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Transat Jacques Vabre: A home straight brimming with suspense for Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue

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Primonial has taken line honours and the Ocean Fifty multihull title in the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre race. French pair Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben crossed the line in Martinique ahead of Koesio in second. Britain’s Sam Goodchild was third aboard Leyton.

Primonial took 15 days 13 hours 27 minutes and 14 seconds to cover the 5,800 theoretical miles from Le Havre to Martinique in the West Indies, averaging a speed of 15.4 knots. They actually covered 6,536.56 real miles at 17.50 knots.

Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben crossed the finish line in the dark of night, under a full moon and drenched by light rain to claim the Ocean Fifty title – the first of 150 boats still racing to cross the line near Martinique’s legendary Diamond rock.

Talking amidst the celebrations on board, Matthieu Souben told us, “We’re very emotional right now. We didn’t expect it to be easy, we said before the start that there were no favourites. It’s a really great race but it has been hard because it has been long, longer than expected. It has required a lot of commitment, the chess game on the water started early. We gave it our all and are totally exhausted now.”  

Koesio second

2 hours 27 minutes and 58 seconds later Koesio crossed the line in second place. Co-skippers Erwan Le Roux and Xavier Macaire took 15 days 15 hours 55 minutes and 12 seconds to cover the race distance.  

Le Roux said, “To have a good regatta, you need good competitors and I think with the whole class it has been very close. There were no big gaps and the racing was intense. This second place suits us perfectly.” Leyton third

The only non-French sailor in the Ocean Fifty class took third place, 3 hours 48 minutes and 29 seconds behind the winner. Britain’s Sam Goodchild and co-skipper Aymeric Chappellier on their boat Leyton took 15 days 17 hours 15 minutes and 43 seconds to cover the course.

Straight after crossing the line Goodchild told us, “It was our first transatlantic race on this type of boat. These are extraordinary boats that can go very fast, so you have to be careful. We learned a lot about the boat and ourselves.”

The winner of the Utlime class is expected in a few hours. We’ll bring you regular updates through the day as the boats approach Martinique.

• Transat Jacques Vabre

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Map tracker

François Gabart and Tom Laperche: “There is some risk, but it is acceptable”

The trampoline nets are fully stretched and taut and anyone stepping aboard is delighted, as this is a real privilege. Everyone wants to enter this strange universe and the visits come one after another aboard SVR Lazartigue. After an autograph session in the big tent set up by the ULTIM class, François and Tom are back on board their boat. A few memories for the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre social network team and the photographer is adjusting his flash to get a photo of the atmosphere. Then, it was our turn.

We just had time to take a look around this blue, technological gem, where there has been an obsession with aerodynamics, which has led this ULTIM to take things further than any other. The channels for the lines, the hydraulic cables, deck hardware… everything is covered over with sheeting to smooth the surface out and avoid any disturbances. All that remains is the huge genoa pulley system in the middle of the trampoline, with her stainless steel sheave, which gives us an inkling of the forces at play here.

Inside, it is in keeping with this. You enter via the small domes, sliding in vertically like a fighter pilot. In the central area, there is a well-cushioned reclining watch seat with the computer screen in front and the lines at your feet. To the rear, the coffee grinder winches have been raised to allow you to see outside when turning the two huge carbon winches, which each cost the price of a decent little car.

At the foot of the go-kart style wheel at the helm, there are two other wheels that the driver can turn with his feet. That is the control for the central daggerboard flap, the famous ray wing, which allows the hull to take off. “ To regulate flight, it is much easier than playing around with the sheets, so we use that a lot ,” explained Tom.

How do you feel with 48 hours to go to the start?

Tom: We’re remaining fully concentrated and don’t feel any apprehension. We’re starting to get a good look now at the weather. We know it is going to be pretty rough during the first few days of the race. As we get closer to the start, we can be more precise about the wind strength, sea state, which sails to use and the timing of our manoeuvres. That means we have to concentrate and we can imagine what it is going to be like during the first 48 hours of racing.

Where do you think you will be by Tuesday lunchtime?

Tom thinks it over: Off Portugal more or less.

François: They’re not going to be the fastest conditions. We would be able to sail sooner off Portugal if conditions were different, but it’s not looking too bad.

Do you think such winter weather and going from the transatlantic race to the round the world race is still a good idea?

François: To prepare well for the round the world voyage, we need to get in as much sailing as we can and in all sorts of rough weather. We need to sail too in a competition and there’s nothing better than the Transat Jacques Vabre, as that is a goal in itself. Of course, there is some risk, but that is the case too when training and it is acceptable.

Heading out towards a front passing over the sail area, and changing tack behind it in heavy seas… Is that something ULTIMs have already done?

