A decision brought to justice
The Class Ultim 32/23 and the SVR Lazartigue team did not find an amicable agreement, the Kresk group, owner of François Gabart's trimaran, had referred the case to the courts between the two parties in May 2022. As a reminder, the Ultim Class is questioning the conformity of the boat's architectural design and is refusing to give her her measurement certificate. This certificate is mandatory to participate in the Route du Rhum, which will start on November 6, 2022. The disagreement between the two parties concerns on the position of the cockpit of the trimaran which the Ultim class considers to be inadequate.
The court gives its approval
On July 21st, the Paris Court of Justice has just authorized the blue trimaran to take the start of the transatlantic race, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding that had been signed with the Ultim Class. As a reminder, this authorization only concerns the Route du Rhum, as the court did not rule on the conformity of the boat.
François Gabart comments: "I'm relieved about this decision, which allows me to concentrate calmly on the training and the competition that awaits us. I am also happy to see the other skippers on the starting line. All these boats together will make for more memorable races for all the enthusiasts who have shown their unfailing support."
A complete Ultim class
While the two parties have yet to reach an agreement regarding the "conformity" of the latest Ultim, we can only look forward to seeing the entire fleet on the Route du Rhum 2022. With different and more or less recent designs, the game should be exciting to follow. Moreover, it will be the first time that the Ultim class will be so represented at the start of a race, with 6 boats.
