Fade to Orange
Orange 2 was a battlewagon of a solution to the Jules Verne problem that turned out to be the right tool for a 50-day job in 2005, but the way the trimarans Groupama 3 and then BP5 shattered just about every record that Bruno Peyron’s big cat took brings up an obvious question: Will we ever see a new record-breaking maxi cat again? This study in geometry comes from earlier this year at the Multiplast yard in Vannes, Brittany.
Words: Alan Block
Posts tagged ALAN BLOCK
19
Jul 11
Jul 11
Safran
Brittany, France 47°20'21"N 3°26'31"W
Published in Yachting World January 2012 issue.
If you ever needed a graphic description of just why all modern Open 60s have the protective cocoons they do, here it is. this is a shot of the military hardware company-sponsored SAFRAN during training for the Transat Jacques Vabre 2011 with skipper Marc Guillemot co/skipper Yann Eliés, which starts at the end of October from Le Havre, Normandy. The doublehanded TJV is one of France’s major ocean races, with the cream of the IMOCA and Class 40 crop on the line for the jaunt from France to Costa Rica.
Words: Alan Block
13
Jul 11
Jul 11
Sodebo the Razors Edge
Saint Philibert, Brittany, France 47º34’26″N 3º00’24″W
Another surreal view from the lens of Christophe Launay, this time from the Sodeb’O shed in La Trinité, where the big trimaran is being cleaned up and mothballed until Thomas Coville gets back from his Volvo Ocean Race campaign aboard Franck Cammas’ Team Groupama.
Meanwhile, Francis Joyon, Coville’s nemesis in the record-breaking game, is on standby with IDEC in Brooklyn, NY, readying for his chance to crush Coville’s solo transatlantic record of 5 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds. For comparison’s sake, Rambler 100, the most powerful and modern of racing monohulls, just had a brilliant crossing last week of 6 days, 22 hours, with about 20 more mouths to feed than Joyon…
Words: Alan Block
07
May 11
May 11
Tour de Belle-Ile 2011
Brittany, France 47º23’97″N 3º15’84″W
Bucking his preference for being in the thick of the action, Christophe Launay finally gets up in a chopper like the lazy photogs and shows why his is one of the very best. This shot from the incredible nearly 500 boat fleet at the Tour De Belle-Ile. The 77-foot maxi tri Gitana 11 broke the record in 2 hours and 42 minutes with Seb Josse at the helm, but nearly was overtaken at the end by Lionel Lemanchois on the super-fast Irens Multi 50 trimaran Prince De Bretagne.
Words: Alan Block
20
Apr 11
Apr 11
M34 groupama Onboard
La Trinité sur Mer, Brittany , France 47°33'85"N 3°00'73"W
The 2011 Tour de France a la Voile might be lightly populated and it might take us all a long time before we get over our nostalgic love for days of the huge Mumm 30 fleets, but the big guns are ready to play in the new M34 and Christophe Launay was with Frank Cammas and his Groupama’s Sailing Team for some light air training in preparation for the huge Breton gathering at Spi Ouest.
Words: Alan Block
31
Mar 11
Mar 11
Sodebo, Thomas Coville Arrival
La Trinité sur Mer, Brittany, France 47º33’78″N 3º00’85″W
Christophe Launay was on hand to catch some memorable shots of poor Thomas Coville after his third attempt at the solo RTW record in three years fell short. “Valiant Tom” and Sodeb’O were beaten first by a damaged ama, but ultimately by an uncooperative North Atlantic. Given his clear love for the massive challenge he faces at beating the near-perfect run Francis Joyon put together to get the record, we hope to see him try again next year. BRAVO Thomas!!
Words: Alan Block 
