We all knew it would be good, but hosting the latest Yacht Racing Forum in Lorient – world capital of offshore sailing – was indeed a stroke of genius

With more than 450 delegates from all over the world gathering in Lorient, France, for two days of conferences, presentations and debates, the Yacht Racing Forum has confirmed that it is indeed the premier business-to-business platform for the sport of sailing.

Sailing history oozes out of Lorient, where Eric Tabarly is feted as a hero of French sailing, alongside living legends such as Franck Cammas, Michel Desjoyeaux, Loick Peyron and Alain Gautier, many of whom were present at the Yacht Racing Forum. The conference brought together no less than 450 delegates, while the exhibition space included around 20 stands representing the most dynamic brands from around the world that are involved in competitive sailing. Three state-of-the-art yachts were also on display: the new Figaro Bénéteau 3, the 26ft one-design foiling catamaran Easy to Fly and the Volvo Ocean 65 AkzoNobel.

Peyron shared his passion for cruising and racing at the Design and Technology Symposium on day one of the Forum. ‘When I’m racing, I’m dreaming about cruising. When I’m cruising, I don’t like to be inefficient,’ he explained. ‘That’s why many of our innovations from racing are useful for cruising.’

Technology trickledown was a big part of the discussion, with experts from some of the world’s most successful boatbuilders and sailmakers explaining the application of America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Class Ultime and other cutting-edge Grand Priz innovations to the rest of the sailing scene.

The Design and Technology Symposium grew yet again from the previous year, with interest overflowing the room capacity of 150 people in one space. This popularity was due in a large part to the location of the event this year in Lorient, the heart of French offshore racing technology, but it also reflects the widespread appreciation for advances in all aspects of sailing yacht technology, coupled with strong interest in where technology is driving and the parameters that are driving it within the America’s Cup, Vendée Globe, Volvo Ocean Race and other elite racing events. The topics covered included yacht and foil design, sensing technologies and performance analyses, modern film-less sailmaking, advances in standing rigging and composite materials, new fabrication and sustainability technologies.

Networking and the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the sport’s big decision-makers is another reason for large numbers attending the two-day Forum. The high point of the social calendar was the gala evening reception provided by North Sails and Bretagne Sailing Valley, at the spectacular waterside Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly – an interactive museum entirely dedicated to sailing and yacht racing, unique in the world.

The double Olympian and six-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran Chris Nicholson used his keynote speech to call on World Sailing to embrace innovation, and for the rest of the world to take notice of the vibrant and healthy professional racing scene in France. Nicholson also stressed the importance of supporting the Paralympic movement, deeply regretting the decisions taken recently.

Charles Caudrelier, winning skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race and Bruno Dubois, former team manager of Dongfeng Race Team, explained the strength of the French system and laid out a blueprint that other countries could follow to emulate its success.

Whilst several sessions focused on the high end of the sport, this year’s Forum also gave a large amount of space to youth sailing, dynamic classes and events for kids and youngsters.

However, the conferences devoted to the tremendous technological developments that our sport has enjoyed in recent years, as well as to elite sport, the America’s Cup, the Ultimate and Imoca classes, Figaro Bénéteau 3 or the future of the Volvo Ocean race, were the most popular among the delegates.

The next America’s Cup and its fascinating foiling monohulls was one of the key topics of interest, generating plenty of speculation about the future of the event. However things play out, Phil Lotz, commodore of the New York Yacht Club, is happy for his club to be involved again: ‘We have some ulterior motives to competing in the Cup,’ he admitted. ‘Yes, we’re sailing to bring back the America’s Cup to America, but also to bring America back to the America’s Cup. We have 11 American sailors on our team.’

Another area of interest was the fully crewed round-the-world race formerly known as the Volvo Ocean Race. It generated some heated debates, with speakers arguing whether the switch to the Imoca class would still allow female participation, give space to onboard reporters, and provide platforms that are usable by full crews and singlehanded sailors alike.

The Volvo Ocean Race veteran Richard Mason provided some insight into the next edition of the event, reflecting on some of the successes of the last race. ‘People have got used to men and women racing side by side’, he said. ‘It’s become a non-issue.’