Tom: Not a lot this year. In the Fastnet, it was quite windy though. ( 40 knots in the Channel - editor ). It was great getting out there in rough weather. It can be complicated, but that is when we make progress, because we are racing. Would we have done that while training? Getting out there in windy conditions in the Solent and carrying out a series of tacks towards a front? I’m not convinced.

François: It’s clear it is going to be tricky at the start and we can’t do anything silly, but just as in the Route du Rhum, we can see that the speed of these boats will once again be an asset to get out of this complex weather system. It is indeed more comfortable, although I don’t know if that is the right word, when you are getting away from North Atlantic weather patterns in the autumn.

( François is talking about a second low-pressure system, which is due to cross the Atlantic on Tuesday-Wednesday, but which the ULTIM boats should be able to dodge - editor )

Two years ago, you were still discovering this trimaran. How far have you come since then?

Tom: We are still not at 100%, as on a boat of this size, two years is not enough to deal with all the tiny adjustments and settings. We have moved up a step however since the early days. In 2021, the technical aspects were much more important. It was a technical challenge getting a trimaran that was reliable enough to cross the Atlantic and we were proud to have achieved that with the team. Since then, it is the notion of performance that has taken over. We are now much more convinced about certain settings…

François: You can spend your whole life trying to get the most out of these boats. But there has been a lot of progress. In the beginning, you make rapid progress and then you feel like you have reached a certain level. Now, we are starting to turn the corner and are able to work on all the details.

Will you be testing things again in this Coffee race?

François: Some adjustments, yes, but the systems are not in place. It’s marginal. A few months ago, we said that the boat should be at the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre in the same configuration as for the round the world voyage. That doesn’t mean that if we see something that doesn’t work well, we won’t change it.

Has the fact that Tom will become the skipper for the round the world race changed your way of working together on the boat?

Tom: Not really, no. I have made progress and know how to do lots of things. I feel more at ease than at the start. We made progress together on the way to work and that has stayed the same.

Francois: In the beginning and when Tom was in the Figaro (2022), I got heavily involved in the technical aspects of the boat and he worked on performance. That has changed this year. We both need to know how the systems work. Throughout 2023, he has been busy learning that. He has probably spent more time on the project than me. We complement each other, but each of us knows how to do what the other person does. At the start, Tom will tend to spend more time at the helm and I’ll be working on navigation and in the cockpit carrying out manoeuvres and turning the winch handles or be in contact with our routing experts. But that is what it was like two years ago too.

Published on November 16th, 2017 | by Assoc Editor

Breaking Records in Transat Jacques Vabre

Published on November 16th, 2017 by Assoc Editor -->

(November 16, 2017; Day 12) – There was joy unconfined in a glorious sunrise in the Bay of All Saints as the Franco-Spanish duo of Lalou Roucayrol and Alex Pella crossed the line on their foiling 50ft trimaran, Arkema to win the Transat Jacques Vabre Multi50 class.

Lalou Roucayrol (France) and Alex Pella (Spain) on their 50ft trimaran, Arkema have won the Multi50 class of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre after crossing the finish line in the Bay of All Saints in Salvador de Bahia on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 07:49:19 (UTC), 10 days 19 hours 14 minutes and 19 seconds after leaving Le Havre, Normandy France.

Arkema covered the theoretical course of 4,350 nautical miles at an average speed of 16.81 knots, but actually sailed 4,671 nautical miles at an average speed of 18.02 knots.

Arkema beat the previous record of 15 days 22 hours 27 mins and 37 seconds set by Franck-Yves Escoffier and Karine Fauconnier on Crêpes Whaou! in 2007 (the last time the race finished in Salvador de Bahia) by 5 days 3 hours 31 minutes and 18 seconds.

Arkema’s win struck another blow for the underdog in this Transat Jacques Vabre as they beat the favourites in to Salvador de Bahia. Something that favourites Jean-Pierre Dick and Yann Eliès on St Michel – Virbac seem certain to make sure does not happen in the Imoca class. But Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde are doing their best to cause another mini-upset against the two powerful French teams toiling alongside them in the Doldrums.

But the south-east trade winds brought the most mixed news to the 13th edition of the Route de Café over the last 24 hours. Thursday woke to the 80ft trimaran Prince de Bretagne being towed back to Salvador de Bahia after dismasting yesterday evening just 93 miles from the finish line.

Multi50: Arkema breaks race and 24 hour speed record It was ninth-time lucky for the 53-year-old Lalou Roucayrol. When his co-skipper, Karine Fauconnier, was injured in training three months ago, Roucayrol was looking for the best to help win his first Route du Café. In Alex Pella, the formidable and multi-skilled, multi-starred Spanish sailor, making his third appearance, he found both that and hunger. Both had finished second in the race before – Pella in the Class40 with fellow Catalan, Pablo Santurde, in 2013 (who is currently leading that class).

