An IMOCA with foils for Master CoQ and Bestaven

Rumours were spreading about Yannick Bestaven's future IMOCA. He had even been given the intention to buy Hugo Boss. But finally, Master CoQ and his skipper bought the former Safran II a 60-foot hydrofoil monohull launched in 2015 for Morgan Lagravière.

Chloé Torterat Published on January 18, 2019

And no it won't be Hugo Boss ! Yannick Bestaven - master skipper CoQ - has just acquired Roland Jourdain's ex-Safran II (Des Voiles et Vous).

History of the boat

The VPLP//Guillaume Verdier plan was launched in March 2015 for Morgan Lagravière's 2016 Vendée Globe campaign. In January 2016, Safran announced its withdrawal from sailing sponsorship and therefore from its partnership with its skipper. But Roland Jourdain (Kaïros) bought the 60-foot monohull for the 2018 Route du Rhum and the 2020 Vendée Globe from his "protégé". But due to a lack of budget, it was decided to to put the boat up for sale and to decline the transatlantic.

The 60-foot monohull is built on the same hull as the the last winner of the Vendée Globe (IMOCA Banque Populaire) and is equipped with foils. A definite asset when you consider that these load-bearing appendages are now the future.

"This foiler is reliable and has already been tested in great races by e?te! It thus ensures the continuity of the sailing project. Our objectives are revised upwards, in the spirit of performance and innovation that has linked Master CoQ to sailing since 2012" explains Christophe Guyony, General Manager of Maître CoQ.

Launching and testing

The new Master CoQ will leave the Kairos shipyard in Concarneau on Monday 21 January, in the colours of the poultry farmer's 50th birthday. It will be launched on January 22nd before starting a series of tests to tune up the boat, before being delivered to Cascais (south Portugal). Yannick Bestaven will do an intensive training with Roland Jourdain to take over the boat. The next three months will therefore be devoted to learning to foil.

Back to sailing sponsorship

Master CoQ had decided to stop sailing sponsorship after the Vendée Globe 2016. He accompanied skipper Jeremie Beyou, who had finished on the 3rd place on the podium . But the latter had ambitions too high for the poultry master. The two entities had therefore decided to terminate their contract. If Jeremie Beyou now has a foiler of the latest generation thanks to Charal SI HUGO A R?VÉ SON ÉCUME DE MER POUR PARTIR EN GRANDE CROISIÈRE, CELA NE L'EMPÊCHE PAS DE NAVIGUER SUR D'AUTRES VOILIERS. IL NOUS FAIT VIVRE AUJOURD'HUI DANS CET ÉPISODE, LA PARTICIPATION AUX VOILES DE SAINT-BARTH. POUR CELA IL INTÈGRE UN ÉQUIPAGE QUI PARTICIPE SUR UN J/122 (UN VOILIER DE COURSE-CROISIÈRE DE 12 M). Master CoQ has decided to rebuild alongside Yannick Bestaven for the Route du Rhum 2018.

With his sponsor, the skipper from La Rochelle is embarking on a Vendée Globe 2020 campaign with all the chances on his side. This recent foiler has all the Eovolt bike features to become one of the best.