A well-born boat for Armel le Cléac'h
The IMOCA Singchain Team Haikou, built in 2007 by the Multiplast yard in Vannes for Armel Le Cléac'h, features a powerful hull designed by Finot-Conq. At the time, the firm was responsible for 4 of the 5 previous Round-the-World winning boats. Initially christened Brit Air, this boat was a pioneering model, introducing a sharply chine hull and daggerboards that offered increased speed and improved control, essential for racing on the high seas. Since its launch, it has proved its reliability, finishing 2nd in the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe and the 2010 Route du Rhum with Armel Le Cléac'h at the helm.
Two Vendée Globe campaigns in Bertrand de Broc's hands
The boat then passed through the hands of several renowned skippers, including Bertrand de Broc and Alan Roura, each of whom made a number of modifications. The former, whose boat is now renamed Votre Nom autour du Monde, finished 9th in the 2012 Vendée Globe, after returning to the pontoon on the start day following a collision with a spectator boat. The sailor then finished 7th in the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre with Arnaud Boissières, before retiring from the Route du Rhum the following year after an injury.
The IMOCA was then taken over by Jörg Riechers and Seb Audigagne, under the colors of Renault Captur, who finished 6th in the Barcelona World Race 2014. Bertrand de Broc gets his boat back, renamed MACSF, after 3 months of intense refit, for a new Vendée Globe campaign in 2016. Modifications have been made to the rudders, sail profile, keel and deckhouse. She also has a new one-design wing mast following her dismasting on the Transmanche earlier in the year. After passing the Equator, Bertrand Guillemot was forced to retire, as the damage to the keel fairings was too extensive.
A major optimization project to equip La Fabrique with foils
Alan Roura took over the boat in 2017 to set off on the 2020 Vendée Globe with even greater performance. One of the major projects is to equip the boat with foils. The project was entrusted to Finot-Conq, who designed them in collaboration with hydrodynamicist Michel Kermarec. Construction was carried out by JPS Production and hull modifications by Gepeto Composite. Work on IMOCA La Fabrique began in January 2018, and the boat left the yard with the same weight and waterline despite the addition of foils. To lighten the structure, the sail locker was completely rebuilt. For the same purpose, and to optimize ergonomics on board, the composite cockpit protection cap is replaced by a lighter textile structure.
The Swiss sailor finishes 7th in the fleet of 20 IMOCA boats in the Route du Rhum 2018. In 2019, a new ballast and sail plan modification project continues to optimize the boat. The yachtsman then sets the North Atlantic solo record in 7d 16h and 55 seconds on the return leg of the race. In 2020, the Swiss sailor took 17th place in the Vendée Globe.
A reliable boat for a first Vendée Globe campaign in the colors of Singchain Team Haikou
In 2022, Xu Jingkun took over the boat, which he named China Dream Haikou, after the Chinese town where he lives. His goal is to be the first Chinese sailor to complete a Vendée Globe. To familiarize himself with his boat, he teams up with Mike Golding. For his first solo race, the Route du Rhum 2022, no special adaptation was made for the sailor's handicap, which is the amputation of his left forearm. He prefers to adapt to his boat and change the way he does things. He finished 28th out of 38 IMOCA racers.
With Mike Golding, he finished 33rd in the Transat Jacques Vabre. With few resources, he works a lot alone on his boat, which takes up a lot of his time. Although he doesn't do much training, he confesses to learning a lot about electricity, technology...
This apprenticeship enabled him to test the boat's capabilities and work on adjustments for more efficient sailing. The boat was then put in the yard for further optimizations, aimed at strengthening its structure and improving durability with a view to the Vendée Globe 2024, and relaunched under the colors of Singchain Team Haikou.
