The Macif trimaran left the CDK shipyard in Lorient this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 after six and a half months of work. A yard that is part of the continuity of the program of the boat, launched in August 2015 and dedicated to evolve and be reliable. Even before her launch, evolutions were already planned at the end of a first cycle of sailings. A project that became concrete in the spring of 2017, as explained by François Gabart " We already knew that we would make important modifications during this winter 2017-2018, first because we were only at the beginning of the problem of flight on trimarans of this size when we designed MACIF, then because we knew that we would have strong competitors from the summer 2017 " ( Editor's note: Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and Banque Populaire IX. )
The specifications were clear: "The objective was to give MACIF a boost. After more than two years during which we had mainly worked on reliability, we focused on performance, therefore on flight, the major performance issue of the moment." explains François Gabart.
A project led by MACIF's design office and directed by Antoine Gautier, the architects of VPLP and the company Gsea Design, specialized in structural calculations.
This new version has longer and thinner foils, but also T-shaped rudders that can be raised. The aerodynamics have also been reworked with new sails and modifications to limit the aerodynamic drag of the boat launched at full speed. An automatic pilot has also been fully developed, specially adapted to the needs of the skipper.
"The 2018 version of the MACIF trimaran will clearly be very different from the one we've known until now, it will allow us to fly earlier, higher, faster. We hope that all this work will allow us to play with the other boats on the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe and then, of course, on the round-the-world race in 2019. The Route du Rhum will give us a first answer, as it will be the first time our Ultimates will meet." explains François Gabart.
The next two months will be devoted to preparing for the Route du Rhum and getting to grips with what the skipper considers to be "a new boat".
"We're going to have to be good and fast at understanding it and getting the most out of it." concludes the interested party.
