FOSSIL FREE
Other key changes include enclosing the vast cockpit. So comprehensive has the recent shift been towards covered decks on IMOCAS and Ultimes it’s surprising to realise just how exposed the Banq Pop and Spindrift crews were. The central pit previously had a small roof canopy, but was otherwise open to the elements. Now a solid sided enclosure protects the entire working area. There are bench seats for crew to rest on, while the helmsman can drive from inside, behind a windscreen.
The cockpit roof is also home to much of the new 36m2 of solar panels fitted, with more wrapped around the aft beam – positioned to catch the setting sun as they chase their way east. A key element of this latest attempt is to race with no fossil fuels on board.
The solar (which has so far produced a max of 4200W in northern hemisphere training) will be used in combination with a wind turbine (350W max), fuel cells (500W, though they only carry biomethanol for a few days), and even a stationary pedal bike.
There's no engine, and no generators (making the addition of solar panels, fuel cell etc weight neutral). There isn’t even a propane jet-boil on board for freeze-dried food. Instead the crew will heat water to 70°C during the day using solar power, then store it in a large insulated tank. It can be topped up with boiling water from a tiny electric kettle.
Going fossil fuel free creates a challenge within a challenge, managing power and water usage for all electronics and crew food, though Guichard welcomes the silence of sailing without a generator. “It’s good because it involves everyone,” he adds, “It’s a different mindset.”