A talented team
Built for Sébastien Simon, Arkéa Paprec is one of the two latest-generation IMOCA boats designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian. The Argentinian architect is back in the limelight on the IMOCA circuit with these two 60-foot boats. Built at CDK and fine-tuned in a yard run by Vincent Riou, she was launched in July 2019.
The flat and taut hull is the same as Corum, Nicolas Troussel's 60-foot boat. However, the Arkéa Paprec team differed from Corum in the choice of its deck plan and the type of foil. The roof is more conventional than on Corum.
Very bright, it is composed of a multitude of openings for better visibility. "This allows you to have an eye everywhere, without having to install a series of cameras," confirms Sébastien Simon. The proximity of the life cell to the cockpit allows for fast manoeuvring. The concave deck plan allows the foot of the mast to be lowered and therefore the centre of gravity.
Like Corum or PRB, Arkea Paprec is equipped with rudders with a "whalebone" leading edge. This trick limits the surface area of the appendage and delays the stall phase. As soon as it was launched, the monohull took part in the Fastnet Race, but had to abandon due to electrical problems, but she showed great acceleration during the Azimuth Challenge.
Capricious foils
Arkea Paprec had many problems with his appendages. He lost his first foil on the convoy to the start of the Jacques Vabre, in conditions that were far from critical in relation to the size of the foil.
Not having a spare pair (a foil costs around 100,000 euros), the Simon-Riou duo decided to take the start on "one leg". The duo showed good potential until they emerged from the Doldrums, but the second foil also broke in the SE'ly trade winds.
Eighth in Salvador de Bahia, Arkea-Paprec is back in Port-la-Forêt with Sébastien Simon alone, for a fitness project and the adaptation of new foils.
The new profiles, designed by Juan K, will be "C" shaped. Arkea Paprec and Hugo Boss are the only IMOCA boats at the start of the 2020 Vendée Globe to be fitted with this type of foils. These have the advantage of being less exposed than U-shaped profiles. They are designed for downwind sailing and reaching, but will be less efficient in other points of sail. However, the day after the start of the Arctic Vendée, the starboard foil broke for no apparent reason. There was no collision with a UFO. It was a huge disappointment for Sébastien, whose confidence in his boat was seriously damaged after this hecatomb of broken foils.
But the skipper has resourcefulness and talent. A third pair of foils is under construction at Persico in Italy. Calculations were entrusted to the New Zealand firm Pure, with the support of Kouyoumdjian. This V3 will be a profile identical to the V2, but more solid. As the two foils could not be delivered at the same time, the first tests with a single appendage were conclusive.
Another unexpected positive point: the new version of the foils is much quieter than the V2. This notion of noise takes on its full importance as many questions remain as to the ability of the skippers to withstand for 70 days IMOCA boats that have become very uncomfortable.
Renewed confidence
Like its skipper, the machine is young, but very promising for this 2020 Vendée Globe. After a legitimate period of doubt, Sébastien Simon has regained confidence in his boat. He will have lacked time to train for his first Vendée Globe, but will certainly be at the forefront of ocean racing in the years to come.
Arkéa Paprec- Sébastien Simon
- Sail number: 4
- Architect: Juan Kouyoumdjian
- Shipyard: CDK Technologies / Assembly: Team ARKEA PAPREC
- Launch date: July 19, 2019
- Width: 5.70m
- Displacement (weight): 8t
- Presence of foils : Yes
- Sail area upwind : 260 m2
- Sail area downwind: 600 m2
