Duracell project: A look back at 3 years of refit to transform a 60-foot racer into a cruiser


As he puts the finishing touches to the outdoor shelter for Duracell, Matt takes a look back at the 3 years of work that went into transforming Mike Plant's former 1st Vendée Globe yacht into a monohull designed for long-distance cruising.

Completion of Duracell shelter

The week's work was mainly devoted to finalizing the shelter designed to protect Duracell from the outside world for future painting and exterior finishing work on the yacht. Assembling the structure remains a complex task for a small team, working with "home-made" lifting equipment and without much protection...

3-year interior and exterior refit

To make this week's episode more interesting, Matt decides to review the progress of Duracell's refit project, and the 3 years since it began in 2021. A series of before-and-after images, explained by Matt, give the measure of the changes made, from the creation of the roof, forward cabin, bathroom and aft saloon, to the extension of the transom, or the organization of the cockpit. The young man also highlights the professionalization of the project via his YouTube channel, and talks about the upcoming projects for the summer and winter, from the creation of the chain well to the numerous stowages planned inside, as well as the chart table, not forgetting the creation of the glazing and fitting of deck panels, or the inevitable plumbing.

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