Spindrift Racing update, Yann Guichard and Spindrift 2 maxi trimaran in St Malo awaiting start of the Route du Rhum

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/10/francais-yann-guichard-et-spindrift-2-dans-les-starting-blocks-a-saint-malo/
- The maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2 arrived in Saint-Malo this morning, docking at the Gare Maritime.
- Yann Guichard feels in great shape and is ready to go.
- Information about Spindrift racing’s activities in the race village.
- How to follow Yann Guichard and Spindrift 2 during the race.

Never in the race’s 36-year history have there been so many competitors and so many huge trimarans. The 10th edition of the most famous single-handed transatlantic yacht race is already rewriting the record books. A record 91 sailors were in Saint-Malo this Friday for the opening of the official village, in the shadow of the city walls. As happens every year, large crowds will line the docks of the Breton city for the race start on Sunday, November 2nd. Perhaps the record 2 million visitors in 2010 will also be broken. What we can say for certain is that, at 40 metres long, Spindrift 2 will be the largest boat ever to compete in the race. You might think the skipper, Yann Guichard, was crazy, but the 40-year-old has every confidence in the preparations made by his team to make the maxi-trimaran competitive when raced by a single yachstman. Yann is driven by his competitive spirit, and is all set to do battle.

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Spindrift Racing update, final preparations for Yann Guichard to solo maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 in the Route du Rhum

Spindrift Racing have released the latest edition of 40 metres solo (Episode 23) this examines how the boat has been configured for Yann to solo as effectively as possible.  The finishing touches are being put into place with only 2 weeks to go until the start of the Route du Rhum.

Matthew Sheahan of Yachting World steps aboard maxi trimaran Spindrift 2

Yann Guichard successful in solo qualification run from Horta in the Azores to La Trinite sur Mer for the Route du Rhum

From the following press release from the Spindrift Racing team:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/09/40-metres-en-solo-episode-21-yann-guichard-and-spindrift-2-successfully-qualified-for-the-route-du-rhum/

« Solo sailing a trimaran the size of Spindrift 2 requires complete physical commitment, » says Yann Guichard, who recently sailed from the Azores to La Trinité-sur-Mer, alone at the helm of the world’s largest racing multihull. With two months to go before the start of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, the skipper arrived late Monday afternoon and appeared positive and satisfied with his single-handed sail. His arrival fulfils the compulsory qualification required for the event.

Since Spindrift 2 was launched in 2008, nobody has had the audacity to sail this maxi-trimaran single-handed. The 40 metres long Spindrift 2 was designed to be raced by crews and holds several respective major ocean-sailing records. Spindrift racing thought long and hard about taking part in the Route du Rhum, adapting the trimaran especially for this epic race which will commence on November 2nd this year. The cockpit has been redesigned for use by a single-handed sailor, with the commands placed suitably within reach. Meanwhile, the surface area of the sails has been reduced by around 20% and an ingenious autopilot system has been fitted. The trimaran has not been reduced in size, however, and Spindrift 2 remains by far the largest boat taking part in the 10th edition of the most iconic of transatlantic races.

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Yann Guichard departing Hortas on his Route du Rhum qualification, photo E Allaire

Spindrift Racing update, maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 breaks starboard float rudder after impact with container on return trip to La Trinite sur Mer

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/08/spindrift-racing-series-40-metres-solo-special-episode-part-1/

An unscheduled episode of 40 metres en solo, as the Route du Rhum adventure continues…

On Friday August 22nd, as night fell over the mid-Atlantic, midway between Newport and La Trinité-sur-Mer, Spindrift 2’s starboard float rudder broke in two under the hull. The maxi-trimaran hit what appears to have been a container drifting in the middle of the ocean.