While there were inevitably a lot of questions about the cost of a campaign, Mason reminded people of the value, too. ‘We had a million people live watching the tracker as the Volvo fleet was sailing across the top of Scotland. There’s no other sport that can do that. We need to remember what we’re worth as well as thinking about limiting costs.’ Mason also confirmed that the race’s new title partner would be announced in the ‘coming months’.

Below: Armel Le Cléac’h’s awesome 100ft Ultime class foiling trimaran, which has the theoretical potential of sailing around the world in well under 40 days, was a focus of discussions at the Yacht Racing Forum. Held just two weeks before the start of the Route du Rhum, the Forum attracted many of the race’s key competitors, including Le Cléac’h, Loïck Peyron and Sam Davies. The continuing success of the ‘more’ accessible Class40 was also high on the agenda, proponents hailing it as the only international offshore class where amateurs can still compete against the world’s best professional sailors

‘From a commercial and institutional point of view, it’s not about the boats’, said Nathalie Quéré, campaign director for team AkzoNobel. ‘The big corporations and their boards and stakeholders don’t care about the type of boats used. What they’re interested in is the story and the potential to generate high-quality content.’

Quéré explained the long and challenging process of pitching a sponsorship proposal to a large corporate organisation. Her presentation was packed with useful information for prospective teams and campaigns looking to secure backing from a big multinational sponsor. ‘Don’t pretend you have all the answers straight away,’ she said. ‘Don’t pretend to be what you’re not. Just start an honest conversation with them and build a relationship from there.’

The Yacht Racing Forum took place two weeks prior to the start of the Route du Rhum, and reassembled some of that race’s key competitors including Armel Le Cleac’h, Loïck Peyron, Samantha Davies and many more. Since winning the Vendée Globe Race last year, Le Cléac’h has moved out of monohulls and on to his breathtakingly quick 100ft Ultime class trimaran, Banque Populaire. ‘Yes, the boat is capable of almost 50 knots peak speed, but I am interested in high average speed,’ said the French hero. He was looking forward to the Route du Rhum, but confessed that he was mainly looking forward to the solo round-the-world race in Ultimes, a race called Brest Oceans that is scheduled to start on December 29, 2019. ‘The idea of sailing around the world in around 40 days, singlehanded, is a fantastic dream,’ he added.

While it is hard to challenge the thrill and ambition of the Ultime trimarans, at more than €10m they are not within everyone’s budget. With no less than 53 boats on the Route du Rhum start line, the much more affordable Class 40 continues to go from strength to strength as the most successful offshore racing class. Class 40 promoter and offshore veteran Halvard Malbire claimed that the class is one of the most cost-effective today. While a new boat might cost around €600k, ‘you can buy a very competitive secondhand boat with good sails for around €250k. It is perhaps the only serious racing class where private individuals can race against some of the world’s best professional sailors.’

Inshore racing was also well represented, thanks in particular to the presentation of a new event that promises to be very successful: the Star Sailors Nations Gold Cup, a new World Championship of Nations. Its promoters announced that their event, fully funded, will bring together 40 teams from 40 nations to compete in a keelboat class measuring somewhere between 45ft and 50ft long. The 1996 Olympic Champion in the Finn class, Mateusz Kusnierewicz from Poland, presented the new concept and revealed that Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael were already organising Brazil’s entry into the event.

Two prestigious award ceremonies were held during the Forum: the Mirabaud Sailing Video Award and the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award, designed to reward the world’s best sailing photographers, directors and TV producers.

For its second edition, the competition brought together 28 videos, which were viewed online more than 350,000 times. English producer Rob Dickinson (Orillo Films) was crowned the overall winner of the Mirabaud Sailing Video Award thanks to a film recounting Team AkzoNobel’s journey in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18.

109 photographers from 25 countries took part in the ninth edition of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image photo competition. Ricardo Pinto (POR) won the main prize, while Eloi Stichelbaut (FRA) won the Yacht Racing Forum award and Török Brigi (HUN) the public award, based on the number of votes online.

The 11th edition of the Yacht Racing Forum will take place on 25- 26 November 2019 in Bilbao, Spain.

