Voiles et Voiliers have published an excellent interview with Lionel Lemanchois and Laurent Prevost of VPLP. It discusses the new Prince de Bretagne Maxi 80 and the other Ultime multihull competitors for the 2014 Route du Rhum.
The original article (in French) is here for our French readers:
http://www.voilesetvoiliers.com/course-regate/rhum-2014-ultime-interviews-lauriot-prevost-lionel-lemonchois-prince-de-bretagne/ and the rough bing translation below
While Prince de Bretagne is baptized this weekend in Roscoff, Lionel Lemonchois gives his first impressions on this 80-foot trimaran made from the platform of the ORMA Sodebo60. Architect Vincent Lauriot-Prévost completes its analyses, as Bank Populaire VII (ex-Groupama 3) comes to his first outing and Thomas Coville transformed ex-Geronimo. All of these ultimate multihulls have only one major objective: the Route du Rhum 2014!
Lionel, back first on the concept of Prince de Bretagne...Two years ago, you decided to change a 60 foot ORMA, but not with the same approach as Gitana 11 in 2010.
L.L. : The choice was related primarily to the financial means available to my partner. The idea was from an ORMA trimaran redeemed not too expensive, to make a large boat capable of winning the Route du Rhum 2014. It would have probably been better from a blank sheet to design a multihull specially adapted for this race, but the budget was not at all the same!
Lionel Lemonchois et Vincent Lauriot-PrévostBefore the 80-foot Prince de Bretagne, Lionel Lemonchois and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost plan new optimizations before the Route du Rhum 2014.Photo @ Dominic Bourgeois The last Route du Rhum, there already was Groupama 3 (now Bank Populaire VII), Sodebo, Idec and Gitana 11Well, it imagined that they would be back at the start in Saint-Malo in 2014...
L.L. : IIL had to play in harmony with the financial means available to me. Groupama 3 was too expensive, a new boat also. We have found a solution that satisfies everyone, from a technical, budgetary, athletic perspective with the objective of a boat that will quickly, easily. I turned logically to the vplp which is a reference in the multihull. Then it took to choose the most appropriate for these transformations ORMA trimaran.
Vincent Lauriot-Prévost, why the ex -Sodebo ?
V.L.P. :C' was the broadest of the fleet (18.20 meters), which was an important parameter for the length-to-width ratio is coherent and efficient. Groupama 2, for example, was too fickle, less wide (17 metres) and especially too light (6 tonnes) to support additional power without going through the box reinforcements. The ex-Sodebo was heavy enough and structured to avoid having to review all the structure since the principle was to significantly increase the power. We had an appropriation of weight that allowed us to design a pretty close final weight of the original Prince de Bretagne .
Compared to Gitana 11 which was also boosted in 2010, what does it change?
V.L.P. : To change the three shells made out the arm, to change the roots of mast and wells of drift. So to find a balance by positioning the arm where it was needed, a contrario of Gitana 11, whose only floats have been changed and extended central hull. If we had imagined a new boat, we would have been on the same width. And with a distribution of volumes of fairly similar float. The ex-Sodebo was a trimaran, which lent itself perfectly to these transformations.
L.L. :With 7 knots of wind, Prince de Bretagne throws the paw! The behavior is pretty close to an ORMA trimaran with 20 feet long and more... The boat is harmonious, and if we had a boat nine, only the mast would have earned two meters in height. Originally, the ship weighed 6.9 tons, and in its current version, it made 7.3 tons!
And in terms of wing, one remains in the same values?
L.L. : It's the same rig, but we were able to increase the surface area of the Genoese and the gennakers because the length of central hull went 80 feet (24 meters): tack points were therefore able to be advanced. The surface of GV is identical, the Genoa is slightly larger and maxi gennaker won quite a lot of square meters. To be the lightest possible, we removed the mainsail hydraulics: the weight of cylinders and others turned into length of shell.
Caractéristiques de trimarans VPLP Rhum 2014The new Prince de Bretagne is very similar to Gitana 11 but with a higher although righting moment two times less important than that of Groupama 3. But the last winner of the Route du Rhum is proportionately much less canvas. The confrontation with the MOD70 promises to be thrilling in the medium... Note that the features of the new Sodebo (ex-Geronimo) are not yet announced.Document @ VPLP Is the behaviour of Prince de Bretagne satisfactory compared to Gitana 11?
L.L. : I've never sailed on Gitana 11 boosted! (Lionel Lemonchois had curtly thanked after won the Route du Rhum 2006 and cumulative records with the giant cata Gitana 13, ED) . But the feedback I had confirmed that his behaviour was very close to an ORMA, very fickle. We have gained in security, especially in longitudinal with six meters more. It does not fear when felled! Prince de Bretagne accelerates and pitch not up as much as Gitana 11.
V.L.P. : On Gitana 11, we left on forms of very powerful floats which sank very little - this also contributed to make fickle, especially because he tends to be soft. On Prince de Bretagne, forms are similar to those of a MOD70 and the boat is slightly burning, allowing positively transform a laughing stock under acceleration without having to push the bar.
