The 2015 Brisbane to Gladstone Multihull Yacht Race is set to depart on Friday 3rd of April at 11:20am.  This year sees a diverse fleet of multihulls entered including the Seacart 30 trimaran Morticia and the revitalized Crowther racing pod catamaran "Top Gun/Indian Chief".

a list and details of the entrants is here:

http://www.mycq.org.au/index.php/2014-03-23-06-43-01/b2g-race-documents-2/491-2015-b2g-entrants-list

The race tracker is here:

http://www.mycq.org.au/index.php/2014-brisbane-to-gladstone/b2g-tracker

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Spindrift Racing update, new mast under construction for maxi Spindrift 2

From the following press release by Spindrift Racing:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2015/03/le-nouveau-mat-de-spindrift-2-un-travail-dorfevre/

Spindrift racing’s sailors and hundreds of others will return to competition from April 2nd to 6th for the famous Spi Ouest-France, which is held every year over the Easter weekend at La Trinité-sur-Mer. Behind the scenes, the black and gold team members are busily preparing for this event and many more. The team have an action-packed schedule in 2015, with monohull races on the Diam 24, D35 and GC32 circuits and a Jules Verne Trophy record attempt next winter, for which the giant Spindrift 2 is currently being prepared. In anticipation of this most extreme of all around-the-world record attempts, the team has already achieved some incredible feats, such as building a new 42 m mast.

Work on the mould for the new mast began at CDK Technologies in Port-la-Forêt in June 2014. Delivery is scheduled for May, almost a year after the work – done entirely by hand – began. The planning and pre-engineering studies began even earlier, at the end of 2013, when the trimaran was first acquired by the team.

read more here

Monday 16 March 2015

Searail Trimarans discuss the design objectives of their folding system

From the following press release on Searail Trimarans website:

http://www.searail19.com/2015/03/the-searail-19s-revolutionary-folding.html

Weighing in at less than 20 pounds

The SR-19’s revolutionary folding system is just one of many engineering innovations incorporated into this Nigel Irens' design. The folding system allows the boat to be folded, unfolded, or the entire beams/float system to be de-mounted in literally seconds. The folding system is a key structural component while remaining extremely lightweight and completely hidden under sail. An evaluation of an on-the-water folding system was found to have negative effects on a trimaran of this size. Using the latest Naval Design and Engineering 3D Modeling software, we identified several safety and performance concerns with the traditional on the water folding strut system.

read more here

Searail trimaran folded on the trailer, photo courtesy Searail Trimarans

Sunday 15 March 2015

Banque Populaire VII renamed Lending Club for a Summer season of record breaking

It's no secret that Francis Joyon is going to take over Banque Populaire VII as the new IDEC trimaran but in the interim the maxi trimaran is on charter to Lending Club sailing to embark on a program of record breaking over the Summer.  Renaud Leplanche and Ryan Breymaier are refitting the original large rig and have an ambitious program of records to attempt to improve.

From the following article by the editor, Sailing Scuttlebutt:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/03/01/new-record-breaking-program-launched/

(March 1, 2015) – Renaud Laplanche (FRA) and Ryan Breymaier (USA) team up for a brand new ocean racing and record breaking program starting in 2015 with the VPLP-designed 105ft maxi trimaran LENDING CLUB 2.

Renaud and Ryan met for the first time racing on John Sangmeister’s 77ft trimaran ‘Tritium Racing’, renamed “Lending Club” for the 2013 Transpac race to Hawaii where they won the race but missed the course record by just two hours.

On discovering a common vision of sailing and ocean racing, discussions ensued between the two and before departing Hawaii, they both knew they would be back together for the long term.

Throughout 2014 they worked on putting together a program that would make 2015 a record-breaking year.

Ryan was tasked with sourcing a boat and with Renaud’s support and advice they negotiated the charter of 105ft Banque Populaire VII (launched in 2006 as Groupama 3) from its new owner for the 2015 summer season.

read more here

You can also follow the teams progress on their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/LendingClubSailing


Wednesday 11 March 2015

Solo sailor Florence Arthaud killed in tragic helicopter accident

Florence Arthaud has been killed in a helicopter accident during the filming of a TV show.  Perhaps most famous for her solo victory in the 1990 Route du Rhum on the ORMA60 trimaran "Pierre 1er" she continued her career in sailing well after that point also taking a Transpac win along with Bruno Peyron on the 86' catamaran "Explorer".  A true inspiration to solo sailors worldwide we extend our sincere condolences to her family and friends.  Fair winds and following seas Florence.

Florence Arthaud arriving in Guadaloupe onboard Pierre 1er
photo (c) Thierry Martinez Sea&Co

Monday 9 March 2015

Phaedo3 sets new record for the Around St.Marteen anti clockwise course of 2 hours, 7 minutes and 24 seconds

From the news feed of the St.Marteen Heineken Regatta

http://heinekenregatta.com/press_releases.php

Phaedo3 Blasts Around St.Maarten

Lloyd Thornburg's ballistic MOD 70 trimaran, Phaedo3 set a record for the new around St.Maarten anti-clockwise course, which included Tintamarre and Blowing Rock. Blasting around St.Maarten in 2 hours 7 minutes and 24 seconds, Phaedo3 averaged 20.7 knots on the 35-mile course, hitting an incredible top speed of 36 knots. At Tintamarre Phaedo3 was smashing through the waves, leaping like a marlin - an incredible sight!