Click here for more information on the 2019 Yacht Racing Forum »

Based in Nembro in northern Italy, Persico is not a normal boatyard… and they certainly do not turn out normal boats

There’s a lot happening at Persico Marine right now. The renowned Italian shipyard, which ranks among the world’s leading builders of highend racing yachts and large, highperformance luxury sailing cruisers, has a wide range of ground-breaking projects on the go.

The latest news is from Persico’s racing yacht production facility at Nembro in Lombardy, where two America’s Cup projects are under way. In addition to building the boats for the Italian challenger team Luna Rossa, Persico is also developing the hydrofoil arms that will be used by all of the teams in the forthcoming Cup.

An interesting Imoca 60 is also taking shape at Nembro and various structural components including foils, beams and rudders are being produced for the 100ft Ultim Class trimarans Gitana and Sodébo.

Meanwhile, a 145ft Wally superyacht is now in build at Persico’s performance cruiser shipyard in Massa-Carrara following the launch in September 2018 of the Umberto Felci-designed P65, a remarkable and radical cruiser-racer that redefines the genre.

New manufacturing processes
Persico has developed some new composite manufacturing processes that take advantage of the ways in which machines and infrastructure have evolved over the last decade. The rest of the industry has noticed Persico producing exceptionally highquality parts with remarkably fast delivery times and at keenly competitive prices.

These new processes play an important role in the construction of the Ultim class trimaran foils and even more so in the manufacture of the foil arms for America’s Cup yachts. The first prototype foil arm was recently completed and used to test every aspect of the engineering and build processes to the limit. For the engineers, builders and clients involved in the project, being able to test a major structural component to destruction was a rare opportunity.

The extensive test programme was conducted in collaboration with Luna Rossa, with representatives from all other active America’s Cup teams. The behaviour of the foil arm was monitored with state-of-the-art procedures and hi-tech equipment, including fibre optics, acoustic emissions tests over its entire surface, and ultrasound testing. By cross-referencing three concurrent sets of real-time data, it was possible to precisely diagnose the foil arm’s behaviour under load. To run these tests, Persico designed and built a huge machine capable of exerting the massive load necessary to test the foil arm to the point of failure. This testing rig is now available for other clients to use.

Imoca 60
Persico has been working on one 60ft racing yacht for more than 18 months and there is excitement in the yard at the news that it will now be completed – and all the hard work will not be wasted. Originally conceived as a prototype for the Volvo Super 60 one-design fleet, it has now evolved into a singlehanded offshore racer for the French solo skipper Thomas Ruyant. The boat will be put to the test in Imoca class racing in the run-up to next year’s Transat Jacques Vabre and the following year’s Vendée Globe.

The second-generation foiling Imocas, like this one, have taken a big step forward in design terms from the first generation and we’re now seeing them almost fully flying on their foils. No doubt we will soon see records broken once again.

Ultim Sodébo
Over the past year Persico has been working closely with Team Sodébo, supplying the aft beam and foils for their new Ultim trimaran, which will be skippered by Thomas Coville. The aft beam is a very sophisticated component with complex geometry and it is built in high-modulus carbon fibre to create an elegant, ultralightweight structure. The tooling presented an interesting challenge due to the beam’s serpentine shape, which required intensive use of five-axis CNC milling machines. No problem there for Persico.

Ultim Gitana
Team Gitana also presented some interesting challenges for Persico with commissions to build a deckhouse for their Ultim class trimaran Edmond de Rothschild, containing its nav station and accommodation, and also a very complex set of rudders and elevators. The deckhouse was a spatial challenge, with more holes and openings than the rest of the yacht’s composite structure.

The rudders and elevators on these giant flying multihulls require constant development because the boats themselves are evolving rapidly. Persico Marine was selected to build Gitana’s next set of rudders and took the opportunity to deploy a wide range of hi-tech processes and machinery that it has developed in recent years. The build process started with ply-by-ply computergenerated files fed into plotter cutting machines, then curing in sophisticated autoclaves. CNC machining at various stages throughout the process ensured the highest quality, lightest weight and most accurate shaping of exterior hydrodynamic surfaces. The rudders and elevators have just been successfully load-tested at Gitana’s base in France, and Persico’s production team is very pleased with the results.

