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Caudrelier Wins Round-the-World Solo Sprint

• By Dave Reed
• February 26, 2024

UPDATE: French solo racer Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line off the coast of Brest, this Tuesday morning at 8h 37mn 42s local time (UTC+1hrs) to win the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest , the first ever solo multihull race around the world, sailed in giant 32m long ULTIM class trimarans.

The race leader who has been unchallenged at the front of the race since the night of January 17, Caudrelier– triumphs on the first edition of this unprecedented race. Before he had to slow to avoid a huge storm at Cape Horn, at one point in the Pacific Ocean Caudrelier was ahead of the time needed to set a new all-time record for sailing solo around the world.

His elapsed time is 50 days 19 hours 07 minutes 47 seconds since leaving Brest in the six-boat fleet on Sunday 7th January.

After a thrilling head to head duel with 26-year-old Tom Laperche down the South Atlantic, Caudrelier, who turned 50 years old on Monday, widened the gap to over 2500 miles ahead of his nearest rival after Laperche had to retire into Cape Town with damage caused by a collision.

Along his route, Caudrelier set a new record for the Indian Ocean and then proved he knew how to moderate his pace to look after his high tech flying ULTIM and give himself and the emblematic Gitana team the best chance of completing the 24,260 nautical miles course.

With a substantial lead Caudrelier put his race on hold – sailing at very slow speeds for more than 36 hours in the eastern Pacific – to avoid a storm at Cape Horn and latterly sat out storm Louis, stopped in the safety of the Azores last week to avoid any additional risk which might have jeopardized his win.

This success rewards more than ten years of endeavour by the Edmond de Rothschild Gitana team. They worked initially from 2011 with a MOD70 on which they developed the multihull foiling program before they launched the innovative Verdier designed Ultim in 2017.

Arriving two years later along with co-skipper Franck Cammas,  Caudrlier, double winner of The Ocean Race -once as skipper, contributed to the boat’s continued evolution and optimisation and the boat built up the most extensive track record of the class with some great victories with Caudrelier  including the Brest Atlantique (2019), Fastnet (2019 and 2021), Transat Jacques Vabre (2021), Finistère Atlantique (2022) and blue riband solo Route du Rhum (2022).

After a frustrating Transat Jacques Vabre last autumn which was marked by numerous damages including problems with the steering system and a foil, finishing in third place, the Gitana team worked hard to repair to be ready for this race and to move forward.

“I’ve had my struggles but I know that things are turning round,” said Caudrelier before the start of the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest.

From the early days on this race he had to deal with small problems too including a break in his forward fairing. Although he succeeded in capturing a dream ride on a low pressure from the South Atlantic until the south of Australia, the second half of his race was much more problematic, including his pause before Cape Horn and his strategic halt into the Azores last week.

A popular, highly respected racer and leader among his peers, this is Caudrelier’s biggest solo success and finally fulfils his youthful dreams of winning a singlehanded race around the world. Added to his Ocean Race wins he further establishes himself as one of the best skippers among the French greats.

Charles Caudrelier’s victory in figures

• Finish time : 8 h 37 min 42 sec
• Race time : 50 days 19 hours 7 min 42 sec
• Miles traveled : 28 938,03 miles
• Actual average speed : 23,74 knots
• Average speed on the great circle: 19,93 knots
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Six solo skippers ready to race 100ft foiling multihulls around the world

• January 4, 2024

Is this the most audacious race ever? Six skippers are getting ready to race 100ft foiling maxi trimarans solo around the world – James Boyd looks forward to the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest

There are very few ‘firsts’ left in the world of sailing, but one such remaining barrier could be smashed when the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest sets off from north-west France on 7 January 2024.

Since the Sunday Times Golden Globe in 1968/69 – the ‘impossible feat’ – there have been all manner of non-stop laps of the planet, from fully crewed Jules Verne Trophy and solo records, to races such as the single-handed Vendée Globe , and The Race in 2000 for fully crewed maxi-multihulls. This January sees a new pinnacle-of-pinnacles event: the first solo, non-stop, round the world race in Ultim trimarans. Six brave French skippers on their 100ft multihulls are entered.

The advancement in human endeavour and technology in this cutting edge area of sailing has been extraordinary. Thirty years ago we were in Brest for the first tentative Jules Verne Trophy attempts. Back then no one knew if sailing around the world in under 80 days was even possible: three boats set off and only one made it – Bruno Peyron’s maxi-catamaran Commodore Explorer in 79 days 6 hours.

