Foiling monohull Edmond de Rothschild has first sea trial off Lorient

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com NZL on 4 Sep 2015 Launched on 7 August in Vannes, after an eleven-month build at the Multiplast yard, the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild had her first sail just ten days later from the team’s base in Lorient, France.

On Monday 24 August, weather forecaster reported a particularly active and deep low was set to roll across Brittany, dishing up 28 to 35 knots of north-westerly breeze accompanied by a 2.5 to 3-metre swell.

Joint sailors Se´bastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier (his co-skipper for the Transat Jacques Vabre) sea-trialled the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild in winds in excess of 30kts, on the Atlantic Ocean. It was the first real test for the twin-foiled monohull, which carries a side hydrofoil, which is designed to partially lift the hull clear of the water, reducing drag and giving faster speeds (see video).



Stability is provided from a canting keel in the usual way with this type of high performance yacht. She is designed by VPLP Yacht Design Yard, designers of the supermaxi Comanche which recently set a 24 hour monohull speed record of 618nm during a transatlantic race.

“It was really interesting to get a chance to sail in these boisterous conditions on what was only our third outing! Our current phase is all about discovering and breaking-in the boat. Even though this type of sailing is giving us some positive signs as to how the boat handles, these outings are just sprints for now so they’re much too short to draw any real conclusions from them.

'We’ll have to wait till the finish of the Transat Jacques Vabre for that. The very demanding 5,400-mile course (nearly quarter of a round the world circuit) offered up by this double-handed transatlantic race serves as a fantastic trial run,” explained Josse, the skipper of Edmond de Rothschild.

From here the training sessions will intensify, notably including a 1,000 nautical mile qualifier aboard the new boat, and every opportunity for time on the water will be maximised.

The Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild is the second IMOCA in the history of the Gitana racing stable fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild.

The Transat Jacques Vabre, is due to set sail from Le Havre on 25 October 2015. To date, 13 IMOCA Monohulls have signed up.

The 12th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre double-handed transatlantic race spanning a theoretical 5,400 miles between Le Havre and Itajai´ (Brazil) Starts on 25 October 2015.

Josse's co-skipper from 2013, Charles Caudrelier, will be with him again in 2015. Caudrrelier has just completed the Volvo Ocean Race, where he secured third place overall with his crew on Dongfeng Race Team.

The two skippers and friends have substantial track records with six Transat Jacques Vabre between them in all, including one joint victory in 2013.

Se´bastien Josse, 40
3 participations in the Transat Jacques Vabre
Extracts from his track record:
3rd in the Route du Rhum 2014
Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2013
Winner of the Route des Princes 2013
Winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2003 – 2007 and 2009 fourth in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2006-2007
Co-holder of the Jules Verne Trophy in 2002
2nd in the Solitaire du Figaro 2001

Charles Caudrelier, 41

4 participations in the Transat Jacques Vabre
Extracts from his track record:
3rd in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2014-2015
Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2009 and 2013 Winner of the Route des Princes 2013
Winner of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2011-2012
World Orma Champion in 2005
Winner of the Solitaire du Figaro in 2004

Technical Specifications
LOA: 20.10m
Waterline length: 18.28m Beam: 5.70m
Mast height above the waterline. 29m
Hull draft: 4.50m
Displacement (weight): 7.6 tonnes
Keel bulb weight: 3 tonnes
Maximum upwind and downwind sail area: 290m2 / 490m2
Number of sails permitted aboard: 8 (1 mainsail, 7 headsails)
M2 of living space: 10m2
Number and type of daggerboards: 2 foils
Source of on-board energy production: generators coupled to the diesel engine + hydrogenerators
Naval architects: Guillaume Verdier / VPLP Yacht Design Yard: Multiplast (Vannes)
Rudders: C3 Technologies
Daggerboards: Heol Composites
Keel: AMPM (La Mothe-Achard) Mast: Lorima (Lorient)
Start of construction: September 2014 Launch: 7 August 2015