P65 cruiser-racer
Persico is also proving to be very adept at building and fitting out large, complex, high-performance cruisers. One recent example is the awesome P65, a very unusual yacht born of a collaboration between Persico and the Italian designer Umberto Felci, which has been aptly described as a seagoing Ferrari.

The exacting commission came from an Italian client who wanted a dual-purpose yacht: one that he could easily handle himself without any crew to assist him and cruise with his family in luxurious comfort, but that could also compete on an equal footing against purpose-built racing yachts in long-distance offshore events – either as a singlehanded racer or with a professional crew on board. The initial design process involved extensive hydrodynamic research and modelling, comparing the form stability and wave resistance of seven different hull forms to identify the optimal canoe body. The result was a remarkably streamlined, powerful and sleek hull with very low freeboard, a flush deck with cleverly concealed deckhouse windows and an elegantly chamfered reverse bow. Cup-shaped sections deliver the required form stability at high angles of heel while wave resistance is reduced to an absolute minimum when the boat is on an even keel. The design has also been optimised to give the most comfortable motion possible at sea and to be agile and easily driven under power.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this unique yacht is its displacement, which at just 18.5 tons is almost unbelievably light for a 20-metre offshore yacht with a fully fitted cruising interior. This was achieved by leveraging all of Persico’s considerable expertise in producing and optimising Grand Prix racing yachts. The carbon sandwich hull uses variable densities of foam in its core, depending on loading and was formed in a five-axis CNC-milled female mould, using a specially designed three-step infusion process that can almost match the resin density of pre-preg carbon panels.

Above and below: the all-Italian P65, built by Persico and designed by Umberto Felci, is a remarkable and radical new cruiser racer that redefines the genre. Its 18.5-ton displacement is almost unbelievably light for a 20-metre offshore yacht with a fully fitted cruising interior. The carbon sandwich hull uses variable densities of foam in the core, giving maximum stiffness where it is needed, and boasts a resin density that is almost as good as a comparable pre-preg panel. The interior layout is carefully designed around the yacht’s main structural members to reduce the number of extra panels needed to subdivide the accommodation. All of the interior furniture is made using the lightest possible composite materials

The P65’s interior layout is carefully designed around the hull’s structural members to reduce the need for extra panels to subdivide the accommodation. All interior furniture is made of ultra-lightweight composites. To further reduce the yacht’s all-up displacement, an extremely deep lifting keel can put its 6.2 tons of ballast 4.25m under water. The 24-volt DC hybrid propulsion system with 1,000 amp hour lithium-ion batteries weighs less than a comparable marine diesel.

Also remarkable is that all of this weight reduction has been achieved while keeping a tight control on the overall cost of the project, which could enable Persico to put the P65 into production as a competitively priced semi-custom yacht.

Wally 145
The largest yacht that Persico has ever built is currently taking shape in the Massa-Carrara shipyard. The commission to build the Wally 145 offers a unique opportunity for the yard to apply all of its technology, experience and recent innovation to a ship-size performance cruiser. As with the P65 and previous builds such as the Wallycento Tango, an enormous effort has been made to reduce the weight of the yacht’s composite structures and all of its systems. Attention to detail is crucial. Every component of every system has to be carefully optimised to ensure that the yacht achieves its ambitiously low target displacement. The inherent challenges and complexities of this mammoth project are sure to drive Persico’s innovation to a new level.

The Wally 145 will be fitted with a hybrid propulsion system, with two MAN diesel engines capable of driving the yacht at a maximum speed of 16 knots. For quiet running under electrical power, retractable shaft lines will connect the two fixedblade propellers to a pair of 60kW electric motors. This setup is designed to generate enough electrical power to charge the huge batteries that power all the systems when the yacht is under sail.

With all of these innovations and more, Persico keeps raising the bar higher. In the last few years, it has demonstrated not only leadership at the cutting edge of composite manufacturing and racing yacht production, but also a remarkable ability to produce very large and complex high-performance cruising yachts, where systems engineering and project management can be at least as challenging as Persico’s original core business of high-end structural composite manufacturing.