Since then the record has been reduced by titans such as Peter Blake/Robin Knox-Johnston, Olivier de Kersauson, Loïck Peyron, Franck Cammas and, ultimately, Francis Joyon . In a quarter of a century, the record has halved with Joyon’s 105ft IDEC Sport setting the present benchmark of 40d 23h 30m 30s (at 26.85 knots average) five years ago.

You might assume that a solo around the world would be much slower, but Joyon destroyed this notion. In 2004, when the Jules Verne Trophy record was 63 days, he completed a lap in just under 73 days alone on his 90ft trimaran IDEC (also the first successful solo non-stop circumnavigation by a trimaran). The following year the UK ground to a halt for an afternoon, television dominated by live coverage of Ellen MacArthur’s arrival into Falmouth after she’d taken more than a day off Joyon’s time.

Gabart on his previous Macif Ultime. Photo: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Thomas Coville took the time below 50 days in 2016 with 49d 3h, broken the following year by François Gabart ’s 100ft Macif , establishing the present solo non-stop record: 42d 16h 40m 3s (just 4% slower than Joyon’s fully crewed).

While these times are impressive, they are records set in optimum, carefully selected conditions (for the first two weeks at least), whereas the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest is a race. The solo sailors will have onshore routers, but their departure day is set, and pace likely dictated by their opponents. It’s a very different test of man and machine.

“It is something new,” says Gitana’s Charles Caudrelier . “The first time racing around the world with these big flying boats. It is a bit like the first Vendée Globe – not quite the same because we know where we are going! But it is a bit of an adventure, and I’m happy about that.”

Armel le Cléac’h in solo mode on Maxi Banque Populaire XI. Photo: Benoît Stichelbaut

The contenders

Surprisingly, skippers at all stages of their careers are competing. Amiable sea-dog Thomas Coville will be 55 when the race sets off. There is almost no major event Coville hasn’t done, from the America’s Cup to winning the Volvo Ocean Race.

Having sailed ORMA 60s, Coville moved into the record breaking business on maxi trimarans and is now on his third, Sodebo having backed him continuously. Of the six skippers Coville is the most experienced racing Ultims single-handed and is laudable for his sheer tenacity – he finally set a solo round the world record on his fifth attempt, after 11 years of trying.

At the other end of the scale, it was a surprise to learn that SVR-Lazartigue will not be raced by François Gabart, the single-handed round the world record holder and the blue trimaran’s initial skipper. Instead, taking over for solo races will be 26-year-old Tom Laperche. An engineer and highly talented sailor, Laperche is a graduate of the classic French offshore racing pathway; and has been involved with SVR-Lazartigue since its launch, racing as Gabart’s co-skipper in the last two Transat Jacques Vabre .

Anthony Marchand, 38, has also newly taken on a campaign, replacing Yves le Blevec on Actual Ultim 3 (ex-Macif) in early 2023. Meanwhile an 11th hour entry is Eric Péron on Adagio , the previous Sodebo Ultim. The boat is something of a ‘Frankenstein’ creation – recycling the 2001 maxi-tri Geronimo with appendages from 2010 America’s Cup winner USA17 – but a fast one.

Thomas Coville, on Sodebo Ultime 3. Photo: Vincent Curutchet/Team Sodebo

“I’ve been preparing for this kind of thing for years now,” said Péron. I haven’t done much preparation on the boat, but for everything else, the boxes are ticked. So, in the short time I’ve got left before the start, I hope to become at one with the machine. What motivates me most of all is the fact that it’s an extreme race, and that’s why I want to take up the challenge. Obviously, I’m not leaving totally confident. But I’m not going to give up.”

In the absence of Gabart, the two favourites are likely to be Armel le Cléac’h on Maxi Banque Populaire XI and Charles Caudrelier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 17) . Theirs are two of the best funded and oldest teams.

Banque Populaire first sponsored Joyon’s ORMA 60 in 1989 and has campaigned seven trimarans since, including building two Ultims. The team’s first Ultim had a disastrous 2018, before a final crash left it utterly destroyed during the Route du Rhum . Undeterred, the French bank set about building a replacement. Now, alongside SVR-Lazartigue, their two-year-old Maxi Banque Populaire XI is one of the newest Ultims.

SVR-Lazartigue and Banque Populaire XI are essentially VPLP designs (Ultim teams have their own in-house designers, engineers, aero- and hydrodynamists, foil and hydraulics experts), while Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is from Guillaume Verdier – Emirates Team New Zealand’s long term naval architect who has applied much of his Cup experience to the offshore trimaran .