Despite the significant impact, nobody on board was hurt and there does not seem to be any further damage to the boat. Yann Guichard left the USA on August 18th and had planned to drop off his crew members in the Azores, before sailing back to Brittany single-handed to prepare for the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. Due to the damage, the trimaran has been forced to reduce its speed as it heads for the port of Horta. Spindrift 2 is expected to arrive at the Azorean capital, on Faial island, on Sunday morning.

 

Spindrift racing’s technical team was immediately called into action, and is pulling out all the stops to allow the boat to return to open waters as soon as possible. The replacement rudder will be flown out to the Azores, along with several of the team’s technicians.

 

Hitting a whale, dolphin, iceberg or any other drifting objects while on board a carbon-fibre multihull travelling at 25 knots is a frightening scenario, with potentially devastating consequences. Striking a container out at sea is most unfortunate, but happens more and more often, and is a sad reflection of the state of today’s oceans. Yann Guichard and his men realise that the damage could have been much worse, and are focusing now on the future.

 

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Spindrift Racing update, the latest edition of 40 metres solo explores Yann Guichard's sailing career and celebrates his 40th birthday

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/05/spindrift-racing-series-40-metres-solo-episode-16-happy-40th-yann-guichard/

 

Not for Yann Guichard any crisis on turning 40. The skipper of Spindrift 2 celebrates his birthday today and just feels happy, surrounded by his loved ones and at the top of his sporting career. We caught up with him  on the dock at La Trinité-Sur-Mer, Spindrift racing’s home port.

 

Guichard has sailed on almost all types of multihull on the professional circuit. From the Tornado (the 6-metre Olympic catamaran) to the 40-metre maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2, Guichard’s life has been played out balancing between air and water.

 

At 10 years old: Ile-aux-Moines, La Rochelle, Optimist Competitions
With three boys and three girls, the Guichard tribe is a large one…who have enjoyed moving around a bit. Settling in Paris, then Perros-Guirec and La Rochelle, the family liked to come together in the holiday home of the Ile aux Moines, in the heart of the Gulf of Morbihan. Between each cruise on his father’s boat, the children spent their time on the water. An independent spirit, Guichard followed his big brother into Optimist competitions. Jacques, the younger brother, chose windsurfing. He now designs the sails for Spindrift 2 and sails on board the maxi-trimaran. In sport studies from the 6th grade to the final year at school in La Rochelle, Guichard took the classic route and quickly shone.

 

At 20: In the 470 and then the Olympics in the Tornado
He got used to his oilies in the Optimist and then the 420. He learned his trade well. In 1994, he became vice-champion of the world in the 420 in Plymouth with his teammate Pierre Pennec. On their return, the duo did not want to continue on to the 470, they were looking for a boat that was more fun, one that could ‘glide’. There was a Tornado at the sailing club. One test was enough. Guichard and Pennec joined the ENV (France’s national sailing school) in Quiberon with the French team and began preparing for the Olympics, which concluded with a fourth place at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

 

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Spindrift Racing update and video, Episode 8 of '40 metres solo' focuses on the appendages of maxi trimaran Spindrift 2

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:

 

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/03/spindrift-racing-series-40-metres-solo-episode-8-the-appendages/

 

If, like Yann Guichard, you started your sailing in the Optimist, you may remember the rudder and the centreboard. They always seemed to be heavy and cumbersome, especially in the winter chill, yet without them, you could not go where you wanted to. If that was a long time ago for Guichard, the skipper of the Spindrift racing’s team, and if the scale of his new boat is much changed, the appendages are more essential for performance than ever and require as much attention in the effort to handle them. This week in “40 metres solo”, the skipper explains how they work.

 

The maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 has six ‘appendages’, the generic term that includes the three rudders, the two foils and the centreboard. Designed by hydrodynamic experts and manufactured by specialists in carbon parts, these appendages are in direct contact with the water and undergo serious strain. To reduce their size and optimise their form in order to decrease drag and weight, without any compromise in reliability: that is the equation that the design office of the Spindrift racing must solve.

