Spindrift Racing win first event of the DIAM24 trimaran season (SpiQuest France)

SpiOuest France - Victory for Spindrift - The... by virtualregatta

And a gallery of photos on photographer Phillipe Plisson's blog featuring the DIAM24 trimaran teams in action:

http://www.philip-plisson-blog.com/2015/04/spi-2015-les-trimarans-diam-24-entrent-en-scene.html?utm_source=flux&utm_medium=flux-rss&utm_campaign=photography

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/

Video from Lending Club Sailing on the record breaking Cowes-Dinard run

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

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

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

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

Gunboats power along in ideal conditions at the St.Marteen Heineken Regatta

Gunboat Class, St maarten Heineken Regatta 2015, Day 1 from Gunboat on Vimeo.

Shirley Robertson of CNN "Mainsail" examines foiling in Moths and multihulls

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

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

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

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:

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:

 

http://sail.corsairmarine.com/sailing-review-on-the-pulse-600#

 

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