At first, it might have seemed like a joke. Imagine: a couple announcing that they are assembling bits of kayak and pieces of windsurfing board to turn them into a trimaran, all towed by half a paraglider wing. To sail on the pond next to his house? But no, the programme of this hybrid craft is to sail around Europe to reach the North Seas!
In fact, you have to dig a little deeper into Florent and Léa's journey to discover their convictions. This young couple based at the foot of the Alps think above all that production should be limited, that it should be reused. "Let's stop throwing away and rebuild" would be their watchword. To implement these principles, they have built a catamaran by recycling rubbish bins. It was with this craft, close to the raft, that they went down the Rhône to the sea. A journey made with a piece of sail and two paddles like a canoe. But once they reached the sea, it was impossible to go any further on this boat which lacked a seafaring spirit.
Yet the idea and the desire to go sailing on the Nordic coast remains strong. But this navigation is going to require a boat that has to be more seaworthy. This time, Florent and Léa went round the local kayak clubs and collected a few polyester boats. A few windsurf boards complete this collection. The kayaks are cut and assembled to make a small cabin. A sailboard split in two will form the arms. Pieces of float for the hulls. In short, we think, we trim, we try, we experiment and we cross our fingers to make it work..
On the propulsion side, Florent doesn't want to reuse the paddle. Experience on the catamaran has shown him that it was very tiring in the long run. As a result, this new model will be a rowing sail. With a real swimming bench. But it will also be a sailboat. For that Florent hopes to be able to stabilize a paraglider half sail held by 3 points on the boat. And at the tack? Then the other half of the paraglider will have to be set up and sent to the other side. Simple, isn't it? All this is of course theoretical. Tests on Lake Serpençon are planned to validate the concept. But Florent isn't afraid to imagine a mast to stabilise all this.
Once the craft is navigable, the couple hope to reach the Mediterranean before heading up the Canal du Midi and attacking the North Sea. The idea is to always sail within sight of the coast and to stop ashore at night to sleep, as the habitability of their trimaran remains ridiculous and can only be used for one person to rest.
Today the project is launched. The pieces of the puzzle have been put together in blanks. The trimaran measures 6.50 x 4.50 m. The sail is 17 m2. But it lacks resin and fiber to assemble them. Still with the idea of recycling, Florent and Léa are looking for fibreglass scraps: an old stock from an industrialist? A construction that is coming to an end? The call is out.
