A tough test for Ultime trimarans in the Brest Atlantiques Race
Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier have won the first big test of the new generation Ultime foiling trimarans, the Brest Atlantiques Race, with the Gitana team’s Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.
The Brest Atlantiques was a doublehanded 14,000-mile race around the Atlantic, from Brest in France to Rio, then Cape Town, and back to Brest. Four Ultime 32/23 trimarans (the box rule for trimarans of up to 32m LOA and 23m beam, with foiling appendages allowed) lined up: Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, François Gabart’s Macif, Thomas Coville’s brand new Sodebo, and Actual Leader (ex-sodebo).
The race was a significant test for the trimarans as they build up to around the world races, and three of the four completed the course. Despite some potentially boat-breaking conditions as they left Biscay and in the early stages of the South Atlantic, none of the trimarans suffering technical or structural failures – apart from those caused by collisions.
However, Macif, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and Sodebo all suffered foil or rudder damage after hitting underwater objects and stopped to make repairs. Sodebo suffered worst, ripping off a port rudder and later losing the aft section of their port hull, ending their race.
After replacing their central rudder in Rio, Cammas and Caudrelier had a straightforward race, and were never challenged after Cape Town, leading for the entire return leg.
Cammas, for whom this was his first ocean race in eight years, said at the finish: “You must not think this boat is very much faster [than the others].
“During the first days we saw that it was tight, especially with Macif who
had not taken the same option.
“What is certain is that over half of the race we were faster. In the sea conditions that we had in the Forties, this boat was easier, because it is very high on the water, steep and reliable, so we dare to attack in the difficult conditions.”
Macif finished 2nd after a close-run battle with Actual Leader. At the finish Macif skipper François Gabart revealed that of their six underwater appendages, four were damaged by collisions at some point, including the central and starboard daggerboards, as well as rake controls. However, he said they were proud of being able to complete the race.
“I remain convinced that these boats, despite all the damage, are extraordinarily reliable,” Gabart commented at the finish.
Uniquely for this race the trimarans took an onboard media crew – check out some of the amazing videos at www.brestatlantiques.com