Adagio, the previous Sodebo Ultim. Photo: Yvan Zedda

Impressive statistics

An Ultim’s length can be anything from 24-32m (78ft 8in-105ft) with a maximum beam of 23m (75ft), though in practice all six are trimarans built to, or near to the rule’s maximum. Overall mast height is less than 120% of length of the longest hull, so 38.4m (126ft). Additional rules cover minimum air draught below the beams and float volume. Water ballast, autopilots and automatic anti-capsize systems are permitted, but stored energy (produced by the crew) or the creation of inertial energy and computer or electromechanical assistance for adjusting any of the appendages is forbidden.

As with all things yachting, their quantum performance leap has come since going airborne. Today all six use a similar, complex foil configuration: on each hull is a rudder with an elevator where lift can be adjusted via a flap on its trailing edge. Midships in each float is a giant J-foil, which can be raised, lowered and its rake adjusted. Unique to the Ultims (apart from Adagio) is the daggerboard, which is fitted not only with a trim tab on its trailing edge to prevent leeway, but an elevator.

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 17). Photo: Yann Riou/Gitana

The foils and elevators are adjusted hydraulically in combination to alter, for example, fore and aft trim and ride height, depending upon the point of sail and sea state. Generally the aim is for the platform to have zero heel/pitch. Thanks to the rudder elevators the ride is very stable in pitch (unlike IMOCA 60s ), the foils effectively ‘locking’ the boat to the water.

Just as America’s Cup catamarans that raked their windward rudder elevator to produce downforce (like crew on the rail), so Ultims can produce downforce with their daggerboard elevator. According to Gabart this is vital: racing an Ultim solo is about maximising efficiency so, when a gust hits, the rake on the daggerboard elevator is increased, sucking the trimaran’s main hull down. “If you release the hydraulic main sheet, it takes five minutes to pump it in again,” explains Gabart. “With this, when you are sailing at 40 knots you can add two tonnes [of down force] in one second using minimal energy.”

With their latest substantially larger foils, Ultims can fly in less wind. Originally it required 15-20 knots of wind or 26-27 knots boat speed for Macif to fly, this is now down to 12-14 knots of wind and 21-23 boat speed for SVR-Lazartigue – remarkable considering an Ultim’s 15-17 tonne displacement.

It’s similar on Banque Populaire XI, says Armel le Cléac’h. “We fly in 12-13 knots of wind or 22-23 knots of boat speed. In 15-17 knots of wind we fly upwind at 27-30 knots – that is the big step. Compared to older Ultims like IDEC in the last Route du Rhum, it’s an 8-9 knot improvement.”

Actual Ultim 3, formerly Gabart’s Macif. Photo: Thierry Martinez

Such speeds permit Ultims to become ‘masters of the weather’ – to some extent at least – often travelling so fast that their skippers can choose the weather system they can sail in. Optimum conditions for an Ultim are 15-25 knots (more than this and the sea state becomes too choppy for foiling), so they aim at the sweet spot of weather systems (flat water ahead of a warm front), which they then ride, like a surfer on a wave.

Le Cléac’h says their top speed has been 47 knots, “But that is not an objective. We want to have a good average speed: 40-42 knots for one or two hours is very good. 35-37 knots for 24 hours is very good too.”

Riding a rocketship

So how can skippers handle such a monster-sized boat that is foiling single-handed? Autopilot technology has improved to extraordinary levels of accuracy. According to Gabart, once set up, speed sailing in a straight line is not much different between solo and crewed. “Upwind or downwind VMG you are a little bit better if you are steering and others are trimming. At 65-70° TWA it is no different.”

Naturally manoeuvres are slower alone. Gabart says that going from reefed to full main might take two minutes fully crewed, but at least 10 solo. Some technology helps, like Harken’s latest generation Air 900 winches and pedestal grinders with bespoke gearing for single-person operation.

The newest of the Ultims, SVR-Lazartigue is perhaps the most advanced design. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait

While foils and many sail controls are hydraulic (SVR-Lazartigue has 23 rams), the pedestals are able to drive twin hydraulic pumps – though it requires serious manpower: “80% of the grinding is for the hydraulics,” says Gabart. SVR-Lazartigue will race with just five sails, including main and J0-J3, two permanently rigged on furlers.

Sailing at such high speeds has several effects. With apparent wind factored in, on deck there is constantly storm force, or at best gale force, winds. Human beings cannot operate for long in this and so cockpit protection has drastically increased with some Ultims now fully enclosed.