Interview with the winners

They sealed their win with a masterful comeback in the Doldrums taking 160 miles in 42 hours off FenêtréA-Mix Buffet, skippered by the “dream team” of Erwan Le Roux and Vincent Riou, who have five Transat Jacques Vabre victories between them.

Arkema won the Multi50 class of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre after crossing the finish line in the Bay of All Saints in Salvador de Bahia on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 07:49:19 (UTC), 10 days 19 hours 14 minutes and 19 seconds after leaving Le Havre, Normandy France. Arkema covered the theoretical course of 4,350 nautical miles at an average speed of 16.81 knots, but actually sailed 4,671 nautical miles at an average speed of 18.02 knots.

Arkema beat the previous record of 12 days 06 hours 13 mins set by Franck-Yves Escoffier and his son, Kevin Escoffier on Crêpes Whaou! in 2005 by 1 day 10 hours 59 minutes and 40 seconds.

More importantly for them they were 7 hours 37 minutes and 4 seconds ahead of FenêtréA-Mix Buffet.

Le Roux and Riou, on their trimaran, FenêtréA-Mix Buffet, finished second in the Multi50 class of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre after crossing the finish line in the Bay of All Saints in Salvador de Bahia, on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 15:26:23 (UTC), 11 days, 2 hours 51 minutes and 23 seconds after leaving Le Havre.

FenêtréA-Mix Buffet covered the theoretical course of 4,350 nautical miles at an average speed of 16.33 knots, but actually sailed 4,726 nautical miles at an average speed of 17.71 knots.

Arkema also broke the Multihull50 24-hour speed record as they kept they pressed home their advantage down the final straight. They sailed 568 miles in 24 hours traveled between November 14 at 10:00 UTC and November 15 at 10:00 UTC (the previous record of 524 miles was held by Ciela Village on the Transat Quebec / St Malo in July 2016). The record is awaiting confirmation from the WSSRC.

Latest ETAs

Multi50: Réauté Chocolat on Friday, November 17 at 09:00 UTC

Imoca: St Michel-Virbac on Saturday, November 18 at 18:00

Imoca: Easy as 1-2-3 As those behind toiled in the Doldrums, the podium was becoming clearere and the Imoca looks the one class where there will be no huge surprises – except that SMA’s performance without foils has been incredible. Still upwind with less than 700 miles to the finish, St Michel-Virbac has increased its lead to 80 miles on SMA. In third, Des Voiles et Vous! can finally breathe. They admitted to being relieved to see Malizia II caught up with the Doldrums, now 170 miles behind and only just getting going again.

The Doldrums strikes The Intertropical Convergence Zone has descended several degrees of latitude in 36 hours and trapping several unlucky competitors. West is best? Maybe two days ago, but not anymore. The boats with a westerly strategy were the clear losers today: Malizia II, Bureau Vallée 2, relegated to seventh position and Generali, watching La Fabrique appear in their rearview mirror

“We made no progress from last night,” confessed Isabelle Joschke, co-skipper of Generali. “We’re managing to stay calm but we have to find the exit.” Bastide Otio and Initiatives-Cœur have prospered, relatively – Bastide Otio have only made 164 miles in the last 24 hours, but that is 100 miles more than Bureau Vallée 2. They should now be able to escape from the pack on the south-east trade wind.

Class40: Compression; 3 become 5 It is only the beginning and the Doldrums are already promising to have an equally dramatic effect on the Class40. The ITCZ currently extends 500 miles north to south; “a historic Doldrums, we’re told” exclaimed Arthur Le Vaillant, skipper of second-placed Aïna Enfance and Avenir, his perennial good humor not failing, yet. Its vital quality when you are helming for hours in 35°C.

There are only 4 miles between the front three still, who have been averaging 6 knots over the last 24 hours. But now Teamwork40 and Région Normandie Junior Senior by Evernex, are just 15 and 24 miles behind respectively and have reason to hope that they will not lose their gains when the fleet decompress at the exit.

Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde, Imery Clean Energy, still lead, just, and have clearly chosen to shift further westward than V and B and Aïna Enfance and Avenir.

Ultime: Under tow Lionel Lemonchois and Bernard Stamm, are safe on board the dismasted Prince de Bretagne and have been under tow since 09:00 UTC by the Brazilian Navy Patrol boat, Guaratuba, that came to their aid last night. The 80ft Ultime-class trimaran, Prince de Bretagne, dismasted yesterday evening, 93 miles from the finish line. The convoy is within sight and will arrive in Salvador de Bahia in the early evening.

