Safran: an innovative and powerful IMOCA Open 60 boat
The first boat from the 2015 generation to be fitted with foils, the ex Safran is a VPLP-Verdier design built at CDK. Designed in collaboration with the Banque Populaire team, she is the sister-ship of the winning boat in the 2016 edition.
It is with an innovative and powerful IMOCA that Morgan Lagravière and Nicolas Lunven will be at the start of the 2015 Jacques Vabre. However, the two sailors will have to retire off Brest following a leak on a foil well.
A first Vendée Globe aborted
Completely overhauled for the 2016 Vendée Globe, Morgan made a fine start to the race. However, on the 18th day of racing, when he was in fourth place, he hit a UFO, which ripped off his starboard rudder, forcing him to divert to Cape Town and retire.
The disappointment is immense for the skipper, all the more so as his sponsor is withdrawing from ocean racing after this withdrawal. The Kaïros team, founded by Roland Jourdain, bought the machine to prepare for the 2020 Vendée Globe.
Without financial partners, Morgan managed to climb on the podium of the 2017 Jacques Vabre, finishing in third place with Eric Peron. But the lack of sponsors forced the team to hire the boat from Kojiro Shiraishi to train while waiting for the delivery of his proto. The IMOCA was then sold to its current skipper, Yannick Bestaven, in January 2019.
A proven machine for Yannick Bestaven
Yannick was able to benefit from the support of Roland Jourdain to take in hand this foiler. And Yannick didn't wait long for the good results. He finished 2nd in the Grand Prix Guyader and the Bermuda 1000 breeds.
Yannick is at the start of the last Jacques Vabre with Roland Jourdain. Like many, the two experienced skippers were caught in a capricious doldrums and finished in 11th place.
A major project to improve reliability
Engineer by training, creator of the Watt&Sea (hydrogenerator mounted on many IMOCA), Yannick has taken particular care in its preparation and in the reliability of its mount. " We've changed the set of sails, the electronics, the electricity... The life cell is better protected. We tried to bring a little comfort in these uncomfortable boats by working on the ergonomics ", says Yannick.
In his new livery, Maître CoQ IV finished in 6th place in the Arctic Vendée, the only race in a 2020 season limited by the health crisis.
Master CoQ IV - Yannick Bestaven
- Sail number: 17
- Former names of the boat: Safran - Des Voiles et Vous
- Architect : Verdier - VPLP
- Job-site: CDK Technologies
- Launch date: March 12, 2015
- Width: 5.80m
- Displacement (weight): 8 t
- Presence of foils: Yes
- Sail area upwind : 310m2
- Sail area downwind: 550m2