 

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Spindrift Racing update, Episode 6 of the video series 40 metres solo examines the installation of a bike on Spindrift 2 to supplement hand grinders

Spindrift Racing update, the next installment of their "40 metres solo" video series has been uploaded this video focuses on the design team

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:
http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/02/spindrift-racing-serie-4-metres-solo-episode-3-the-design-team/

In this new episode of “40 metres solo”, Yann Guichard presents the work done by the Spindrift racing Design Team.

Our “in-house” engineers have the task of working around the sailor’s perceptions and feelings. The sensations gathered at sea are only the starting point for any technical optimization made on the maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2 prototype. For this reason it is important to have the skills at the heart of our team to continually plan, test and validate new solutions.

“It is essential to always stay one step ahead in terms of development in a mechanical sport,” says the skipper of Spindrift racing. “We must also monitor the technological advancements made, especially by our competitors. Finally, it is also essential to find ways to maintain confidentiality of the solutions that the team has developed.”

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Spindrift Racing, Yann Guichard on the decision to race solo in the Route du Rhum

From the following press release by Spindrift Racing:

 

 http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/02/the-spindrift-racing-series-40-metres-solo-episode-1-making-the-decision/

 

An extraordinary challenge for a legendary race. For the starting gun of the 10th Route du Rhum, on November 2, 2014, Yann Guichard will be alone at the helm of the greatest racing trimaran in the world, the maxi Spindrift 2.

 

At first, there is desire; that of one with a passion for multihulls and who loves to go beyond. But Yann is also equally rational; a man for challenges, he mulls over decisions and is not one to take them lightly. It is an approach he shares with Dona Bertarelli in the Spindrift racing team, with his policy to constantly make performance the central objective. He is a great enthusiast, but the future competitor of the ‘Rhum 2014′ always keeps his feet on the ground.

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Spindrift Racing team, New partners announced for Spindrift team and confirmation that maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 will be raced solo by Yann Guichard in the 2014 Route du Rhum

From the following press release from the Spindrift Racing website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/01/spindrift-racing-an-ambitious-new-year/

Spindrift racing : an ambitious new year!

Mirabaud and Zenith join the team as Gold Partner and Official Timekeeper respectively
Spindrift 2 on the North Atlantic and 24-hours record
Yann Guichard to start the Route du Rhum on Spindrift 2

Through Spindrift racing, Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard share their passion for sailing, a sport of many facets, where performance relies primarily on a motivated and efficient team ready to advance together and take on new challenges. The entrepreneurial spirit of the team is reflected today in the first two partners in the Spindrift adventure. The bank Mirabaud (Gold Partner) and the watchmaker Zenith (Official Timekeeper) have committed for three years with, from 2014, to sharing significant challenges on Lake Geneva and all around the Atlantic.

Being bold while remaining pragmatic and organised is the approach adopted by the team from its inception in 2011 and it has been rewarded. Whether sailing the Decision 35 Ladycat, the MOD70 trimaran, or the maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2, the results speak for themselves. On board this year, 2013 was notable for the record-breaking feat of the Discovery Route crew (Cadiz, Spain-San Salvador, Bahamas) lowering the time by more than 20 hours after crossing in 6 days, 14 hours, with an average speed of 24.5 knots.

“Spindrift racing is a young team that brings together a group of professionals whose work has quickly borne fruit,” says Dona Bertarelli, owner and skipper of Spindrift racing. “Our project has grown and already has a good international reputation. With Yann, we have the cards in hand to take the next steps.”

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Spindrift Racing, Maxi Spindrift 2 Yann Guichard, Dona Bertarelli and crew get to know the beast

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2013/08/spindrift-2-and-crew-go-into-the-deep-end/

After a first outing on Spindrift 2 that was essentially technical a few days ago in Lorient, the whole crew are heading back to sea tomorrow for some sport specific training.