Pit stop Eärendil (Catherine Pourre and Benoît Hochart) have arrived in Mindelo in the Cape Verde archipelago to repair its broken starboard rudder bracket. They found Thierry Bouchard and Oliver Krauss’s Multi50, Ciela Village on the pontoons of the small marina, which is still on site after their abandonment

Quotes from the Sailors

Lalou Roucayrol, skipper of Arkema, (Multi50) This is my ninth Transat Jacques Vabre, and before the start, I felt good. Two years ago, I had to make a stopover in Salvador de Bahia because the boat was almost cut in half and we had to laminate so we could re-start for Itajai and finish the race. We deserved this victory, we sailed a great race. We kept our foot on the gas, we were fast, it was a fight from start to finish. We had a great start, it’s crazy as it’s the first time we’ve sailed together, but Alex is reassuring to be with, and it relieved me that he agreed to go with me. A Transat Jacques Vabre, it’s a commitment, you sail at 110% of your maximum the whole way.

Alex Pella, co-skipper of Arkema (Multi50) The Multi50 is great! It’s an awesome experience, they are superboats. I worked my way through the instructions (on how to sail it) as we went along and I was happy to be here, this boat has huge potential. “We spent 10 days in our oilies, and when we removed them, it was right in front of the entry to the Bay (of All Saints), and we got hit by a big squall. The whole race we slept under the cockpit roof. It was a novelty for me, these boats are very lively, you have to keep hands on and your eyes and ears open constantly. My lucky pants never lose, I always take them, even though they’re not that beautiful anymore.

Race details – Entry list – Tracker – Facebook

13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre • Biennial doublehanded race now 24 years old • Two founding partners: the city of Le Havre and brand Jacques Vabre • Four classes on the starting line: Class40, IMOCA, Multi50, and Ultimate • Starting November 5 in Le Havre (FRA) for the 4350nm course to Salvador de Bahia (BRA) n 2013, and again in 2015, all the boats flew past Salvador de Bahia, sails filled by the trade winds of the south-east, under the tropical sun…One imagines that they dreamt of finally finishing their race in All Saints’ Bay. In 2017, it will be a reality!

After the start line and a coastal route as far as Etretat, the duos will head towards Brittany to get out of the Channel as quickly as possible, where the currents are powerful, cargo traffic dangerous, and a lot of attention is needed.

They will then enter the Bay of Biscay, where, depending on the position of the Azores anticyclone, they will either find downwind conditions, easy and fast, like for the last Vendée Globe, or tougher and slower conditions in the passage of some late autumn depressions.

Four hundred miles later, having passed Cape Finisterre, the northern Portuguese trade winds should propel them quickly towards Madeira, and then the Canary Islands, where awaiting them will be northeast trade winds, which could be strong or weak.

Passing close to the Portuguese coast, or offshore, to the east or west of the Canary Islands and then the Cape Verde islands – you have to choose the right options. The next goal is to establish your position for the crossing of the dreaded Doldrums, located a few degrees north of the equator. At this time of year, it can change position very quickly, extend or contract, because even after carefully studying of the satellite images, sudden squalls can develop and stall the competitors under a good shower without wind for hours.

This passage is crucial in the Transat Jacques Vabre racecourse. Further west… Further east… After the calms, rainy squalls, with too much or no wind… The final goal is to get out well-positioned enough to benefit first from the southeast trade winds and to cover the remaining 850 miles towards the finish,passing along the islands of Fernando de Noronha, along the coast of Brazil and finally heading northwest into the magnificent All Saints’ Bay.

This transoceanic racecourse from North to South is more demanding than a transat from East to West; it requires the skippers to have sharp tactical and strategic qualities, good weather training, to be in excellent physical condition to maintain a sustained speed in the trade winds… And to have a lot of patience to cross the equator.

Source: Transat Jacques Vabre

Tags: Transat Jacques Vabre

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Supported by their onshore routers, Jean-Yves Bernot and Antoine Koch, the Josse-Caudrelier duo didn’t have a minute’s respite. Every day and every night, the sailors had to negotiate another tricky session, confront what were often extreme sailing conditions and withstand the pressure of their pursuers. Traversing the different weather systems in the north and south Atlantic at high speed, the crew of Edmond de Rothschild shook up the forecasts. With just 11 days of racing required to cover the 5,400 miles that separate Le Havre from Itajai on a direct route (they actually covered 5,952 miles), Sébastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier took a time worthy of the best times set by past Transat Jacques Vabre winners. It should be noted though that the past victors sailed instead to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil (from 2001 to 2007), which had a course some 1,000 miles shorter.

The five acts of this incredible race from the North to the South Atlantic

Act i: english channel, biscay, finisterre: edmond de rothschild gains an edge.

