Yacht Racing World Newsletter – Issue 38
The Ocean Race – Team Malizia launches new state of the art IMOCA in Lorient
Boris Herrmann’s offshore sailing team launched its new race yacht on schedule today after 18 months of innovative design and construction. With its spoon bow and chistera-shaped foils, the Malizia – Seaexplorer and the international team are ready to race again, both in single-handed and crewed regattas around the world, whilst continuing their mission of raising awareness for climate protection.
35,000 design hours, 45,000 man hours in the build, over 250 people involved in and outside the team. This is what it took to build Team Malizia’s new IMOCA race yacht, Malizia – Seaexplorer, which was launched on 19 July 2022 in Lorient, France. “The team is extremely proud of having launched the boat on the foreseen date. I believe it is a first in our industry to announce a date a year before and deliver exactly on time”, comments team skipper Boris Herrmann. “We put tremendous management and team effort to make this happen.”
With its new red 4,5 m long keel and chistera-shaped foils attached, the Malizia – Seaexplorer was rolled out of the hangar by the team and craned into the harbour of Lorient this Tuesday morning under the excited eyes of a large number of spectators. Once the 18.28 m long hull touched the water, the technical team started to install the IMOCA’s 27.30 m long mast and its two outriggers.
On seeing the boat touch the water for the first time at Boris Herrmann commented “It is incredible to see all the hard work that the team have put in over this last year paying off – so a big thank you to all of them and also to our partners for making this dream a reality. I cannot wait to get back on the water and sail on this amazing machine!”
The Ocean Race – American and German IMOCA teams bolster sailing squads with key signings
The 11th Hour Racing Team (USA) and Team Malizia (GER) IMOCA teams have both announced significant new additions to their sailing team lineups for The Ocean Race 2022-23.
The American syndicate 11th Hour Racing Team, skippered by Charlie Enright, has recruited the Australian-born yachtsman Jack Bouttell – a highly accomplished ocean racer and past winner of The Ocean Race.
Meanwhile, Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia has brought on renowned French sailor Nicolas Lunven to race aboard the team’s brand new boat, Malizia-Seaexplorer, which was launched in France this week.
The Ocean Race – A first look at Boris Herrmann’s Malizia - Seaexplorer
Team Malizia skipper Boris Hermmann’s takes us on an all-access tour of the team’s amazing brand new IMOCA ocean racer Malizia – Seaexplorer.
Entries open for 16th edition of Transat Paprec
Entries are now open for the 16th edition of the Transat Paprec – the first ever transatlantic race for mixed male/female double-handed crews, starting on April 30th, 2023.
Plotting a course of nearly 3,900nm between Concarneau in Brittany, France and Saint-Barthélemy in the Caribbean, the Transat Paprec, formerly the Transat Ag2r - la Mondiale, is raced on equal terms on the Figaro Bénéteau 3 one-design, placing the emphasise on the skills and teamwork of the skippers.
The landmark move to a mixed male/female format comes as part of a joint commitment to increase the participation and opportunities for female skippers from the organisers OC Sport Pen Duick, Title Partner Paprec and the Figaro class, as OC Sport Pen Duick CEO Hervé Favre explains:
“The double-handed transat – now the Transat Paprec - has always been a race for both professional skippers and young talents in the making. This new evolution with mixed male/female crews is in keeping with that commitment to developing talents while providing a platform for the best skippers to compete.
“We’re excited to publish the Notice of Race this far out from the event, and we hope to attract a strong international line-up to the 2023 race. We also recognise this new format is a long-term commitment designed to feed more women into the sport and make it more sustainable.”
America’s Cup – The Spying Game
Spying in the America’s Cup has been far more than a recent phenomenon, documented even as far back to racing in the 19th Century, but for modern teams it has been a significant budget drag with ever more sophisticated technology being deployed to measure, capture and record everything from outright speed through to manoeuvres, sail plans, wing design, onboard control systems and aero packages – writes Magnus Wheatley.
Drones, trackers, submersibles even, have been rumoured as syndicates vie to get crucial data that could mean the difference between winning and losing.
As Matteo Plazzi, a member of the Recon Management Panel for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli commented: “Recon has always played an important role in AC campaigns. You have an event every three or four years and during this period you design and develop your new boat; understanding and knowing in which direction your opponents are going is crucial. The more info you have, the more simulations you can run in-house and get a feeling of where you are compared with your competitors.”
At the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland, the situation on the water was, at times, bordering on dangerous with multiple team spy vessels following and tracking individual AC75s as they went about their training schedule. Incidents of near-misses were recorded and all the teams agreed that the situation was unsustainable and needed addressing.
So, for the 37th America’s Cup, buried deep in the Protocol Document (it is Rule 41 in Part F) is a new and highly significant rule aimed at curbing the expenditure, reducing the frustration that teams have traditionally experienced of being spied upon and opening up the event for spectators to get a consistent view of developments and techniques that all the syndicates will be honing, in this cycle.
The ‘Reconnaissance’ rule is both broad and comprehensive putting spectators right in the heart of the action with stills, video and analysis that will be available to view publicly on www.americascup.com but equally forming a valuable, cost-saving service for all the teams.
Three Great Britain SailGP Team sailors to cycle 450-mile plus route to Plymouth regatta
Three members of the Great Britain SailGP Team that will compete in next weekend’s Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Plymouth (July 30 and 31) will travel by bicycle to the event in a bid to support SailGP’s commitment to making the Grand Prix in Plymouth one of the most sustainable races it has ever staged.
The three team members, Neil Hunter, Matt Gotrel and Luke Parkinson will clock-up a combined total of more than 450 miles over two days, arriving on Plymouth Hoe at lunchtime on Tuesday (26th July), as they aim to ensure the team keeps its carbon footprint for the event as low as possible.
Hunter and Parkinson will each travel 148 miles from Portsmouth to Plymouth. Gotrel will undertake a massive 170 mile journey from his home in Gloucester. The trio will be joined by America’s Cup sailor Ben Cornish, who will cycle with Hunter and Parkinson from Portsmouth to Plymouth.
The athletes' decision to rely solely on pedal power to reach the event is a sign the Great Britain team’s commitment, alongside it's’ charity partner ‘Protect our Future’, to use its platform to inspire the next generation to better understand the climate emergency and give them the tools to take positive action.