On the latest Sodebo and SVR-Lazartigue these have moved forward. On the former, the ‘bridge’ is forward of the mast, USS Enterprise-style, while on the latter it is just aft of the mast, with jet fighter-style steering cockpits each side, complete with sliding canopies. The end result is that an Ultim’s crew rarely ventures outside, viewing the world via CCTV.

While foiling reduces hydrodynamic drag, all the teams have been focussed on reducing aero-drag. Crossbeams now have trailing edge fairings made from robust vinyl, while on SVR-Lazartigue, moving their ‘cockpit’ forward has enabled them to have an AC-style ‘deck sweeper’ boom where the deck creates an endplate for the foot of the mainsail (improving efficiency).

Tom Laperche steering, jet fighter-style, on SVR-Lazartigue. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait

To finish first…

For the teams, the principal hurdle of the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest will be finishing. The major worry on such a long race is reliability. To prevent structural failures Ultims have load cells, the output from which is monitored in real time. Otherwise teams have simply been racing and sea trialling as often as possible in all conditions.

This year’s Transat Jacques Vabre’s heavier conditions were ideal, enabling the double-handed teams to really push the boats harder. While all the Ultims finished, some were in better shape than others, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild suffering rudder and foil issues while Sodebo Ultim’s starboard rudder sheared off after a collision with an underwater object.

“The main problem will be to have all of the boats finishing the race in good shape,” says Caudrelier, who says it will take a new approach from his previous crewed around the world races. “Always you push to the maximum, but this time you can’t do that and we will have to find a good balance between performance and safety for the boat. That is quite an interesting exercise and also managing a boat like this alone for 45 days.”

Éric Péron explains: “On these boats, a small incident can immediately put us out of the race, because nothing can be replaced on our own. The boat is so big that there’s not much we can do to fix it with what we’ve got on board.”

Antoine Gautier, head of the design office at Mer Concept (behind SVR-Lazartigue) adds that their enormously complex boat will be simplified: “We are going to have less systems on board to make it simpler and more reliable. There are some things which won’t make much difference on a round the world race.”

Armel le Cléac’h at Banque Populaire’s mission control/protected pod. Photo: Vincent Curutchet/ Hublot Sailing team

Capsize was once a major concern, but for Ultims today is – apparently – almost a non-issue. The multihulls are simply huge, and their rigs are now stepped almost two thirds of the way back from the bow, to prevent pitchpoling. As Gautier explains: “The boats are definitely safer than any multihulls before. There are no more pitchpoling issues and in terms of heel stability, you almost can’t heel because the leeward foil is pushing up so much. That is why they are able to sail so fast, even short-handed – because the boats are very safe and you don’t feel in danger.”

Nonetheless they do still have inclinometers which can automatically dump hydraulics (eg mainsheet) or mechanically release headsail sheets if heel is excessive.

Of greater concern are elements beyond the skipper’s control: collision. AIS and radar target alarms substantially reduce the chance of an Ultim hitting another vessel, but the threat of a ‘UFO’ (unidentified floating object) remains. As Gautier says: “Collision is the biggest fear for all of us. If you hit something at 30-plus knots it is the end of your race. The boat which is going to win will be the one which has all its appendages at the finish. It is Russian roulette and you can’t do anything about it. This is not a fun part of the sport, but it is the same for any race like this.”

To help prevent such collisions Ultims are all fitted with SEA.AI (previously known as OSCAR) a camera mounted at the masthead that can ‘see’ ahead both in daylight and at night, using infra-red. Images are compared in real time with a giant database to establish whether something ahead represents a collision threat.

Ultims raced each other double-handed in the November 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre – won by Armel le Cléac’h/Sébastien Josse in Banque Populaire XI. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Alea

There are other factors too that will come into play: a good deal of luck, undoubtedly, but also the skill, experience and motivation of the skippers. Caudrelier has perhaps the most experience in his boat and over the last three years has won most races, but he has never raced solo around the world. “This is my Vendée Globe” he acknowledges.

By contrast Le Cléac’h has completed three Vendées, on the podium every time. However his recent victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre was his first in an Ultim. For Coville, this might be his last lap? While for Laperche this will be his first big Ultim event and proving himself is a key objective.