After a clean start from 7 November at 1200 GMT, Edmond de Rothschild led out of the starting blocks, rounding the Radio France mark off Le Havre in first place. From there the boats launched into a tactical ballet of tack changes in the English Channel. At the north-west tip of Brittany, Sébastien and Charles hugged the bend to hunt down the expected wind shift as early as possible behind the front passing over Ushant in the early hours of the morning. The trimaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild then lengthened her stride across the Chenal du Four then the Raz de Sein, entering the Bay of Biscay with a lead of three miles over Oman Air-Musandam. Following that came the first day of speed testing between the two boats as they made for the north-west tip of Spain. Each of them showed themselves to be rather comfortable in this exercise, despite 5-metre waves and 30 knots of breeze as they approached the coast. Late into the night, conditions became extreme off Cape Finisterre. The breeze picked up considerably and the seas boiled making any headway to the south rather laborious to say the least. Here too, the blue trimaran hunted down her salvation offshore, leaving La Coruña and her adversary in her wake.

Act II: The southern espressway

The slight edge gained by Edmond de Rothschild in this intense start to the race would become more substantial as the hours went by, slipping along the coast of Portugal and then into the north-easterly tradewinds. Riveted to the helm day and night, Sébastien and Charles kept up the pace, avoiding the wind shadow created by the island of Madeira, then than of the Canaries, and extending their lead, which culminated at 101 miles between 11 and 12 November. Shortly before Cape Verde, Sidney Gavignet and Damian Foxall aboard Oman Air-Musandam initiated a slightly more easterly trajectory, doubtless looking to make a break for it before tackling the tricky Doldrums.

Act III: Night of storms prior to the equator

In the tropics, the tension rises. The Doldrums are forecast to be very active and extend across an area spanning some 300 miles in width. Leading, Edmond de Rothschild opts for a more conservative position whilst her pursuer takes the risk of falling into the zones of light airs. In the depths of the night, it’s like broad daylight for Sébastien and Charles with the amount of lightning striking the water in one particularly impressive squall. The crew keeps a cool head and keeps a tight rein on its boat, which ends up being knocked about by over 25 knots of breeze. The sailors adapt the sail area and gain headway due South at full speed. In the early hours, Edmond de Rothschild escapes the clutches of the Doldrums with an 80-mile lead over Oman Air-Musandam, which was the same as when they entered this meteorological transition zone. However, by continuing in its earlier option, the Gavignet-Foxall duo has managed to reduce the lateral separation. The trimarans cross the equator on 14 November, within just two hours of each other. The boat fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild makes it into the southern hemisphere at 2035 GMT after 7 days 8 hours 35 minutes at sea since leaving Le Havre.

Act IV: Full-on Brazil

In this other hemisphere, the two trimarans quickly latch onto the tradewinds, which are blowing from the south-east this time. The speed is on the up again aboard Edmond de Rothschild, which resists the various attacks from her adversary, even though the latter is benefiting from a favourable angle of attack to accelerate along the coast of Brazil. From 80 miles, their lead melts to just 20 miles at noon on 16 November. Despite the fatigue, despite these long hours of piloting in the sunshine and permanent humidity, salt and stress, the Josse-Caudrelier duo don’t let up one iota. The three hulls cut through the tradewind sea, whilst ahead the scenario for the conclusion is taking shape.

Act V: Final wrestling match

On the morning of 17 November, the boats gybe to negotiate Cabo Frio, to the west of which nestles the bay of Rio de Janeiro. Some 500 miles from the finish in Itajai, Sébastien and Charles have stretched out their lead to some fifty or so miles again ahead of their pursuers. Suffice to say that the pressure remains substantial when you’re aware of the boats’ speed. It isn’t the time to slow down and there are still a number of hurdles to be avoided. Indeed, a cold front, associated with an extension of the Saint Helena high, is forming ahead of the sailors’ bows. Thanks to the great job performed by their routers of anticipating the next weather system, the sailors of Gitana Team managed the situation like metronomes and carried the day on the finish line.

Note to editors

The edmond de rothschild duo.