Click here for more information on Persico »

As the gap between grand prix racers and mainstream racer-cruisers continues to widen, moves are finally afoot to fill it. The new Med40 Series based in Palma is designed to satisfy the many teams who sit somewhere in between...

At the beginning of this century there was a proliferation of new designs and new classes, all trying to find their niche in the growing competitive world of inshore big-boat racing. The last generation of offshore boats were no longer interesting to a new culture of inshore racers. They now wanted the athletic and tactical skills required to excel in multiple short races held on the same day in sailing venues where good weather during the day at sea and at night onshore made for a positive experience for all.

Coupled with increasingly generous support from sponsors, there was a strong appetite for competitive onedesigns like the Soto 40s and, at higher prices, box rule boats such as the GP 42 and TP 52 classes. The boats were racing in well-managed and organised circuits like the MedCup, which eventually evolved into the only racing these boats did, losing their connection to racing under handicap in other races and regattas. Except for the one-designs, the pace of development was fast, with the newest designs inevitably having an edge over anyone in the existing fleet.

The 52SuperSeries has survived and thrived since the crisis-era demise of the MedCup, under the guidance and leadership of professional class management and visionary owners. And, after the start of interest in highperformance 40-footers began in the US with the HPR rule a few years ago, this prompted a keen group in the Solent to develop their own local circuit called Fast 40+, which is now in its third successful season.

However, until now there’s been no similar development of an inshore race circuit based in the Med for high-performance 40-ish footers. The boats are often just sitting on the hard, awaiting an opportunity to get out again and enjoy great, closely matched racing. They just need the structure of a class, a good venue for racing, a schedule of events and a transparent, measurement-based system to give them a fair chance with minimal optimisation work needed to be competitive.

The Med40 Series is just that: based at venues in Palma Bay for inclusion in established world-class regattas like Copa del Rey and Palma Vela, plus class-only events organised throughout the year, there can now be a new focal point for competitive 40-foot racing in addition to the Fast 40+ fleet in the Solent.

The co-founders of the series, Siggi Mansaker and Shaun Carkeek, say their vision is to provide a new home and focal point for high-performance yachts, giving a second competitive life to raceboats that were great in their prime, but have since been sidelined due to a variety of changing circumstances. ‘The boats sitting idle just need a jolt of new energy to bring them together to race in one of Europe’s greatest, most accessible sailing venues,’ Mansaker says.

According to Shaun Carkeek, who has been an active designer in the Fast 40+ Series, it’s important the conditions are created to encourage owners into performance-orientated boats, bringing what they have to get started, while also encouraging new builds. The Med40 rules and series are being designed to support both tiers. Understanding the market and owners’ requirements and supporting old and new in a synchronised, sustainable format is key.

For new builds, the Med40 rules will produce similar boats to the current Fast 40s allowing a seamless crossover between the UK, Med and around the globe, but with new cost controls to relax the barrier for many owners. ‘We don’t want this class to escalate into a chequebook war and the new rules will create favourable conditions incentivising more players,’ he says. ‘Those interested can bring what they’ve got to get started and as the class grows and racing formats develop, the rules will help produce better sailing without breaking the bank.’

‘Employing VPP-based ORC tools for measurement and ratings, we can be effective in rating the differences between these performance boats and keep them closer in style and competitiveness. This class is not composed of dual purpose racercruisers, but proper late-generation planing hull form raceboats that are dual inshore/coastal capable, with minimal interiors and no rating credits for slow features.’

While the exact parameters are yet to be announced, existing designs that are good candidates for the Med40 Series include Fast 40s, GP 42s, Ker 40s, HH 42s, Soto 40s and the like. Mansaker reckons there are at least a few dozen of these in the region that could be brought to Palma, cleaned up, measured and made ready to race with little effort.

And with all the success of the 52SuperSeries producing new boats at regular intervals, Mansaker hints at following up with a Med50 Series to race the dozens of older TP 52s that are in a similar position of underuse. ‘We have had a lot of strong initial interest in this idea,’ he says, ‘and look forward to our first racing in the series at Palma Vela in May 2019.’

