An architectural nugget built by a goldsmith
MACSF is the first Imoca designed by the architecture firm VPLP, associated for the occasion with Guillaume Verdier. Thierry Eluère's shipyard was chosen to carry out a careful construction focusing on lightness. It should be noted that this same shipyard built another IMOCA reference: Aquitaine Innovation built for Yves Parlier in 1998.
The VPLP-Verdier trio, taking the opposite approach to the Farr and Finot-Conq designs, which favoured a high width-to-power ratio, chose a "narrow" hull and opted for a measured power. It is this architectural choice that inspired the generations of IMOCA boats that followed.
A skipper and a boat anchored in the legend of the Vendée Globe
The IMOCA Safran will witness a memorable rescue. During the 2008-09 Vendée Globe, Yann Eliès on Generali, was seriously injured during a manoeuvre on the foredeck. The sentence was severe: he broke his femur and had to crawl in excruciating pain to take shelter in the cockpit. Picking up his distress message, Marc Guillemot aboard Safran was diverted and was going to stay around Yann Eliès' boat for 48 hours, giving him moral support while waiting for the Australian rescue.
An unrivalled track record
In her first season, Safran impressed by finishing 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre and 3rd in the Vendée Globe. Marc Guillemot then won the 2009 Transat Jacques Vabre with Charles Caudrelier, and finished third in the 2010 Route du Rhum. In 2012, he had to abandon the Vendée Globe following the loss of his keel, but managed to bring back the whole boat.
With Pascal Bidégorry, Safran finished second in the 2013 Jacques Vabre, and then finished third in the 2014 Route du Rhum. With Yann Éliès at the helm (accompanied by Charlie Dalin), he took third place in the 2015 Jacques Vabre, then fifth place in the last Vendée Globe 2016 under the colours of Queguiner.
Upgraded Imoca still in the mix
It is then bought by Isabelle Joschke who puts it in the colours of MACSF. In 2019, the boat underwent a major refit to be ready in Les Sables d'Olonne for the 2020 Vendée Globe: addition of foils, new wing mast, new cap, change of electronics and new sail plan.
At the beginning of the year 2020, further improvements have been made with a new ballast distribution. " The old ballast tanks were obsolete. We had to find the right configuration, the most efficient one, in relation to the gauge which is quite restrictive ", explains Alain Gautier, MACSF team manager.
Layers of carbon fabric were also laid to reinforce the bottom of the boat's hull: " Those reinforcements were a necessity. This is a 2007 boat that was not designed to accommodate foils that lead to higher speeds, more violent impacts and higher loads ".
The préparateurs carried out a host of small adjustments and improvements: "We also tried to look ahead and think about what could happen during the Vendée Globe, to enable Isabelle to carry out repairs more easily and to provide her with maximum safety," summed up Alain Gautier.
A unique innovation
The MACSF coffee grinder is unique. Isabelle and her team have installed a pedalboard at the bottom of the column, so that Isabelle can operate her winches with the strength of her legs, allowing her to rest her arms. The interest is to alternate between arms and legs in order to gain efficiency and relieve Isabelle's body.
Another modification, the cranks of the column have been shortened, so that Isabelle can grind while keeping her arms bent, in order to develop a movement more adapted to her morphology.
With all these improvements, Isabelle is hoping to give a second wind to the prototype, which has inspired two generations of boats since the 2008 Vendée Globe.
Macsf - Isabelle Joschke
- Sail number : FRA 27
- Former names of the boat: Quéguiner - Safran
- Architect : Verdier - VPLP
- Shipyard : Chantier Naval de Larros
- Launch date: July 04, 2007
- Width: 5.60m
- Displacement (weight): 8 tons
- Presence of foils : Yes
- Sail area upwind : 300m2
- Sail area downwind: 650m2
