Shuttleworth 39' offshore racing trimaran launches

Andrew has launched his Shuttleworth 39' racing trimaran in the UK.  You can read more on the design at the Shuttleworth designs website.  The team managed to get the boat to it's target weight which is no mean feat for a racing trimaran design.  The boat has a reasonable interior for a racing trimaran.  Future plans are to race in the Round Britain and Ireland yacht race and extensive shakedown to get the boat optimally tuned.

http://www.shuttleworthdesign.com/gallery.php?boat=shuttle39tri

Some photos from the launching with rig yet to be fitted.

Video of the launch of Ultime trimaran Banque Populaire IX

The Ultime trimaran Banque Populaire IX which has been completed by CDK technologies has been launched.  It integrates a foiling package which should allow the boat to foil in suitable conditions. This new trimaran is to be part of the Ultime Collective and will be campaigned in solo and crewed form by Armel Le Cléac’h.

Francis Joyon and the IDEC team smash the Jules Verne Trophy record.

Francis Joyon and the IDEC team on the maxi trimaran IDEC Sport (formerly Groupama3) have claimed the Jules Verne Trophy in fine style slicing 4 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds off the existing record held by the 40m trimaran Banque Populaire V.  Francis Joyon and his crew sailed the 22,461 theoretical miles in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds, at an average speed of 22.84 knots

Press release from the IDEC team:

http://www.idecsport-sailing.com/the-fantastic-six/?lang=en

Francis Joyon spent the whole day yesterday talking to the media and meeting the public in Brest, where he moored the maxi-trimaran IDEC SPORT after sailing around the world in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. Along with his crew of five, he revealed what happened during this circumnavigation. From the magic of a boat appreciated for her ability to sail quickly for a very long time to the lack of hierarchy in the crew and the discreet help from Marcel van Triest.

read more here

A video of the IDEC team crossing the finish line:



and a video of their arrival and docking in Brest:

Thomas Coville on Sodebo Ultime breaks current solo multihull record from Ushant to the equator on Sodebo Ultime

Thomas Coville on the maxi trimaran Sodebo has made it to the equator in 5 days, 17 hours and 15 minutes (yet to be ratified) improving on the current solo multihull record held by Francis Joyon of 6 days, 16 hours 24 minutes.  What makes it even more impressive is that the new record is only marginally slower than the record set by Banque Populaire V in its fully crewed format that took 5 days, 14 hours and 52 minutes to cover the same segment.

https://www.sodebo.com/fr/voile/actualites/article/ouessant-equateur-nouveau-temps-reference-solitaire-nouveau-record-pour-thomas-coville

Thomas Coville sets out to attempt to break the solo round the world non stop record

Thomas Coville has departed on his solo round the world non stop record attempt.  Thomas Coville has upgraded from his previous Nigel Iren's designed trimaran with a new Ultime trimaran that carries over some parts (suitably modified for their new role) of the former maxi trimaran Geronimo. To improve the record that Francis Joyon, on the trimaran IDEC, set of 57 days 13 hours and 34 minutes, he will have to finish by Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 04:22:57

There is an article on Sailing Scuttlebutt here:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/11/06/coville-starts-solo-record-attempt/

and the tracker for the attempt is here:

http://tour-du-monde.sodebo.com/

3D rendered video of the new Maxi Solo Banque Populaire IX trimaran

Groupama Race, Frank Racing claim line honours

Frank Racing onboard the teams ORMA 60 trimaran have claimed line honours in the Groupama Yacht race.  She crossed the finish line at 10.33.12 on Tuesday morning local time for a race time of 2 days 10 hours 33 minutes and 12 seconds.

  This event circumnavigates New Caledonia and it's lagoon. In second place in the multihull division the 40' custom foiling trimaran Jessica Rabbit is consistently extending it's lead over the two catamarans that have entered.

There is an article on Sail-World with more details.

www.sail-world.com/148552

Groupama race underway

The Groupama Race which circumnavigates New Caledonia is attended by a number of multihulls with the racing trimaran Frank Racing (formerly Geant ORMA 60) and Jessica Rabbit (Custom 40' foiling trimaran) along with catamarans Moemeti and Birdies Furax 2. Not surprisingly Frank Racing is leading the entire fleet while Jessica Rabbit is in 6th place overall.

The race tracker is here:

http://www.groupamarace.nc/la-course/tracking

Website for Groupama Race:

http://www.groupamarace.nc/

Oman Sail/Musandam MOD70 trimaran craned out at Lorient for repairs

The Oman Sail/Musandam trimaran that capsized in the Quebec - St Malo transat has been craned out in Lorient for repairs.

Sultanate of Oman from muriel vdb on Vimeo.

Main hull of new ultime trimaran Banque Populaire IX enroute to Lorient

The main hull of the new ultime Banque Populaire IX has departed Cherbourg enroute to Lorient for fitting out.

Sailing World article on Ultime trimarans

James Boyd has penned an article on the latest generation of Ultime trimarans for Sailing World:

http://www.sailingworld.com/ultimate-machine?dom=rss-default&src=syn

The current class of Ultime trimarans is bigger and more complex than ever, but a new breed of sailor knows how to handle them.

Since François Gabart won the Vendée Globe at age 29, he and his sponsor MACIF have graduated to the Ultime class, with a giant multihull launched last year purpose-built for singlehanded long-distance racing and record breaking. Gabart won last fall’s doublehanded Transat Jacques Vabre, and proved this was no fluke by winning the Transat bakerly singlehanded across the Atlantic, from England to New York, in May.

read more here

Guo Chuan sailing attempt to set a new record sailing through the North East passage in the Arctic

Chinese sailor Guo Chuan and his team are attempting a record attempt traversing the North East Passage in the Arctic on the trimaran Qingdao China (the former IDEC).

Guo Chuan Sailing website:

http://www.guochuansailing.com/en/

The tracker:

http://guochuansailing.geovoile.com/northeastpassage/2015/

Francois Gabarts' new Macif Ultime trimaran out for first test sail

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.

Francois Gabart's new Ultime racing trimaran "Macif" launched at Lorient

Francois Gabart's new Ultime trimaran "Macif" has been launched an impressive gallery of photos has been posted on Facebook by "Ultim Boat".

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.675681012533478.1073741843.483745085060406&type=3

A video of the launch has also been posted:

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

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

Lending Club team smash Los Angeles to Honolulu record

Lending Club team approaches Honolulu well ahead of record time

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.