The sailing program is two sessions onshore and two sessions offshore. The aim is for Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and the crew to test the boat in various conditions, but mainly to tackle a major issue in offshore racing for the crew: life on board. The organisation of watches, getting used to living together at sea and real-life tests that are essential to get the 14 crew members ready for the Rolex Fastnet which starts on August 11.

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Maxi Spindrift2, photo courtesy John Cadwallader

Spindrift Racing, publish record programme and vision for the Maxi Trimaran Spindrift 2

Spindrift Racing have released a press release on the programme they are planning to undertake with Spindrift 2. The most intriguing part in my view is they are looking at whether the boat can be modified to be singlehanded to compete in the 2014 Route du Rhum. That would be quite an achievement but maybe if they went for a smaller rig as Cammas did on Groupama3 it might be possible.

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2013/07/spindrift-2-unveiled/

•    The largest racing trimaran in the world shows new colours
•    A program of records from 2013
•    Thoughts on technological developments

Outlining the plans of the Spindrift racing team, Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard unveiled the new colours, design and program of the maxi trimaran, Spindrift 2, on Tuesday, March 2 at Lorient. The former Banque Populaire V, the boat is the largest racing trimaran in the world and holder of nine world records, including the Jules Verne trophy. Spindrift 2 will start a summer racing program of records and training to allow Bertarelli and Guichard intimate knowledge and control, with a view to their ambitions to rewrite the greatest records in sailing.

Learning to master Spindrift 2

 Bertarelli and Guichard, owners of three Spindrift racing multihulls; the D35 catamaran Ladycat, the MOD70 Spindrift and the maxi trimaran Spindrift 2, are going to juggle the coming seasons in the pursuit of excellence on board these three exciting boats. The last to be added to the stable, the maxi trimaran, Spindrift 2, will debut in the summer of 2013 and mobilise all the energy of the team. The challenge is for both skippers and the racing team and shore crew to learn how to harness the power of the biggest racing trimaran in the world. The boat has a new coat of black, white and gold, styled like its stable mates. All the Spindrift racing team has spent time during Route des Princes working on optimising a boat that was tried and tested, but Bertarelli and Guichard want to apply the latest technology to improve performance wherever possible. A new rig is well on the way, with a lighter mast suitable for the envisaged record campaign. Hunting for areas where weight can be lost is an open book, but not at any cost. «We will reduce the sail area and are seeking the perfect balance between weight and power in order to make performance gains,» Guichard said.

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Spindrift 2, photo Chris Schmid

Spindrift Racing, release their 2013 program

From the following article on the Spindrift Racing website

 

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2013/04/the-power-of-three/

 

After re-fitting the maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2 (formerly the record-breaking Banque Populaire V), the Spindrift racing team is gaining momentum. The 2013 program, designed and based around Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard, will marry regattas, ocean races and ocean records for the next four seasons.

 

The Fastnet Race in August for Spindrift 2

Spindrift 2 is currently at the CDK boatyard in Lorient for a complete check-up and will be launched in its new livery in early July. The first training session is scheduled so that Spindrift 2 does not break stride before the start of the Fastnet Race from Cowes on August 11. He holds the record for the 600-mile race in the English Channel and the Irish Sea, winning in 1 day 8 hours and 48 minutes at an average speed of 18.1 knots (approved WSSRC record) in August 2011. “This year will be dedicated to discovering the boat and familiarising ourselves with the size of the machine so we can determine what technical developments it is possible to make for next season.” Yann Guichard said.

After the first outing in the Fastnet, Spindrift racing will dedicate 2014 to the formation of a team of a dozen people to set records: An Atlantic crossing, the Route Discovery, a Mediterranean crossing, Jules Verne …

 

“This joint project with Yann is about drawing together human and sporting adventures that fit our criteria: creating a new challenge and team, performing and not resting on our laurels,” Dona Bertarelli said. “Although it is a logical next step for Yann in his career, for me it is a 90 ° turn and a big challenge to get involved in this ocean racing format that I do not know. It is my desire to progress further and discover the deep.”

 

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