L.L. :The balance is excellent because with the new drift to trimmer, the boat is either neutral or slightly burning. In the almost singlehanded under driver, a boat that has a tendency to climb into the wind is healthier and downwind, a boat that restarts itself, it is more efficient!
Since the water in October 2012, how many outputs at sea?
L.L. : We started to navigate in January and is cumulated more than 20 days at sea. Lack us still exits in heavy weather, but on rise in power. For the moment, the boat corresponds perfectly to what I imagined: very healthy, very pleasant, quick and easy to carry. There are still a few small improvements possible, like the change of the central rudder, currently on the transom and we could develop further, suspended under the hull. There are some files that I preferred set up after sailing: the Route du Rhum is in over a year!
Banque Populaire VII : première sortieApril 18, 2013: first exit for Bank Populaire VII (ex-Groupama 3) and Armel le Cléac 'h. The boat has already aligned off the coast of Belle-île, more than 35 knots in around twenty knots of wind...Photo @ Yvan Zedda Sea & Co
The fact of having achieved Prince de Bretagne has apparently created vocations for the next Route du Rhum, precisely. Theoretically, who will win?
V.L.P. : Banque Populaire VII (ex -Groupama 3) has so far not changed. Armel Le Cléac ' h is in the getting started phase and the boat had already well adapted to the solitaire for Franck Cammas. It measures 100 feet (30,50 m) with a four-metre mast above: it has a power of 160 m.t. while Prince de Bretagne is approximately 70 m.t.. But these boats there single-handed sail not 100% of their potential. Bank Pop VII has more reserve, but one can imagine that it will be often led to 70%, while Prince de Bretagne will instead to 85%. Armel is not going to be able to afford to change sail too often and gybes are difficult and long. But his boat has more inertia in the seas and more security reserve in grain... Theoretically, Lionel will be more comfortable to fit a diverse weather. In fact, the two boats are likely not to follow the same path on the Route du Rhum! Bank Populaire VII should favour a route with the least possible manoeuvres, much like in 2010. with Franck Cammas - but, for the next edition, which can predict that there will not be three depressions to negotiate out of the channel? It is therefore impossible to know how much it must degrade the speed of one and the other vessel polar and which will be the first in Pointe-à-Pitre...
L.L. : On Bank Populaire VII, it will be hard to be in the good 'range' of sailing at all times. If the weather is fickle, I would have easier to adapt. We know that the first coming out of the train of depressions to touch the trade winds escapes... Remains to be seen if this will unfold as in 2010 or as in 2006! I believe that the key is to feel good about his boat, with confidence, not to be exceeded. The Route du Rhum is a lonely race! I do not at all feel frustrated not navigate on the ex -Groupama 3.
And from the two planes Nigel Irens/Benoît Cabaret, Sodebo and Idec ?
L.L. : I'm less worried... It will also depend on the weather, but the Route du Rhum, is not that of about in the breeze.
V.L.P. : I think that Prince de Bretagne is faster, not all the time, especially to the close, but on the whole route, Yes.
Comparatif Prince de Bretagne, Gitana 11, Groupama 3The new Prince de Bretagne (left) is positioned as an intermediate trimaran Gitana 11 (in the centre) and the ex-Groupama 3 (right). Without claiming to be the same potential in the breeze as the previous winner of the Route du Rhum 2010, Lionel Lemonchois mult will be more reactive than the ex-Groupama and easier to handle than Gitana...Document @ VPLP
And ex-Geronimo as Thomas Coville is transforming, it will be nearest Bank Populaire VII or Prince de Bretagne ?
V.L.P. : Clearly, the target from a big heavy boat (105 feet and 20 tons), was closer to the Groupama 3 (17 tonnes) concept. The new Sodebo should get closer the weight of Bank Populaire VII... And there is little difference in width between these two ships: 20 meters for the ex -Geronimo 21.20 metres for the ex -Groupama 3.
By changing the central hull and mast, but also the floats? Or by cutting the lower hull to have shapes similar to the ex -Groupama 3 ?
V.L.P. : A new central hull allows, as on Prince de Bretagne, change mat and wells of derivative roots, and choose suitable sail plan. In the end, the characteristics of the new Sodebo and Bank Populaire VII will be very close, with a power, a wing and a similar weight - they will have the same strengths and weak points that Prince de Bretagne... As to changes outside the central hull and rigging, it will depend on the budget of Thomas and his program over several years. The first deadline, is to be ready in Saint-Malo, which short still to transform all of a sudden.
L.L. : This comes very quickly, I know something! For our part, after the baptism in Roscoff Saturday, we go down to Trinidad for the Tour de Belle-Ile (4 May) and we put with great price Lesley in Douarnenez (5-6 May). This will be an opportunity to compete with Bank Populaire VII ! Then we go down to Valencia for the Route of the Princes (9-30 June). We are five for the tour of Europe with Mathieu Souben, Fred Le Peutrec, Jean-Luc Nélias and Alex Pela. We will be the only ultimate multihull but we will have the reference of the MOD70: in the little time at the close with their large gennaker, they are very fast!
And what about the 50-foot Prince de Bretagne?
L.L. : Gilles Lamiré is currently redeem him: it should take possession next week with its own partners (the Saint-Malo agglomération) to align with the Princes road.
