A Koch and Finot Conq plan
After the launch of skipper Yoann Richomme's Paprec Arkea at the end of February 2023, the pontoons of Lorient la Base were reserved for the launch of Thomas Ruyant's new IMOCA boat on 16 March 2023. This new boat, developed with a view to winning the 2024 Vendée Globe, is also a design by the architects Antoine Koch and Finot Conq.
He details, " FOR PEOPLE is a real Vendée Globe boat, very much for the open sea. She will be less on the edge than LinkedOut, and will sail more flat..."
This opinion is confirmed by François Pernelle, head of the design office, who sums up the general philosophy of this new foiler as follows: " For People is a more seaworthy boat, structurally viable, which offers a better passage to the sea, is more tolerant for the skipper, in terms of its trim. The maximum speeds will probably be less high, but For People will evolve in ranges of high speeds and smoothed in the duration. It's naturally difficult to model the sea, but we've done everything we can to have better penetration in the waves."
Paul Médinger, from the design office, emphasizes how much " For People erases a lot of LinkedOut's flaws, when going through the sea, in the big southern sea."
The architects have worked on a design that offers high average speeds over time, while offering solutions to maintain comfort in the passage of waves, and ensure a more stable and less wet navigation. The cockpit is more protected, with more forward vision. It has an additional winch and a longer roof than the previous boat.
Antoine Koch gives more information about this IMOCA that he describes as very refined: " We notice right away a very marked chine, a real reserve of power, and a thin hull for less drag. The chine is very taut towards the rear, offering this very aggressive aspect, to generate power. The bow is designed to get out of the waves. We don't really talk about scow, but we assume this very banana front. Compared to LinkedOut, we have been more conservative, less extreme. We abandoned the bathtub deck, which made us carry a lot of water. From now on, the water will drain more easily on the deck. The cockpit has been designed to limit movements as much as possible, always in this search for sailing comfort, and protection of the sailor on the long course. The living quarters are thus closer to the interior of the boat. The winches and windmills are easily accessible from the chart table. All this is a direct feedback from Thomas. The foils are an extrapolation of our three years of experience. We are working on improving their lift. They will be closer to the boat to improve verticality, and participate in a flatter sailing of the boat."
A new support for Thomas Ruyant
Named For People, it was built at CDK in Lorient and features a spatulated bow, a marked deckhouse and a protected maneuvering station with openings to the outside for visibility. For this new project, Thomas Ruyant, still supported by Advens, leader in cyber security, was joined by Leyton, an international consulting firm. Sam Goodchild, who raced under Leyton's colors in the Ocean Fifty, joined the TR Racing team and took over the former LinkedOut, winner of the last Route du Rhum.
On board, Thomas will participate in IMOCA class races, including the Transat Jacques Vabre in November 2023.
The skipper's words
The skipper says: " I am very happy to start a new sailing campaign with my new IMOCA FOR PEOPLE. She is very refined, with a huge attention to detail. We had an incredible boat with LinkedOut with which I won the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Route du Rhum. We are going to go even further technically and athletically with For People. We have found the right cursors for a foiler these days. We have two years of preparation ahead of us before the Vendée Globe. Two years to learn, two years of discovery. I'm expecting a lot from the pooling of resources and ideas with Sam Goodchild, whom we've integrated into TR Racing. The confrontation and sharing of ideas will be fascinating. Finally, I'm proud of the progress made by TR Racing over the last few years on all fronts and in particular of pushing our social commitment even further with this new boat
