An important dunnage
At the time of leaving the pontoon of the submarine base of Lorient, the wind is weak. Fortunately, the two 57 horsepower engines easily pull the ORC 57 out of its place. One can imagine that in rough conditions, its imposing dunnage justifies having a little power. The course is quickly set towards the exit of the harbor of Lorient under engine, a frigate in test asking us to accelerate the movement.
Maneuvers at the foot of the mast
The mainsail can then be set. For this, everything happens in front of the mast foot, in front of the roof. An electric winch and its foot controls facilitate the hoisting of the 107 square meters of sail. The piano and its 2 winches are also used to hoist the headsail, with a good visibility on the maneuvers.
The J1, on furler, is unrolled. It is time to cut the engine to test the close.
Very respectable speeds despite the lack of wind
The anemometer does not announce good news. The wind is getting weaker and weaker. However, with a wind of less than 10 knots, the ORC 57 manages to keep speeds close to the wind. Where most of the cruising catamarans would have had to put the engine on, it manages to post a more than honorable speed. Weighing a third of the weight of a catamaran is no stranger to this!
It is time to hoist the gennaker. The performances are also promising, even if we are far from the surfs that we hope for when we get on board such a machine. But Eole decided to deprive us of wind. However, we can console ourselves with the fact that in these conditions, we can even put a starboard boat up against an Ultim sailing off Groix.
Bar comfort
The conditions of the test, on flat sea and weak wind, make it difficult to judge the performances, even if the little glimpse we got bodes well for some nice slides.
The first example of the project, the tested ORC 57 should still undergo some adjustments to the deck layout. However, the remote helm station, sitting above the water, offers good visibility and an immediate feeling of speed. One can imagine the enjoyment of the helmsman in a good 20 to 25 knots wind flow, the long surfs on the swell...