What is certain is that this will be the ultimate contest between some of the world’s most talented offshore sailors. How many will make it round? And for those that do, it could be the fastest ever round the world race, so all the action will unfold quickly. Follow at arkeaultimchallengebrest.com

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Solo Ultim round the world race set for 2023

The first ever single-handed race around the world in the giant Ultim multihulls will take place in 2023, 15 years after the vision was originally conceived. The race will be organised by OC Sport Pen Duick in collaboration with the Class Ultim 32/23 as well as the skippers and owners of the world’s   most highly advanced and exciting ocean-going race boats.

An incredible test of both man and machine awaits the skippers, in a race which will no doubt create the greatest heroes of ocean racing. The coming together of these 32-metre giants promises an extraordinary sporting feat that will be shared with people around the globe, guided by strong core values of surpassing oneself, humility, commitment, perseverance, and ambition. The adventure, talent and shared emotions will place the event at the heart of sports conversation and mark a significant moment in the history of ocean sailing.

The long-awaited summit

The concept of a solo, round the world tour for these multihulls was first envisioned more than 15 years ago. However, the idea that these marvels of ocean sailing and innovation could chase the winds around the globe has taken time to come to fruition – and for good reason.   The balance between technical development, reliability, and an ambitious programme is extremely complex. And so, the first edition, to be held at the end of 2023, is the fruit of many years of work to establish such a revolutionary event.

“We are very happy to see this project come to life. Together, we will be able to prepare for this round the world trip and give this magnificent race, which is both very human and highly technological, the breath it deserves. Jean-Bernard Le Boucher, newly appointed General Manager of the Ultim 32/23 Class will have, among other missions, that of supporting this great and beautiful challenge,” said Patricia Brochard, President of the Ultim 32/23 Class.

“It is with great joy that we are pleased to announce the confirmation of this great project, the organisation of the single-handed round the world race in a multihull. Everything has come together after many years of reflection and joint work to make this event a sporting, media and public success,” commented Edouard Coudurier, Chairman of Groupe Télégramme and Roland Tresca, Chairman of Pen Duick and Deputy CEO of Groupe Télégramme, owner of OC Sport Pen Duick.

A common adventure

The creation of a race of this magnitude – which marks the start of an exciting new chapter in ocean sailing – has been made possible thanks to the joint efforts of the boat owners and their skippers, the Class and OC Sport Pen Duick’s expertise in event management.

“More than 40 years after the first edition of the Route du Rhum, the announcement of the Ultim round-the-world solo race is reflective of the pioneering character and know-how of OC Sport Pen Duick. We are delighted to be able to now start working with the boat owners on the implementation of this superb project which will undoubtedly be a milestone in the history of sailing,” stated Hervé Favre, President of OC Sport Pen Duick and organizer of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe and The Transat CIC.

While the choice of the start and finish host city has not yet been decided, discussions are underway with the City of Brest, which has shown keen interest in hosting the event since the creation of the project.

The level of competition and the calibre of the skipper’s is set to be exceptional, with formal commitments already confirmed by:

Actual (skipper, Yves Le Blevec)

Banque Populaire (skipper, Armel Le Cléac’h)

Brest Ultim Sailing (TBC skipper)

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (skipper, Charles Caudrelier)

Sodebo (skipper, Thomas Coville)

SVR-Lazartigue,  a newcomer to the world of large trimarans (skipper, François Gabart) also supports this new project and its strong, unifying ambition.

Quotes from the Skippers / boat owners

Cyril Dardashti, Managing Director Gitana France:

“This race is part of the objectives we set for ourselves in 2017 by building – and then launching – the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the pioneer of this generation of flying giants. It took a little patience for the first edition to see the light of day, but today we can make this announcement! The arrival of the new maxi-trimarans was accompanied by a technological breakthrough and so it was important to allow time for this first event to live up to the magic of these boats. Beyond the incredible sporting performance that the sailors will accomplish on this inaugural round-the-world trip, it will be an extraordinary challenge to take up. We are delighted to be able to draw on the know-how of OC Sport Pen Duick as organiser for this great premiere.”

Charles Caudrelier, Skipper Maxi Edmond de Rothschild:

“This solo round-the-world race in the Ultim is a dream I didn’t even dare to hope for in my career. I have always been very drawn to the Vendée Globe, but here, at the helm of the fastest boats on the planet and in flying mode, it is quite simply the ultimate challenge. Leading such a boat alone on such a demanding global course is an extraordinary adventure that I am really proud to share with the Gitana Team and on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. I have been thinking about this world tour for 2 years, it is this goal that motivates me and keeps me moving forward every day.”