“For sure we can go quicker, fast is fun!” commented Phaedo3 navigator, Miles Seddon, taking a break from his role as performance analyst for Team SCA in the Volvo Ocean Race. “There were a lot of yachts coming to take a look at 'the beast' at the start and there was a lot of traffic to get through, especially in Simpson Bay, with the bareboat fleet all around us. Once we had come around to the windward side of St.Maarten, we were on our own, pounding into the big sea state at 20 knots. It was a big bare away at Tintamarre, we touched 30 knots and trimmer Pete Cumming, was down to leeward easing the head sail, literally underwater getting fire-hosed. Pete was in full wet weather gear but we joked that he really needed a snorkel!”

“We blew out a clew fitting after the big gybe but slick crew work had us back in the groove and the reach across to Basse Terre produced our top boat speed of 36 knots. It sounds crazy but at 30 knots of boat speed, things are calm on board, but at 36 knots, the noises coming from the boat become a little more alarming, the winches, the sails and the rig are literally screaming under the loads.”

- read more here

A gallery of photos by Jesus Renedo is here:




Sunday 1 March 2015

Sailing review of the Corsair Pulse 600 trimaran by Richard Ward CEO of Corsair Marine International

From the following update on the Corsair Marine website:
 
 
Nha Trang, Vietnam has been rightly claimed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and a wonderful sailing playground. Especially so in February, when there is almost a guarantee for no rain and reliable NE winds. It was the perfect location to hand over our latest launched Seawind 1160 Lite to an Australian customer and to test sail the incredibly exciting new model for Corsair, the Pulse 600.

Awaiting us as we arrived to Nha Trang, the just launched Pulse 600 - looking amazing on the water - was crying out to us to be sailed. In the late afternoon on the first day, we had perfect sunshine and the winds still at 16 to 20 knots and gusting higher occasionally. Zam (the Production Manager for Corsair Marine), Kerry (my partner), and myself took it out for a short test spin before our photo shoot the following day.
 
read more here
 
 
 

Monday 23 February 2015

Caribbean 600, Big trimarans attempt to better race record

The multihull record for the Caribbean 600 was set in 2009 by the ORMA 60 trimaran Region Guadaloupe.  It narrowly escaped being bettered in 2013 by the flying cruiser/racer trimaran Paradox who fell short by about 11 minutes.  This year the MOD70 Phaedo3 (Ex Foncia) will be having a crack at the record and the now turboed Paradox sporting foil assist and an increased sail area with a new extended bowsprit will compete to attempt to claim the crown.

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2015/02/20/rorc-caribbean-600-multihull-record-risk/

the race tracker:

http://caribbean600.rorc.org/Race-Information/Tracking/

Weather forecast indicates a reach for a fair bit of the course but lower wind velocity than would be ideal for these big tri's. 

https://www.windyty.com/spot/location/17.089/-61.789/name/Antigua?surface,wind,now,17.217,-60.043,8


Sunday 15 February 2015

Searail 19 trimaran updates on present production status

Thanks to the excellent smalltrimarans.com

http://smalltrimarans.com/blog/?p=12824

The SeaRail-19 program had an excellent 2014 with 10 boats now delivered and 5 scheduled to arrive in the Midwest this Spring. We are totally committed to building the most affordable, high quality, and high performing, One~Design Trimaran fleet on the market. With a team compiled of some of the highest-regarded individuals in the multihull industry and over 2 ½ years of on the water, development the SR-19 has evolved into a very dynamitic watercraft.

Offering an unmatched power-to-weight ratio with a fully laden weight of only 700 pounds, upwind sails of 258 sf and a 278 sf spinnaker totaling an impressive 536 sf of sail. The 19 is the total package – whether it’s day sailing, camping, or racing, the 19 is like no other.

read more here


Extreme Sailing Series, Roman Hagara and the Red Bull team win first event of the 2015 season

From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:

http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/rivalries-dominate-the-start-of-the-season-as-red-bull-sailing-narrowly-den

- Down to the wire battle sees Roman Hagara snatch Red Bull Sailing Team’s first ever Act victory from the hands of the Danish SAP Extreme Sailing Team in the final metres of the final race. Replay the final races here.
- Thousands get up close and personal over four days as the 2015 Extreme Sailing Series™ kicks off on one of the most iconic city centre stadium racecourses on the global tour. Watch the highlights here.
- Land Rover recognises youth sailing talent, awarding the Above and Beyond Award to Red Bull Sailing Team protégé, Jason Waterhouse for a stunning debut performance.
- Next stop – Muscat, Oman. 11-14 March
Double Olympic gold medallists Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher and their team on Red Bull Sailing Team have won the opening Act of the 2015 Extreme Sailing Series™, soaking up the pressure of expectation in front of the crowds in Singapore to become kings of Marina Bay after 32 hard fought races. The team from Austria had the points advantage heading into the final day and held their nerve, despite the onslaught from SAP Extreme Sailing Team in a cut and thrust battle that went down to the last few metres of the final race that eventually denied SAP Extreme Sailing Team the Singapore trophy by just five points. With The Wave, Muscat rounding out the podium positions, the 2015 Extreme Sailing Series is well and truly up and running!

read more here