A tribute race and a movie to come
It is aboard Flo, the new name of the ORMA trimaran aboard which Florence Arthaud won the Route du Rhum in 1990, that Philippe Poupon will take the start of the Route du Rhum 2022. If this is a tribute to his long-time friend, Philippe has also found the boat to support his wife Géraldine Danon, who is making a film about the navigator, the first woman to win the Route du Rhum.
A mainly aesthetic refit
Bought by a shipowner and loaned to the skipper for the race and the film, the old trimaran was transported to Brittany for a refit within Michel Desjoyeaux's ocean racing team, Mer Agitée. The work mainly concerned the aesthetics of the boat, which is now covered with a giant adhesive tape in the colors of the original, and fitted with a new antifouling, always in the same perspective.
A healthy hull and some minor work
Other minor work has been done on ORMA 60, as Philippe Poupon explains: "The boat is 32 years old. We refurbished all the electricity and electronics, installing a good NKE driver. The engine has been overhauled, it is an important part for the energy of the boat. We also changed the rudder bearing of the central hull, installed an Oscar vision system and changed the entire standing rigging thanks to the Lancelin company. The boat in its hull structure is fine, there was no reason to change anything else. The same goes for the sails, which are in good condition, and which we kept and sent to be revised and reinforced. They will be sufficient for the Route du Rhum. There are still a few parts from that time on board like the winches."
A high-performance boat, but without competition
When asked how he sees himself in the Rhum Multi class, Philippe modestly replies: "On the face of it, it looks like the best performer, but there are no similar boats in terms of size. Some former comrades have taken over catamarans, like Roland Jourdain, Marc Guillemot or Halvard Mabire."
Indeed, the 18.28 m long VPLP design will be the largest of the Multi class trimarans, among the 9 three-hulled yachts on the starting line. However, it will not be the largest boat in the Multi class, that distinction going to Roland Jourdain and his 18.50 m linen deck Outremer.
A first navigation "without surprise
Launched on Friday, September 9, 2022 in Port La Forêt in Finistère, the "golden" trimaran has reached La Trinité for sea trials. Philippe answered our questions from aboard, always remaining modest about the boat's performance: "We went out to put things back in place, to adjust the boat. This allows us to make the final adjustments. There's not much to say, it's a boat we know well and it's back to its full glory! We're waiting for next week to shoot images with the actress on board, but also with other boats, notably her first boat for the Route du Rhum. Then we'll go on standby to go out to sea in sustained conditions, and make strong images with the sailing understudy."