Thomas Coville, Skipper Sodebo Ultim 3:

“It is a privilege to be part of this group of sailors associated with exemplary partners. With Sodebo, we have been thinking about this race since 2007 when we launched the construction of the first Sodebo Ultime trimaran.

There were a lot of twists and turns in the creation of this race around the world. We had to be patient for the project to mature, which shows that we are all interdependent. On the day of the start, we will all be happy to have carried this idea.

This race justifies 20 years of commitment and high-level sailing. This is the race that will consecrate the life of an athlete and a sailor.”

Armel Le Cléac’h, Banque Populaire Skipper:

“I am delighted to see the Ultim’s programme structured around major sporting events that are very motivating, and which will also create superb sporting moments for all enthusiasts. Our boats are magical, and I am happy that we can share them with the public around great adventures. I can’t wait for it to start!”

Emmanuel Bachellerie, Managing Director and owner of Brest Ultim Sailing:

“These exceptional trimarans have deserved this solo race for a long time. They were thought out, designed, financed, built, and developed for it. Now that it is finally happening, the race will deliver its outcome after 40 to 50 days at sea – or more, or less… That is the magic of the sea and may it continue to remain so; that is to say, an exceptional adventure that we cannot predict.”

Samuel Tual, President Actual Leader Group:

“This round-the-world race is the culmination of our shared project with the Ultim Class. It will be an exceptional event. Exceptional for our skippers who will have to take up an unparalleled sporting and technical challenge aboard boats with performances like Formula 1. Exceptional also for all the public who will follow this race and the extraordinary adventure of talented sailors who are capable of extraordinary things. I am delighted that we have succeeded in creating this event which I hope will make ocean racing history.”

Yves Le Blévec, Skipper Actual Ultim 3:

“The confirmation of this single-handed round-the-world race for Ultim’s is very good news that we were all impatiently awaiting. Beyond the sporting challenge and the preparation that is required, I am proud to be able to be part of this with Actual Ultim 3, which promises to be very challenging. We are going to live an extraordinary adventure with exceptional sailors, on exceptional boats and with partners who have demonstrated the strength of their commitments.”

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Published on January 27th, 2024 | by Editor

Speed and reliability in Ultim Class

Published on January 27th, 2024 by Editor -->

Guillaume Verdier is at the forefront of offshore yacht design and Charles Caudrelier has his design in the lead of the non-stop round-the-world Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest race for the Ultim Class. With the six-boat fleet of maxi-trimarans now in the third week, Verdier shares his observations:

Is this race as you imagined it might be?

I just don’t make predictions of these kind of things. I just don’t. In terms of speeds, it is what I thought, yes, but I did not have a vision that it would happen like this or like that. I just don’t do predictions. I have enough experience not to expect anything or predict anything. I just cross my fingers.

But they are going fast, Charles is fast and going well. He is not supposed to be going at crazy speeds, we don’t want him to damage the boat in this position, but what is remarkable is these boats are a lot more comfortable than IMOCA 60s. They are going much faster and are much more comfortable.

I really wish the IMOCAs would understand this, that by allowing us to have elevators on the rudders, they could fix a lot of their problems slamming and damaging their boats and the skippers. This race is making a good show. Yes, there are maybe not enough boats and not enough competition right now, but it is good show for the architecture and design.

And how closely are you monitoring Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (aka Gitana)?

I watch the performance of Gitana all the time because we are in the process of designing other boats and it is very interesting looking at downgraded performance, that is to say not the optimum (theoretical) performance.

I am quite impressed seeing 840-mile days, even though it has been done before, it is still quite remarkable especially as Charles is not out to beat the record but is at a normal racing speed, not pushing himself like crazy. It is very remarkable.

How much has Maxi Edmond de Rothschild improved for this season?

The boat is a little bit better in terms of safety and the appendages used to damage themselves a little bit because of cavitation. Each year, we move forward and improve on the cavitation and make sure we don’t lose bits of composite just through cavitation.

Cavitation on these boats when you sail them above 40 knots looks like where you have shot bullets with a gun on the appendages; it just rips away the carbon and so we try to improve that all the time. It is not easy, pushing it all the time, widening the cavitation bucket and so on. It is always a compromise. You always have to compromise. Gitana seems to be reliable.

Are we seeing that Gitana is more reliable because it has had a longer development and optimizing lifecycle?

We had many problems in the past that a lot of them are fixed now, starting from the trailing edge of the foils which got damaged, cavitation which ripped apart the appendages, the fairing that broke off and non-structural pieces.

