A 2007 plan built in the southern hemisphere
This 60-footer with straight daggerboards, built at Southern Ocean in New Zealand, belongs to the 2007 generation of Farr yachts. Like its sistership, Gitana Eighty, designed for Loïck Peyron, Virbac Paprec stands out for its special equipment, including trim-tabs and a satellite life cell. In its first race, the Barcelona World Race, the boat wins with Damien Foxall as teammate. On his return, Jean-Pierre Dick had strakes installed on each side of the front of the hull to reduce smoke build-up. A favorite in the 2008 Vendée Globe, the boat was forced to retire after a collision with an unidentified floating object (UFO) damaged its rudders.
A 10 e on the Vendée Globe 2016
Bought by a Spanish team, she finished fourth in the Barcelona World Race 2010-2011, skippered by Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes, then fifth in the following edition of the same race. Arnaud Boissières took over and finished tenth in the 2016 Vendée Globe under the colors of La Mie Câline. In 2017, Manuel Cousin bought the boat and finished 11th in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Arnaud Boissières, before taking full possession of his boat on his return from the transatlantic race.
Simplify to achieve
A latecomer to the IMOCA circuit, Manuel Cousin is concentrating on the boat's reliability in preparation for his first Vendée Globe. Rather than aiming for performance improvements, he chose to make his boat more reliable by removing the trim-tab system, which he considered complex, and reworking the rear of the hull to improve glide. He also changed the engine and installed a bucket seat in front of the chart table, replacing the footstool used by the previous skipper, Arnaud Boissières. A forced-air heater near the chart table brings a little comfort in the difficult conditions of the Deep South, and limits condensation on the electrical circuit.
Manuel Cousin takes part in the Route du Rhum 2018 and finishes 14th out of 20. Co-skippered by Gildas Morvan, Groupe Sétin then placed 22nd in the 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre. The boat's high level of preparation is confirmed by its consistency: Groupe Sétin is the only 60-footer in the IMOCA class to have completed every race on the calendar in the two years leading up to the 2020 edition. And his hard work is paying off, as Manuel completes his first circumnavigation of the globe in 23rd place e place, despite a broken keel cylinder a few days before arrival.
Finisher's goal for the 2nd e Manuel Cousin's Vendée Globe
For his 2 e Vendée Globe, Manu Cousin has decided to set sail on the same boat again. In 2021, a major project to improve the reliability of his IMOCA has been launched: modification of the bowsprit, change of the steering system, improvement of the cap and a slight weight loss.
Despite the loss of his sponsor in 2023, Manu has managed to finalize his preparation and line up at the start with one objective: to finish with a better ranking than in the 2020 edition.
- Length 18.28 m,
- Width 5.80 m
- Draft 4.5 m
- Weight 8.4 T
- Mast height 27.80m
- Foils No
- Max. sail area
- About 300m2
- Carrying 560 m2