Sébastien Josse, skipper

38 years of age, lives with his partner 6 Solitaire du Figaros, 2 Vendée Globes, 1 Volvo Ocean Race, 1 Jules Verne Trophy 2011, joined the Gitana Team and performed his first tacks on an oceanic multihull 3 rd participation in the Transat Jacques Vabre, 1 st on a multihull

To find out more about Sébastien Josse: http://www.gitana-team.com/fr/event.page.aspx?eventid=88&category=skippers&page=sebastien_josse_2013.html

Charles Caudrelier, co-skipper

39 years of age, married, two children 8 Solitaire du Figaros, 11 transatlantic races, 1 Volvo Ocean Race 4 th participation in the Transat Jacques Vabre, 2 nd on a multihull, including 1 victory in 2009 in the Imoca class with Safran

To find out more about Charles Caudrelier: http://www.gitana-team.com/fr/event.page.aspx?eventid=88&category=skippers&page=charles_caudrelier_2013.html

Transat Jacques Vabre

11 th edition, celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year Double-handed transatlantic race between Le Havre and Itajaí (Brazil) 5,400 miles to cover over a direct route 4 classes of boat entered (Class40’, Imoca60, Multi50 and MOD70), 44 duos competing Departure from Le Havre: Thursday 7 November at 1200 GMT Estimated race time: between 12 and 16 days

Transat Jacques Vabre François Gabart

On 7 November, just three months after her launch in Concarneau, Brittany, the Trimaran SVR Lazartigue, a genuine flying boat, will take the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, her first offshore race.

François Gabart will make his big comeback to the competitive arena aboard her in the Ultim category. Alongside him will be Tom Laperche, his young sailing prodigy.

Take-off is scheduled for Sunday 7 November offshore of Le Havre in north-east France. Destination Fort-de-France, in Martinique. For the boats in the Ultim category, that of the giants of the seas, the journey involves 7,500 miles of racetrack, two passages of the equator and two transits across the Doldrums. The front runners are expected to make the finish after 16 or 17 days at sea.

Among the five Ultims lining up for the start of this 15th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Trimaran SVR Lazartigue is bound to attract attention. Fresh out of the workshops at MerConcept, where she was designed and assembled in her entirety, the large capri blue boat will make her race debut with her unique and sleek design to better cut through the air, her 36 m mast stepped onto a hull measuring 32 m long and 23 m wide, and her cockpit where go-kart steering wheels replace the traditional helm.

“Continue to learn”

Launched back in July and christened in September by her patron Mélanie Laurent, the team was certainly up against it if they were to stand a chance of making the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre. Their presence is their first victory. “The initial aim is to finish the race, explains Gabart, winner of the Vendée Globe 2012 and singlehanded round the world record holder since 2017 (42d). We clearly won’t be the favourites, as other teams have much more experience on their own boats. We’re going to continue discovering ours over the course of the race. We’re probably the crew which will be on the steepest learning curve during the race. It’s down to us to ensure that the learning process is very quick so we can go for the win.”

Tom Laperche, a star ready to shine

At 13 years of age, Tom Laperche made his first transatlantic passage bringing his father Philippe’s yacht back to Europe after the Route du Rhum. Less than 10 years later, at just 24, the sailor from the Morbihan in south-west Brittany has been selected to co-skipper the Trimaran SVR Lazartigue for the Transat Jacques Vabre, alongside François Gabart. “Sailing with François, on a new trimaran, is inevitably something you dream about, admits the youngster, armed with an engineering degree from the University of Technology of Compiègne. I feel both proud and grateful to have been chosen. Knowing that I’m trusted to take on this offshore race is really something. My eyes are sparkling. It’s a privilege to sail on this new generation of flying boats. For this Transat Jacques Vabre there are a lot of unknowns, a lot of adjustments, a lot of thought and that stirs up a lot of excitement. It’s bound to be a real journey of discovery, but I’m confident. As someone with a Class Figaro background (two podiums in the Solitaire du Figaro in 2020 and 2021), moving up to a boat like the Trimaran SVR Lazartigue, is like making the switch from go-karting to F1.”

A boat designed to fly

Designed and assembled by MerConcept, who contracted the whole project, the Trimaran SVR Lazartigue belongs to a new generation of flying boats where aerodynamics is of equal importance to hydrodynamics. The development of new technologies in all the design domains, makes the Trimaran SVR Lazartigue a unique and revolutionary boat. “Our aim was to design a fast and reliable boat geared towards solo and crewed sailing in all kinds of situations, whether it be major offshore racing classics, a record campaign or a round the world race, explains the skipper of the trimaran and founder of MerConcept. Within the team, the philosophy was to create a boat where performance, safety and aesthetics are paramount.”

Peak speeds of 48 knots!

Initial sea trials aboard the Trimaran reassured the team in its choices. “The boat has massive potential, revels Gabart. Over certain sections, we reached some quite extraordinary speeds, peaking at 48 knots (nearly 100km/h). We now need to continue working to gain a better understanding of her. We have a lot of innovative systems so we need to make her reliable. We’re learning every day. The goal is to be able to post average speeds of around 40 knots for hours, days and even, and I dream about it, weeks. This boat is designed exclusively for offshore flight. We’re experiencing an extraordinary revolution.”

