An Anglo-Saxon design
In 2007, Finot Conq was overtaken in the IMOCA market by Farr and Owen Clarke. It was the latter that Mike Golding chose to design the machine enabling him to line up for his third Vendée Globe.
Supported by Ecover, Mike had a powerful machine built with straight daggerboards, two steering wheels, a rotating mast, a small roof and a wide step hull. The hull is fitted with a movable flap at the transom, allowing the trim of the 60-footer to be adjusted. This vertical carbon plate, called a "platex" by Merfyn Owen, develops a vertical thrust, which raises the bow and seats the bow in the wave. The studies were carried out jointly by the design team of Mike and Dee Cafari.
For his first race with this machine, Mike finished 5th in the 2007 Jacques Vabre, in duet with Bruno Dubois.
Several dismasts around the world
Among the favourites in the 2008 Vendée Globe, Mike Golding dismasted to the south of Australia in second place. Refitted after being repatriated by cargo ship, Ecover III finished third in the double-handed transatlantic race with Javier Sanso.
Then the boat was rented by Jean Le Cam and Bruno Garcia to race the Barcelona World Race. Under the colours of Président, Jean and Bruno dismasted to the south of Cape Verde, after a violent buffet stop under gennaker.
Back through the yard box for a big refit: the wheels and the platex are removed, the mainsail clew is moved forward and the roof is modified. The rotating mast is replaced by a classic fixed spar.
Mike Golding is back at the helm for another Transat Jacques Vabre in 2011, still with Bruno Dubois (9th), then finished 6th in the 2012-2013 Vendée Globe, finishing neck and neck with Jean Le Cam. Golding becomes the first sailor to have completed three Vendée Globe races (there will be more afterwards).
In the hands of the Irishman Enda O'Coineen, this 60-foot boat will be dismasted again during the 2016/2017 Vendée Globe. Enda will still finish his round the world voyage, but on another boat, bringing Thomas Ruyant's IMOCA back to Les Sables-d'Olonne.
An in-depth refit
Arnaud Boissières' team (nicknamed Cali) recovers the injured IMOCA in 2017. The boat, in poor condition, returned to the yard at Mer Agitée, under the leadership of Michel Desjoyeaux.
The IMOCA is being completely revised and will undergo major changes. Foil shafts are grafted to make the boat more airy. The profiles installed are similar to those used by Jérémie Beyou in the 2016 Vendée Globe. Shorter than the profiles of the 2019 generations, the aim is to relieve the front third. As a result, it was also necessary to move the weights backwards to make the foils easier to work with. The root of the mast was therefore moved back 1m and a new system of lifting rudders was installed. The new profile is a wing mast with outriggers.
With all these improvements, Cali finished 9th in the last Route du Rhum and 18th in the Jacques Vabre with Xavier Macaire.
Cali takes the start of the Vendée Globe for the fourth time in a row
Thanks to the lessons learnt on the Jacques Vabre, Cali and his team were able to optimise the winter refit, which took place in Les Sables-d'Olonne. A lot of work was done on the sail set, in order to improve performance during the transition phases encountered in the Atlantic. The cockpit cap has been lengthened to better protect the skipper. A composite "slide" has been installed at the stern to facilitate the battening of the sails.
Finisher of the last three editions, Cali will be taking her fourth Vendée Globe start. This new upgraded machine should enable him to finish in the top ten, and why not do better than his 7th place in 2016.
Arnaud Boissières- La Mie Caline-Artisans Artipôle
- Sail number : FRA 14
- Previous boat names: Ecover3, President, Gamesa, Kilcullen Voyager Team Ireland
- Architect: Owen Clarke Design LLP - Clay Oliver
- Job-site : Hakes Marine - Rough Sea
- Launch date: August 03, 2007
- Width: 5.65 m
- Displacement (weight): 7.9 tonnes
- Presence of foils : Yes
- Sail area upwind : 300 m²
- Sail area downwind: 610 m²
