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Relayed by our colleagues on the UltimBoat News website, the image is a sight to behold. Born under the colors of Sodebo, then modified to become Prince de Bretagne, this magnificent trimaran is now finishing her career far from the pontoons of La Trinité.
A trimaran designed during ORMA's golden age
Initiated by Thomas Coville, this trimaran was built in 2002, when the ORMA class dominated multihull ocean racing. Under the colors of Sodebo, this platform was to experience numerous sea trials, with several instances of structural damage. Its finest achievement was a second-place finish in the 2004 Transat, after crossing the line just 2 hours after Michel Desjoyeaux. With the dissolution of the ORMA class, the first multihull's life came to an end.
A major transformation to become Prince de Bretagne
After its Sodebo period, the boat changes hands and undergoes a major modification under the impetus of Lionel Lemonchois. To remain competitive on an ocean-going program, the platform was lengthened.
This transformation mainly concerns the bows and forward volumes. The aim is to reduce the number of bites and improve behavior in heavy seas. On previous ORMAs, the bow was a permanent hazard, particularly under gennaker on fast descents.
The trimaran became Prince de Bretagne. This new version had a different silhouette, with tauter lines and reworked forward volumes. But the rest of the story was not to be. Despite all Lionel Lemonchois's talent, the trimaran capsized twice and dismasted once in just four seasons.
Yet another structural failure puts an end to his career
The boat is sold to Antoine Rabaste, who follows a crewed racing program. The rest is history off the West Indies. While taking part in the Newport Bermuda Race 2022, the starboard aft boom broke and the mast was lost. The damaged platform was towed to Florida, where it has languished for the past 4 years.
Visibly transformed into a makeshift habitat, the trimaran has undergone no repairs whatsoever. The broken stern arm has not moved since her rutpure in 2022. The daggerboard and foils still seem to be in place. But it will take a lot of love and resources to bring this multihull back to life, as it surely deserved a different end.