Kresk commits to the oceans

In May 2021, the French cosmetics group committed alongside François Gabart, skipper of its new trimaran SVR LAZARTIGUE and the new ambassador for its SVR, Lazartigue and Fillmed beauty brands. “The Kresk group is proud and happy to be setting off on this maritime adventure with François Gabart and this boat, which is a technological challenge equal to our shared ambition, explains Didier Tabary, President of the Kresk Group. This marriage seemed to us to be a no-brainer, a marriage of passion and values associated with innovation and commitment. For our part, this union is also the next step in our development strategy for clean beauty and it’s a fantastic opportunity to take this approach even further.” With this in mind, the Kresk group, a pioneer that is already highly committed to making the transition towards more responsible cosmetics, is keen to further develop its action through the creation of the KRESK 4 OCEANS endowment fund.

by Trimaran SVR Lazartigue

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Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue, Developed with Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, Places Second in Its First Offshore Race, the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre

• MerConcept, builder of the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue, used the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to improve the boat’s performance and design its systems
• Development of the new generation of “flying boats” prioritizes aerodynamics as much as hydrodynamics
• MerConcept relied on two Dassault Systèmes industry solution experiences based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform

Listen to this press release

VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France — December 1, 2021 — Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today announced that its 3DEXPERIENCE platform was used to develop the high-performance boat “Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue,” which finished second in the 15th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre sailing competition.  On November 7, 2021 – just three months after its initial launch into water – the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue left the starting line of the Transat Jacques Vabre in Normandy for its first offshore race, arriving in Martinique on November 23 after completing a 7,500-mile journey across the Atlantic.

Designed and assembled by MerConcept , which contracted the whole project, the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue belongs to the new generation of “flying boats” in which aerodynamics is as important as hydrodynamics.  The development of new technologies in all areas of design makes the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue a unique and revolutionary boat.

In particular, MerConcept was able to benefit from the power of Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform, distributed by Dassault Systèmes’ business partner CT Mer Forte.  Using the platform’s "Winning Bid for Sea" industry solution experience on the cloud, MerConcept created a virtual twin of the boat and performed high-fidelity simulations that enabled it to optimize the boat’s aerodynamics and significantly improve its performance. MerConcept used the "Sea Boat Builder" industry solution experience to carry out the design of the boat’s systems.

“The efficiency of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform enabled us to significantly optimize our performance during the study and design phases,” said Antoine Gautier, Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue Director, MerConcept.

“With each new sailing race, we are able to witness new technical feats that enable boats of different classes to go faster, with unprecedented strength and resilience,” said François-Xavier Dumez, Vice President, Marine & Offshore Industry, Dassault Systèmes. “Our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and the virtual world make these sophisticated technological advances possible.  We warmly congratulate the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue team and MerConcept on an impressive performance in their first offshore race.”   

“As a business partner of Dassault Systèmes, and the close partner of François Gabart and the MerConcept teams for many years, the CT engineering group and CT Mer Forte join Dassault Systèmes in congratulating François and Tom Laperche for the excellent finish in this Transat Jacques Vabre 2021,” said Denis Juhel, Director, CT Mer Forte.

About Dassault Systèmes

Dassault Systèmes is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating virtual twin experiences of the real world with our 3D EXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers can redefine the creation, production and life-cycle-management processes of their offer and thus have a meaningful impact to make the world more sustainable. The beauty of the Experience Economy is that it is a human-centered economy for the benefit of all – consumers, patients and citizens. Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 350,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit  https://www.3ds.com

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The Awesomeness of Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue

• By Dave Reed
• Updated: November 2, 2021

Experience life onboard the giant, flying Ultime Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue as it prepares over the summer of 2021 for the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre.

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Amazing rescue: Ocean 50 trimaran sails home on one float

• Helen Fretter
• November 29, 2023

Luke Berry and Antoine Joubert were racing in the Transat Jacques Vabre when their Ocean 50 trimaran suddenly dismasted and lost its port float. In an extraordinary rescue effort, Berry and Joubert were able to not only save the boat, but then sail it home to St Malo under jury rig, on just one float: proa-style

Luke Berry and his co-skipper Antoine Joubert were competing in the Transat Jacques Vabre on the Ocean 50 trimaran Le Rire Médecin-Lamotte when the boat suddenly dismasted and lost its port float. 

In an extraordinary effort, assisted by French salvage expert Adrien Hardy, Berry and Joubert were able to save not only the boat, but all its parts. After being towed to Spain they then sailed home to St Malo under jury rig, on just one float: proa-style, as Berry explained to Yachting World .

The incident happened just hours after the Ocean 50 fleet restarted the Transat Jacques Vabre from Lorient on November 6, racing in 25-30 knots and 5m waves. 

