Wingsail, foiling but no hulls - Jundt and Mirabaud announce the conce

by Laurent Koutaïssoff on 16 Dec 2010 Geneva-based sailor and designer Thomas Jundt plans to develop a wing mast for his foiling monohull, Mirabaud LX.

Since the radical boat hit the water in April 2008, Mirabaud LX has undergone constant improvement including new floats, sails, foils and continuous fine-tuning to the structure in general.

World renowned and the subject of heated discussion in the International sailing community, Mirabaud LX has had considerable success on both salt and fresh water. In particular Thomas Jundt, Antoine Ravonel and Eric Gobet blew off the 200-strong fleet in the Genève-Rolle-Genève 2009 race, winning the monohull category and breaking the event record.

The same year, in May 2009, Mirabaud LX sailed for the first time without any floats, flying solely on her foils.

This autumn, Mirabaud LX won the yacht category of the prestigious Weymouth Speed Week with a run over the 500m course at an average of 23.24 knots and a top speed of 25.8 knots.

'I visited Newport (Rhode Island, USA) this autumn to take part in the Little America’s Cup and to check out the latest rigid sail developments,' explains Thomas Jundt. 'I’ve been watching the evolution of wing sails for many years, but this time I was really struck by the amount of new technology on show, their ease of use and the associated performance. I was convinced that we needed to add this development to the Mirabaud LX project.'

Mirabaud LX will only be the second yacht with a wing on Lake Geneva, after Philippe Stern’s catamaran Altaïr XII that caused a stir in the early 90’s.

'We have supported Thomas Jundt’s projects for the past three years and have keenly followed the successive developments of Mirabaud LX,' comments Mirabaud Associate and CEO Antonio Palma. 'Thomas has a unique and innovative approach and his projects are professionally planned and implemented. We are delighted to be able to support this new development.'

Mirabaud LX’s wing is currently in the conception phase and will be completed before the major racing circuit begins on Lake Geneva.

Website - http://www2.jundt.ch/