Launch of the Maxi Banque Populaire XI
by CDK Technologies 27 Apr 2021 16:34 PDT
Launch of the new Ultim Tri Banque Populaire XI © B-Philippe/CDK Technologies
The Ultim trimaran Banque Populaire XI exited the yard in Lorient, Brittany this Tuesday 27 April 2021. In attendance to witness this historic moment were all the teams involved in the project – Team Banque Populaire and the teams from the CDK Technologies yard – a single, united group, which has worked in perfect harmony for almost 24 months behind closed doors at the CDK Technologies yard. This maxi-trimaran is the third craft to be built and developed by Team Banque Populaire with CDK Technologies completely taking charge of the project management.
Having built the majority of the Banque Populaire boats, including the Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire V in 2008, the largest racing multihull ever constructed, CDK Technologies is sincerely grateful to the Sailing Bank for trusting in them.
CDK Technologies geared up for large-scale manufacturing
With this latest launch, CDK Technologies is delivering its fourth giant (Ultim Banque Populaire XI skippered by Armel Le Cléac’h, preceded by Banque Populaire V, now known as Spindrift 2 skippered by Yann Guichard in 2007, François Gabart’s Macif in 2015, and Armel Le Cléac’h’s previous Banque Populaire IX in 2017). It’s a fantastic result for all the CDK teams, who have managed to reorganise themselves in the face of the disruptions resulting from the health crisis.
Project manager of the Maxi Banque Populaire XI build process, CDK Technologies subcontracted the central hull and the floats to its partners (Multiplast in Vannes, Brittany and Fibre Mechanics in Lymington in the UK).
Long-haul construction began in May 2019
The new maxi trimaran, created by the VPLP architectural firm and GSea Design (structural calculations), is breaking new ground with elements such as her lifting surfaces and her foils, which measure twice the size of those from previous generations. This latest iteration will be even more robust to better integrate the constraints of flight.
A combination of high technology and skilled craftsmanship, nearly 100 people in all have worked on everything remotely connected to the future Maxi Banque Populaire XI since April 2019.
It has required 24 months, 150,000 man-hours and this stellar workforce to bring this construction to a successful conclusion (around 100,000 hours of which have been at the CDK Technologies yard alone). The finesse of the forms is striking and the helming station is especially innovative. Indeed, every detail has been studied in depth between the designers, Team Banque Populaire and the CDK Technologies design office.
CDK Technologies and Banque Populaire, an historic collaboration
A real synergy has been created between the CDK Technologies yard and Team Banque Populaire. In fact, the yard has built the majority of the Team’s boats, including the IMOCA Banque Populaire VII for Armel Le Cléac’h, winner of the Vendée Globe 2016/2017. So much more than a service, there is a genuine collaboration between the teams of CDK Technologies and Team Banque Populaire. There is a constant exchange between the Team’s design office and that of CDK Technologies and thanks to Stéphane Digard and Romain Cachia, Armel Le Cléac’h now boasts an optimised boat ready to set off on her first test flight.
A foiling solution in the forefront of innovation
CDK Technologies successfully launched into the manufacture of large foils by taking advantage of its large-scale autoclave (4m in diameter and 25m long, 200°C, 10 bars), the only one of its kind in Europe. In this way, CDK Technologies has fine-tuned a particularly innovative manufacturing technique, enabling the design of the section and the various manufacturing phases to be optimised.
Objective: The Transat Jacques Vabre
Upon her launch on 27 April 2021, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI will embark on a lengthy setting-up period. It is sure to be another intense phase for the teams from CDK Technologies, whose greatest reward will be seeing this jewel of technology, which the yard has devoted all its energy to over the past 24 months, getting airborne.
Bertrand Magnin, Head of Development Banque Populaire: « We’re very proud of the launch of this boat, which testifies to our trust in entrepreneurship, in collaboration as well as in the passing on of knowledge. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the 150 firms and their associates, together with Team Banque Populaire, who have enabled the construction of this fabulous trimaran. »
Ronan Lucas, Director of Team Banque Populaire: « C’est toujours un immense plaisir de travailler avec CDK Technologies depuis tant d’années. Pour ce projet aussi complexe qu’ambitieux, nous avons développé à nouveau une collaboration, une cohésion et une synergie exceptionnelles. Notre travail en commun, constructif de bout en bout, nous a permis de trouver des solutions optimales pour pallier les difficultés techniques, être à la hauteur de nos ambitions et mettre à l’eau un géant aussi innovant que performant. »
Armel Le Cléac’h, skipper of the Maxi Banque Populaire XI: « I would like to thank all the CDK Technologies teams for their commitment, their ability to listen and their professionalism during the construction of Banque Populaire XI. I know the extent to which they have rallied together, stepped up and surpassed themselves for this project. I’ve greatly appreciated the synergies and the mutual trust between Team Banque Populaire and CDK Technologies throughout the past two years of working together. They’ve managed to pull off this massive challenge and they can be proud of the outcome. The boat is ready to go and is very well-designed technically, which is ideal for taking on the major challenges that await us. »
Stéphane Digard, Manufacturing Director of CDK Technologies: « Working with a leading team like Team Banque Populaire encourages us to constantly improve our build standards. Our success is based on a very high level of mutual trust and projects are always carried out with a constructive mindset at the service of performance. »
About CDK Technologies
CDK Technologies is a yard, which boasts over 35 years’ experience in the construction of racing monohulls and multihulls capable of winning the major offshore races. A leading yard in the domain of offshore racing, especially thanks to its mastery of the construction of foiling boats, CDK Technologies has transferred its know-how to the construction of luxury yacht platforms and industrial parts made of high-performance composite.
Along with boats, CDK Technologies also constructs high-tech individual parts (masts, booms, foils). This diversification is opening the yard up to new markets in industry, aeronautics, defence and Marine Renewable Energies.
Created in 1984 by Hubert Desjoyeaux in Port-la-Forêt, the yard has also had a presence since 2007 in Lorient at the heart of “Bretagne Sailing Valley”©. Managed since the mid-nineties by Philippe Facque, it has nearly 100 associates and a turnover of €10 M in 2019.
It has amassed a serious track record among the IMOCAs and ULTIMS, which have come out of its yard: 5 winners of the Vendée Globe (four consecutive victories, 5 in all out of 9 editions), 2 victories in the Route du Rhum, 3 victories in the Transat Jacques Vabre, 2 victories in The Transat bakerly and 3 records… The singlehanded Round the World Record under sail (Trophée St Exupéry), has been held since 2017 by the Trimaran MACIF skippered by François Gabart and manufactured by CDK Technologies in 2015.