Extreme conditions for Le Rire Médecin-Lamotte and the Ocean 50 fleet at the start of the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre. Photo: Vincent Olivaud/Le Rire Médecin-Lamotte

“At the start, everybody was quite conservative. We were very conservative going through that front.

“As usual, it’s always behind the front that it’s the most difficult because you’ve got cross waves and still quite gusty winds. We had two reefs and the J3, nearly the smallest amount of sail you can have. But we were sailing quite far off the wind, about 70 degrees. At 70 degrees, these boats go very, very fast. They can go up to 25-30 knots as soon as you start to bear away.

“The boat was going quite fast and it was actually quite difficult to slow her down. And at one point she just jumped off the wave and when she landed, the whole thing collapsed.”

Luke Berry’s Ocean 50 trimaran Le Ride Médecin-Lamott e sailing under jury rig after being dismasted and losing the port float in the Transat Jacques Vabre.

Both the port hull sheared off and the rig came down simultaneously. “The beam that links both the hulls snapped to leeward, meaning the leeward float detached itself from the boat. Normally in these conditions, the boat should capsize. But in this case, the dismasting actually saved us.

“We don’t know why – was it the general impact of the wave or was it because the leeward hull broke and then there was less tension in the leeward shroud? However, the mast collapsed.

“This is something that I’ve experienced before. So I know that you’ve got to secure as much as possible, if you want to have any chance of getting your mast or your sails back.

“A lot of people in these conditions cut everything and get it all as far away as possible because you don’t want the mast or the foil or the hull to puncture the middle hull of the boat. That would have been the worst case scenario and I was definitely worried about that. But we secured as much as possible, so it was bashing as little as possible against the central hull.”

Berry alerted the race committee who in turn notified ocean rescue expert Adrien Hardy, was shadowing the Ocean 50 fleet on his 35m/115ft trimaran Merida as far as Madeira, part of a class-organised initiative that teams subscribe to. Merida arrived just two hours later in the early morning.

The ocean-going trimaran Merida was shadowing the Ocean 50 class as a rescue vessel. Photo: Oceanic Assistance

“It was still pitch black and there was 4 metres swell and 25 knots of wind. We talked on the VHF and assessed the situation, then [Hardy’s team] put their wetsuits on, they put their RIB in the water and they came on board to help us. 

“The first thing was to get rid of the free float, but it’s not just attached by the carbon beams, it’s also attached by the whole net, which is lots of little bits of Dyneema lashing. So we had to cut all of it to completely free it, and take the shrouds off.

“We’d done a lot of work already, but we were quite exhausted by the time they came. So we managed to get rid of the float, and attach it so we didn’t lose it.

“I couldn’t quite see how we were going to get the mast back on board because there was a sail trailing behind it. We got the middle of the mast with some winches and some bits of rope.

“T hen for the top section, Adrien dove into the water a couple of metres down and attached this big buoy – they used them in retrieving shipwrecks – and inflated it with an oxygen cylinder to bring the mast to the surface. Then we managed to retrieve that and lift it up under both beams.” 

The Ocean 50 was re-rigged with a Hobie cat and Mini 650 sail

Merida towed the disabled trimaran to port in Northern Spain, with the broken float towing behind the Ocean 50. Berry and Joubert then spent a couple of days preparing the boat to sail back to St Malo.

“We had the idea of putting the hull onto the existing beams and what was left of the platform, so we had a phone call with the naval architects to see where and if it was structurally viable to be able to transport it. 

“Then we used the bottom of the mast to make a jury rig. We had a Hobie 15 sail for the main, we used our J3 for the foresail – which we put upside down so that the clew was at the right height – and a Mini 650 sail. We managed to put up a third sail because we had a lot of downwind sailing to give us some extra surface area.”

Luke Berry and Antoine Joubert safely ashore

After waiting for a weather window, the pair had a couple of days to cross the Bay of Biscay between two fronts on their hobbled trimaran.

“It was on one tack to West Brittany, but then the problem was to get to North Brittany, it was on the other tack, so we weren’t quite sure how that was going to work out. What we did was put a lot of weight to starboard to compensate for the fact that it was lacking a hull, and that went okay. We had up to 25-30 knots of wind and big waves, but it stayed in place.”

Having safely arrived in St Malo, Berry is now working through non-destructive testing to establish the damage to the boat. “It’s very disappointing, for us because we were doing well in the race. And in fact three Ocean 50s in total, broke, so that was a bit of shame for the class because it’s a very good class.

“We have some fierce racing and these are really good boats. But unfortunately, this Transat Jaques Vabre wasn’t for us.”

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4 fleets, 4 courses, 4 winners, 6 starts, 77 boats finish Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre

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