And what are you learning for the next boats?

I learn that you are still fighting, they want the boat to be the ultimate light weight and for me it has to be reliable, that is my goal. Reliability comes first for me, by a long, long way. Otherwise, you are just designing a boat to race in front of the boatyard only! They always want the boat faster and lighter. But I cannot talk about the new boat.

What is the key design difference between Gitana and the other new generation Ultims?

Gitana is a boat which has big, high floats and I pushed for that at the start to spread the torsion. If you have little floats on a big main hull, when you go through waves with flexi arms and a lot of curvature in the arms, that tends to make a lot of movement of the float and the arms and the main hull is the very stiff object in torsion.

I wanted to spread the torsion more equally between the three so I would have a very accurate foil control. I wanted accuracy in my appendages and so stiffness was a priority. And having floats which are narrow and high – ours are very narrow on Gitana, to go through waves well, and very high for torsion reason.

You pay a price for that in weight but for me it helps you in control. And it seems Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue does well too though it is a smaller hull section and beams which are smaller. You need to have a lot of material on the small sections to make it stiff or equivalent. That was my philosophy making it narrow to go through waves.

Does that hold true for the new boat?

I am not allowed to talk about the new boat whether it is a catamaran, a trimaran or a quadramaran with two masts! (laughs)

And what are your other observations about the race and where we are on ocean racing right now?

The race is interesting. I was really worried because you cross your fingers, there is so much luck involved in not having a collision, things like that we design boats to be safer for collisions. The first objective in design is avoiding collisions, also to be sustainable. The idea of hitting an object at speed is so scary.

Sailing is still a beautiful example of ecology, in my opinion, and it is a good experimental project to show how you can use so much wind energy power and from other sources to load up battery packs. I would be so in favor of future races that we allow the accumulation of energy as an example to the population that we don’t need fuels.

What more can we do, are there more solutions to avoid damage from collisions?

I think probably, like collecting energy; there needs to be different approaches so that the best one can prevail. I was on the Quebec Saint Malo race before where the fishermen are among a lot of whales. They say you have to leave the music on, or make some noise; that was the experience of the fishermen in the Saint Lawrence area.

And we look at other technical ways with thermal cameras, with masthead cameras. The masthead cameras are not always efficient because the masthead is moving a lot and keeping the camera focused on one point is hard, and sometimes you may see a difference in temperature but it is moving a lot in the waves, it is hard also. That was the experience in 2011 with Safran originally and it was so hard to spot.

Some frequencies in the water disturb the mammals or sonar. I think we need to keep working on it and the best way will likely be a combination of these things. But we cannot keep hitting mammals. Fishermen and cargo ships have not tried to solve the problem and they are doing the same things. They don’t talk about it but we need to find solutions to this for us and them as we all use the oceans.

Do you lose more or less sleep following this race or the Vendée Globe?

The Vendée Globe is more stressful for me. I am not sure why, it lasts longer and now the boats are stupidly brutal in the Vendée Globe, it is like having the shock of a hammer. But we are getting better all the time offshore.

Details: https://arkeaultimchallengebrest.com/en

The Ultim Class trimarans have a maximum length of 32 meters and a maximum width of 23 meters.

The solo speed record around the world was set in 2017 by François Gabart (FRA) on the 30m Macif trimaran in a time of 42d 14h 40m 15s for an average speed of 21.08 knots. This yacht has been rebranded and will be raced by Marchand.

Entrants: • Charles Caudrelier (FRA), Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (2017 Verdier 32/23) • Thomas Coville (FRA), Sodebo Ultim 3 (2019 VPLP/others 32/23) • Tom Laperche (FRA), Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue (2021 VPLP 32/23) • Armel Le Cléac’h (FRA), Maxi Banque Populaire XI (2021 VPLP 32/23) • Anthony Marchand (FRA), Actual Ultim 3 (2015 VPLP 30/22) • Éric Péron (FRA), Trimaran Adagio (2014 VPLP 31/21)* * Only entrant without foiling appendages

Five rules from the Sailing Instructions: • The start is January 7 from Brest, France. The start line is kept open for 168 hours and the finish line is closed after an elapsed time of 100 days after the start time, that is to say April 16, 2024.

• The skippers can communicate and exchange with their teams on shore, so they have the freedom to get weather information and be routed by their team on shore and get technical help and advice to help with technical problems.