Click here for more information on the Med 40 Series »

For 30 years very little changed in the measurement of line and rigging loads. But free thinking combined with tidy engineering has delivered a powerful yet simple new solution... one which will allow far more sailors to benefit from this key performance – and safety – input

Every now and then, a new gadget comes along that can change the way we sail, or how we think about sailing, or both. Load measurement is a strong contender right now to become the next big thing, thanks to a new and potentially transformational piece of kit.

Load measurement has proven to be a powerful tool for America’s Cup teams and others at the bleeding edge of yacht racing. Its performance-enhancing benefits are now about to become much more widely available with the launch of an ingenious and entirely new type of load cell, the Cyclops Link. Don’t be surprised if load measurement soon trickles all the way down to become standard practice at sportsboat regattas.

With all the technology we have on board these days, particularly at the high-performance end of the sport, you might think that sailing has become an exact science. You’d be wrong, we’re not there yet. Surprisingly few yacht crews know about their actual sailing loads, even though it’s well known that the use of repeatable load settings enables a crew to get the best performance without exceeding structural limits of yacht and equipment: loads in backstays and checkstays control the shape of the mast, while forestay, halyard and cunningham tensions affect the aerodynamic shape of sails.

Knowledge of loads is also crucial for efficient, safe design. When equipment and fittings are specified by trial and error or guesswork, people pile safety factors onto safety factors, adding weight on weight, but still potentially missing key weak points. With the continuing drive for lighter structures and edgier designs, this simply won’t do. ‘We’re still sailing blind in too many areas,’ says Vincent Geake, co-founder of Cyclops Marine and a go-to consultant for many of the world’s top racing teams. ‘And that is expensive in broken yachts and equipment, and poor performance at regattas.’

Until now, the technologies used to measure loads on boats hadn’t advanced much in decades. Load pins must be permanently built and hard-wired into the structure of the boat, which, while suitable for hard attachments in standing rigging, restricts their usage on ropes and sheets, and means that the majority of loads may be impossible to measure accurately or at all. Conventional load cells working in tension are too cumbersome for most applications and need massively over-sized safety factors to protect against failure.

Cyclops Link is completely different. The innovative design works in compression, allowing it to be lighter and smaller while, crucially, remaining failsafe in use. Attachment is quick and easy, the Link is wireless and can be quickly inserted almost anywhere in rigging and sheets with two simple soft shackles, rigged as interlocking loops. It can be quickly retro-fitted to existing yachts and systems to provide immediate insight on loads, without the requirement to install additional load pin structures. Cyclops have applied for a string of patents, and their technology is now being integrated into customised furler units and sheaves, enabling these fittings to become load measurement devices as well.

While the Link can be used with a smartphone app for on-the-spot measurements during commissioning and testing, it also integrates with the well proven Cyclops IT system to continuously stream live data to display on sailing instruments. B&G is developing a Cyclops interface for its WTP3 and H5000 systems, giving a yacht’s crew access to the real-time information they need to trim the sails and rig precisely to repeatable settings and maximise performance, while staying safely within the load envelope. And for the real data geeks, Cyclops provides a high-speed onboard hub for real-time processing and logging, which can also upload data to Cyclops’ advanced cloud analytics.

For multihulls, there are obvious potential safety benefits of continuously monitoring sheet loads and interfacing Cyclops with other onboard systems to reduce the risk of capsize. For solo ocean racers, a key benefit is that Cyclops can alert them when a sail starts flogging while they’re asleep, which has been the downfall of more than a few Vendée Globe contenders.

For sailmakers, Cyclops has a huge potential for research and development. For boatbuilders, it will allow components to be safely designed down to a lower weight.

Cyclops Link was first shown in public at METS in November and big-name campaigns are already taking early versions. What’s more, due to its small size and simplicity, Cyclops Link aims to bring the benefits of load measurement – most importantly of forestay loads – within the grasp of a far wider range of racing fleets.

‘For years we have dreamt of a “smart rope”: something which will directly tell us the actual load in the rope, without the hassle and inaccuracies of loadpins.

Now the Cyclops Link does this,’ says Vincent Geake. ‘From ropes on yachts, to slings on cranes, to cables on pylons and stadium roofs, the opportunities are endless.

Click here for more information on Cyclops Marine »