Even if all the boats taking part in the Vendée Globe are prototypes, they are nonetheless governed by a class rule. In other words, they have common characteristics, defined by the IMOCA class (International Monohull Open Class Association), founded in 1991 and recognized by the International Sailing Federation (World Sailing). An overhaul of the class rules in 2021 will require new boats to have certain equipment: standardized keels, a choice of two masts (classic or mast-wing), a limited number of appendages and ballast tanks. Another new feature is the use of foils, first introduced in 2015, to support the boat on downwind points of sail, thus avoiding drag and increasing speed.
Common features
- Size: 18.28 m (60 ft.)
- Draft: 4.50 m
- Mast: max. 29 m
Anatomy of an IMOCA
Ballast ballast tanks replace the weight of the crew, which on a conventional yacht is put on rappel. With the evolution of IMOCA 60-footers, the number and position of ballasts have changed, and it is now easier to fill or empty them. For example, when sailing downwind, the bow is clear because the ballast tanks at the stern are filled with water; when sailing upwind or in light airs, drag at the stern is reduced by filling the ballast tanks at the bow.
Bar controls used to steer the boat, connected to the rudders . The tiller is shaped like a bar, placed in the same plane as the rudder. When the tiller is moved to one side, the rudder rotates to the opposite side.
Bastaque : Bastaque is a shroud (a support cable running from the mast to either side of the deck) which holds the mast in place at the stern. This (textile) cable is essential to hold the mast in place, especially downwind.
Bumper : Located at the end of the bow, the carbon bowsprit (1.83 m max.) is used to hang the large headsails (gennaker and spinnaker), which are downwind sails. This gives them maximum leeway in relation to the other sails, to optimize speed.
Protective cap the cockpit cap: protects the cockpit from the elements, and therefore the skipper. As boats have evolved, these caps have been transformed into totally enclosed cockpits.
Life cell this is the interior space where the skipper rests, works out the weather, cooks or stores his equipment. With closed cockpits, the living quarters now merge with the trimming area.
Cockpit Â: This is the boat's maneuvering area âeuros a sort of neuralgic place âeuros where the skipper trims his sails and pilots his boat to safety.
Kitchen the kitchen is minimalist, often consisting of a stove to heat water for freeze-dried dishes and a few storage compartments.
Drift they are two in number (one on the starboard side and one on the port side), and are attached to the side of the boat. Straight or curved, they serve to limit the boat's lateral drift, especially when sailing close-hauled. They are sabre âeuros lowered or raised vertically through an opening in the hull, called a daggerboard. Today, daggerboards are found only on older-generation IMOCAs, since they have been replaced by foils on the latest-generation models.
Foil these load-bearing appendages provide support for boats with reaching/ reaching speeds bearing (downwind or broad reach) and thus gain speed. Foils are made up of a shaft (the part that retracts into the shaft) and a tip (a kind of fin perpendicular to the shaft). The first foils were installed on IMOCA boats initially designed for daggerboards, and are now designed from the outset for new IMOCA boats.
Bedding this area, installed in the living area, consists of either an ergonomic mattress on a tilting carbon base, or a cushion with morphological beads. Some skippers move their mattresses around the boat to sleep for a few hours.
Coffee grinder or column it multiplies the force used to operate the 4 winches these are winches for tensioning the ropes. The two forward winches are used to raise/lower the sails and foils, while the two aft winches are used to trim the headsails and runners.
Outrigger these carbon tubes are fitted to the coachroof on either side of the mast, replacing the spreaders on conventional wing masts. They allow the shrouds to be moved away from the mast axis, and are connected to the mast by a cable to ensure overall stability.
Helm station seated on a folding seat, the skipper steers his boat with a clear view forward thanks to the Plexiglas elements installed on the coachroof.
Keel (bulb and sail) the keel is the boat's stabilizing element. Without it, the boat would capsize. IMOCA60 keels are pendular, meaning they can be tilted sideways by up to 40° by means of a hydraulic jack, depending on weather conditions and points of sail. It acts as a counterweight to the force of the wind in the sails. Combined with the ballast tanks (10 in all), the whole system maintains the boat's balance as it passes through the waves.
Safrans two rudders on either side of the stern, connected to the helm, are used to steer the boat. They are often self-lifting, to withstand possible impacts from floating objects.
Sail locker  : Place where most unused sails are stored. After each tack or gybe (change of tack by tacking away from the wind. This involves changing the mast on the opposite tack), the skipper must "matossage", i.e. change the sails on the side to optimize weight distribution on board and thus enhance performance. This is a very physical exercise, especially in heavy seas.
Since 2020, 8 sails have been authorized for the Vendée Globe, 2 of which are compulsory: the mainsail and the storm jib. Spinnakers (nylon) are used downwind or on the beam when there's not too much wind. Gennakers, flatter sails, are used on the beam. Code 0, J1-J2-J3 upwind up to 120 degrees from the wind, their choice then depending on wind strength.
Card table this is where the skipper accesses all navigation and communication equipment (computer, autopilot, radar, satellite phone). It is often limited to a screen and keyboard.
