‘A NEW GENERATION OF DESIGNS PROMISES EVEN FASTER TOP SPEEDS’
Australian Jack Bouttell and British sailors Sam Davies, Alex Thomson, Richard Tolkien and Yachting World contributor Pip Hare.
Unlike the last Vendée, when there were no female skippers, next time there could be four, or more. Pip Hare, Sam Davies, Alexia Barrier and Isabelle Joshcke all have yachts and are trying to qualify, and Banque Populaire is following its win by Armel Le Cléac’h in 2017 by backing a young French Mini sailor, Clarisse Crémer (see page 16). Irish Figaro sailor Joan Mulloy is also said to be trying to get a project off the ground.
A new generation of designs promises to improve foils and produce even faster top speeds. Jérémie Beyou’s Vplp-designed Charal was launched last year. French sailors Charlie Dalin will have a new Verdier design, Sébastien Simon a Juan K design, Armel Tripon a new boat by Mini expert Sam Manuard and Thomas Ruyant a Verdier design, while Alex Thomson’s new Hugo Boss, once again by VPLP, is being built in the UK and due to launch in late spring.
The departure of a generation of some of the Vendée Globe’s most famous names, such as previous winners François Gabart, Vincent Riou, Armel Le Cléach and Yann Eliès, appear to have opened up the field and advantaged the now vastly experienced Alex Thomson in his effort to win the Vendée Globe.
But the variety of new designs will also play a major part, says Stewart Hosford, CEO of Alex Thomson Racing.
“It is a design race. How right those boats are in terms of structure and speed will only be possible to see when they go in the water.”