• The solo skippers can stop but there are two distinct operations. A technical stop is unassisted and requires the sailor to drop anchor, take a mooring, or tie up alongside an anchored or moored boat with no external help. There is no time penalty for a technical stop. But for a technical stopover (escale technique) where one or more crew or technical team come on board to help, there is a mandatory 24 hours minimum. This does not apply to the start port of Brest where all means are authorized to reach or leave the port within a radius of 50 miles.

• For the first time in ocean racing, zones where there are known to be a high concentration of whales and sea mammals are determined. Establishing these zones should both protect the marine wildlife and reduce the chance of a collision. These zones are around the Azores, the Canaries, south of South Africa, the Kerguelens, and parts of the Antarctic.

• There are ice exclusion zones to protect the skippers and their boats.

Tags: ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE – Brest , Guillaume Verdier , IMOCA , Ultim Class

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ULTIM - Actual Leader double whammy

Article published on 11/12/2020

By François Trégouët

published in n°175 jan. / feb.

Yves Le Blevec's sponsors officially signed the acquisition of the former Macif trimaran on December 10th in Lorient (France). At the same time, he announced that he had sold his previous boat (ex-Sodebo Ultim 2) to a new skipper, whose name is yet to be revealed.

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• Nach oben scrollen

Le trimaran de François Gabart et Tom Laperche a été déchargé ce matin à Brest Photo : Olivier François

Le trimaran SVR Lazartigue de retour à la maison ou presque cet après-midi. Photo : Yohann

Le Gitana Team confirme la construction d'un Ultim' 32X23, le Gitana 18

Ultim Evènements à venir

5-13 juillet 2024 Aegean 600

Août 2024 Finistère Atlantique

Septembre 2024 Course des Phares

Tentatives sur le Trophée Jules Verne

Mai 2025 Med Ultim

Juillet 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race

Septembre 2025 24 h Ultim

Octobre 2025 Tour du Monde à l'envers

Octobre 2025 Trophée Jules Verne

Novembre 2025 Transat Jacques Vabre

Juillet 2026 Finistère Atlantique

Septembre 2026 24h Ultim

Novembre 2026 Route du Rhum

Juin 2027 Lorient / Les Bermudes / Lorient

Juillet 2027 Rolex Fastnet Race

Septembre 2027 24 h Ultim  

Novembre 2027 Transat Jacques Vabr e

Ultim Championnat 2024

1 Maxi Edmond de Rothschild   20   

2 Sodebo Ultim' 3                      19

3 Banque Populaire XI              18

4 Actual Ultim' 3                         17

5 ADAGIO                                  16

6 Argo                                         9

7 Zoulou                                     7 

8 Limosa                                     5

Classement 2019

Classement 2018

Classement 2017

Classement 2016

Classement 2015

Franck Cammas

Tom Laperche 

François Gabart

Francis Joyon

Yves Le Blévec

Anthony Marchand

Sam Goodchild

Eric Péron

Thomas Coville

Gwénolé Gahinet

Jean Luc Nélias

Armel Le Cléac'h

Sébastien Josse

Charles Caudrelier

Romain Pilliard

Archives Ultimes News années 2020 à 2022

Archives Ultimes News années 2016 à 2019

Archives Ultimes News années 2014 à 2015

Ultimes évènements passés

Route du Rhum 2014

Jacques Vabre 2015

The Transat 2016

The Bridge 2017

Jacques Vabre 2017

Nice UltiMed 2018

Route du Rhum 2018

Brest Atlantiques 2019

Jacques Vabre 2021

Finistère Atlantique 2022

Route du Rhum 2022

Jacques Vabre 2023

ARKEA Ultim' Challenge Brest :

Préparation d'avant course

La descente de l'Atlantique Nord

La descente de l'Atlantique Sud

L'océan Indien

Le Pacifique

La remontée de l'Atlantique Sud

La remontée de l'Atlantique Nord

Record de Thomas Coville sur Sodebo Ultim'

Record de François Gabart sur Macif

Trophée Jules Verne 2015-2016

Tentative 2017 Spindrit 2

Tentative  d'IDEC Sport

Tentative Spindift 2 2019 

Tentative Gitana 17 2020

Tentative Sodebo Ultim' 5 2020 

Tentative Sails of Change 2021

Tentative Gitana 17 2023

ITW Sam Goodchild

De Formule TAG à Energy Observer

Macif la construction

Trophée Jules Verne Spindrift 2 2019

Tour du Monde à l'envers 2017 Actual Ultim'

IDEC Asian Tour

Tour du Monde à l'envers Use it Again

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Ultim Class: New and improved

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