Thomas Ruyant builds a brand new IMOCA 60 for the 2020 Vendée Globe
by Agence TB Press 19 Dec 2018 08:43 PST
Thomas Ruyant © Agence TB
Solo offshore racing sailor and entrepreneur Thomas Ruyant is building a new IMOCA 60. His latest generation foiling IMOCA 60 build started in August 2018 and it is with this boat that he will enter the 2020 Vendée Globe.
An investment group of men and women from the North of France are supporting the build project.
The design is by world-renowned yacht designer Guillaume Verdier and the boat is being built by the highly regarded Italian yard Persico Marine. The launch date is set for July 2019.
TR Racing, the company managing the project, is now offering a high-level, turn-key partnership to companies that want to be 'active' over the build-up to and during the 2020 Vendée Globe, the toughest round the world race.
"This project represents all of my experience, all of my know-how and everything I have learnt over the past 20 years of offshore sailing, from my Mini-Transat days through to the Route du Rhum, the Solitaire du Figaro to my first Vendée Globe three years ago. Along with my group of investors, I have also put together a formidable technical and management team and together we have got the build programme under way and aim to have this incredible boat in the water in time to properly prepare for the 2020 Vendée Globe. I now need to unite around this project people and companies that see the huge associated value with being part of this amazing human adventure."
The sports programme will include all IMOCA Globe Series events from next September, including the two-handed 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre in November (Le Havre, FR Salvador de Bahia, BR) the 2020 Transat in May (Plymouth, UK to North America), the 2020 NY-Vendée in June (New York, to Les Sables d'Olonne, FR) and the main event the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe starting in November. At the conclusion of the solo programme the boat will be made ready for the other round the world race, the fully-crewed 2021-2022 Ocean Race, (formerly known as the Volvo Ocean Race) which, from the next edition, will be sailed in IMOCA 60s, before returning to solo sailing again for the 2022 Route du Rhum in November (St Malo, FR to Guadeloupe).
Thomas comments on TR Racing, his operations team: "Laurent Bourgués, my technical director, is responsible for the build and boat preparation. He has worked closely with me for several years, we have a special understanding and trust. He builds it and prepares it, I sail it. Within our team we have our own design office which is headed up by the experienced François Pernelle. One of our major design-engineering consultants is Antoine Koch, who has been a major resource in terms of specific design strategy, handling the foil programme and the sail plan. Marcus Hutchinson has also joined the team and brings his wide experience in the world of events, communications, offshore racing and project management. I'm lucky to have these people with me to run this complex and ambitious project."