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Before setting sail in the Vendée Globe, several years of development are required. It is this rarely seen phase that Benjamin Dutreux has chosen to showcase in a new series airing on YouTube. The first episode takes viewers to the heart of the project, from the initial design decisions to the workshops where his future IMOCA is taking shape.
Building a new IMOCA to compete for the top spots
From the very first minutes, Benjamin Dutreux clearly states the goal of this new campaign. After finishing tenth in the 2024 Vendée Globe, the skipper explains that he wants to return with a boat capable of competing at the very top.
This decision involves building a new IMOCA designed around specifications focused entirely on performance. The series shows that this type of project goes far beyond the realm of sports. It brings together architects, engineers, composite specialists, and experts in rigging, electronics, and hydraulics for several years.
A design project carried out in the utmost secrecy
The video provides a glimpse into the industrial process behind the creation of a next-generation prototype. The opening scenes, filmed at Multiplast, illustrate the steps involved in manufacturing the molds, the hull, and the boat's internal structure.
Much of the work remains intentionally out of sight. The teams explain that certain production areas cannot be filmed in order to protect the technical choices and solutions developed by the architects and engineering firms.
This discretion has become the norm in the world of IMOCA racing. Innovations remain confidential until the boat is launched in order to limit the exchange of ideas between competing teams.
A project in collaboration with Team Paprec
The new boat is being developed in parallel with Team Paprec?s boat. The two teams are sharing some of their industrial resources, particularly during the mold-making process.
This structure allows for the sharing of certain construction phases while maintaining project-specific developments. Discussions among the technical teams also help validate certain approaches or, conversely, favor more cautious solutions when necessary.
The boat was designed by Antoine Koch, who has already designed several IMOCA yachts that competed in the most recent Vendée Globe and are part of the class?s future programs.
More than 40,000 hours to build a boat
One of the key takeaways from this first video is the sheer scale of the project. The teams mention more than 40,000 hours of design and fabrication work before the launch. The hull, deck, cockpit, rudders, foils, deckhouse, hydraulic systems, electronics, and all the equipment are gradually assembled to form a complete boat.
Each phase must be approved before moving on to the next one. Once the molds have been manufactured or certain parts have been laminated, there is no turning back. This sequence of technical decisions explains why several years often elapse between the launch of a project and its first sea trials.
Ergonomics Is Becoming a Driver of Performance
The documentary also shows that performance no longer depends solely on the boat's seaworthiness.
The teams are working on the cockpit's ergonomics, the skipper's position, the skipper's watch seat, and the layout of the controls. Digital design tools, virtual reality simulations, and full-scale models are used to optimize movement on board and reduce fatigue during long solo voyages.
The skipper's seat itself has been specially designed to conform precisely to the skipper's body shape and improve support during watch periods.
A series that promises more revelations
This first episode lays the groundwork for a series chronicling the creation of a next-generation IMOCA. Future videos will follow the progress of the build, the installation of various equipment, and the initial sea trials before the launch.
For offshore racing enthusiasts, this series offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at a Vendée Globe project. It highlights the teamwork that goes into the project long before the boat sets sail for its first ocean races.
