Tour Voile, dal 2011 si regaterà con l’M34 di Archambault
MonotipiaVela 25 Luglio 2009 Zerogradinord 1
Tour Voile – La Seyne-sur-Mer – A margine della cerimonia di premiazione del Tour Voile 2009, William Borel, direttore della regata a tappe transalpina, ha comunicato che a partire dal 2011 i Farr 30 verranno sotituiti dai nuovi M34. Costruiti da Archambault, i nuvi scafi nasceranno sulle basi di un progetto di Joubert-Nivelt. E’ la sesta volta che gli organizzatori della regata, disputata per la prima volta nel lontano 1978, decidono di cambiare imbarcazione.
Questa scelta è molto importante anche per il Giro Vela, visto che Cino Ricci aveva da tempo annunciato che avrebbe adottato la stessa barca scelta dal Comitato Organizzatore del Tour de France a La Voile.
Più lunghi di un metro rispetto al Farr 30, gli M34 saranno senza dubbio alcuno più veloci, ciò grazie soprattutto a una superficie velica molto potente. A deporre a favore dell’M34 sono state la facilità di trasporto via terra e il limitato pescaggio, che ne permetterà l’ingresso anche nei porti caratterizzati da un fondale limitato.
E’ questa quindi la decisione che giunge al termine di una valutazione durata nove mesi che ha fatto finire sotto la lente d’ingradimento degli organizzatori – e della Federazione Francese della Vela – ben 23 disegni diversi. Dopo una prima scrematura erano rimasti in tre i progetti in lizza e l’M34 l’ha spuntata sul JPK 998 e sul T2011, presantato da K-Challenge.
Il primo M34 sarà varato il prossimo marzo e i team interessati potranno iniziare a navigarci dall’inizio di luglio.
Archambault M34
LFT 10.34 mt (9.43)
Larghezza 2.98 mt (3.08)
Dislocamento 2400 kg (2 040 kg)
Pescaggio 1.70/2.5 mt (2.10 mt)
Sup. Velica 72 mt2 (56 mt2)
Spinnaker 130 mt2 (90 mt2)
Progetto Joubert/Nivelt Design
Cantiere Archambault
Costo (incluso carrello) 120.000 Euro
TOUR VOILE , TWO ANNOUNCES IN ONE: A NEW BOAT AND A NEW RACE
[Tour Voile Press Release] 9.00 am today in la Seyne-sur-Mer, right before the last race of the 2009 Tour de France à la Voile: the race director William Borel revealed the monotype to replace the Farr 30 in 2011. He exposed her name to the 23 teams of the TFV and in the presence of Henry Bacchini, vice president of the French Sailing Federation, and Frédéric de Watrigant, the Tour de France à la Voile director: the M34 project, built by the Archambault boatyard and designed by Joubert-Nivelt Design, a French yacht design office. This 10.34 meters long, modern looking monotype is one meter longer than the Farr 30. She should be especially powerful thanks to a greater sail area/displacement ratio and will be able to sail longer offshore legs. This advantage allowed William Borel to reveal another release: the creation of the first transatlantic with a crew on a monotype. The start of such bi-annual race, supervised by the TFV managers, Larivière Organisation and supported by the French Sailing Federation, will be given at the winter/spring 2011/2012. It should follow the trade winds so as to be a proper speed run across the Atlantic. A dream for many racers across the world.
Emmanuel Archambault, the boatyard manager, and Alexandre Mercier, Joubert-Nivelt Design architect, confirmed the launching of the first M34 for March 2010. She will be officially introduced as soon as for the next TFV, in July 2010. Frédéric de Watrigant claimed that five units per month will be built from this date. The end of a nine month-long story, since the announce of a design brief for the new TFV boat in November 2008. It is not only a new boat, but also a new offshore adventure.
To change the boat of the Tour de France à la Voile is not an easy thing. Only six monotypes did the job in 32 years: the Ecume de Mer in 1978, the First 30 from 1979 to 1981, the Rush Royale in 1982 and 1983, the Sélection from 1984 to 1991, the JOD 35 from 1992 to 1998 and finally the Farr 30 (ex-Mumm 30) from 1999 to 2010. The later the longer, since the last three monotypes covered 26 years of the race history. It speaks for the career of the new boat! Indeed, the ten points of the design brief required a construction strong enough to last at least ten years at the top. This design brief has been written down in November 2008 in Saint-Tropez during a meeting. Twelve personalities from the sailing world were there, approved by the French Sailing Federation and led by the race director William Borel. He never forgot about the spirit of this document while selecting the new boat. It was all about the historic and unique plan of this race, which mixes technical regattas (triangles), coastal and offshore legs up to 200 miles long. Amateurs and students shall also be able to sail against professional sailors on a same start line aboard the exact same boat. Moreover, the design brief requires a modern boat, easily transportable by road, with a reasonable draft to enter into ports, asking for no more than five to six crews on board, with a retractable pool for an asymmetrical spinnaker, for a reasonable cost (120 000 Euros duty-free with the trailer). She will generally be a more offshore boat than the Farr 30. The boatyard must ensure the respect of the gauge in time so as to ensure the international aspect of the class.
January 31, 2009, William Borel received 23 preliminary projects coming from nine different countries: it was the expression of a major interest. On Mars 13, three names were selected: the JPK 998 by JPK Composite and designed by Jacques Valer, the One Design T2011 by K-Challenge and designed by Russel Coutts/Andrej Justin, and finally the M34 by the Archambault boatyard and designed by Joubert-Nivelt Design. William Borel finally chose this one after many surveys. Why? “This project offered the most original choices with the K-Challenge one. I am thinking about the retractable keel, which allows a 2,5 m draft at sea to be reduced to 1,70 m in port or during transportation. It strictly respects the design brief according to the budget safeties. The Archambault boatyard guaranties the international aspect with more than 1650 Surprises sailing across the world since 1977.”
The M34 is only a temporary name: Larivière Organisation will announce her final name later on, like the final name for the new race across the Atlantic. The boat will succeed to the Farr 30 after twelve years. William Borel sums up the advantages of the new monotype compared to her older sister: “She is longer, more modern and suited to offshore legs. Her sail area/displacement ratio is way greater, she will sail ½ knot faster upwind and much faster downwind thanks to her greater hull volume and an asymmetrical spinnaker (130 m2 for 90 in the Farr 30). She will then be easier to transport thanks to her retractable keel and because of a mast split into two parts, already seen on the RC44.”
The offshore qualities of the Archambault M34 also allow a wider range of races. This is the reason why Larivière Organisation announces the same day the creation of the first transatlantic with a crew on a monotype. Its code name, One Wave West, sounds like a dream. Recognized by the French Sailing Federation, this new race will leave for the Antilles during the winter/spring 2011/2012, right after the first TFV to be run on the M34. Two days ago, Cino Ricci, the Giro Vela manager, announced he would choose the M34 as the new boat of this Italian race when renewing the boat. The circuit should therefore be more dynamic and more international thanks to such a new boat. Good news for the TFV.
Archambault M34
Length Over All: 10,34 m (9,43)
Beam: 2,98 m (3,08)
Displacement: 2400 kg (2 040 kg)
Draft: 1,70 m/2,5 m (2,10 m)
Sail area upwind: 72 m2 (56 m2)
Spinnaker: 130 m2 (90 m2)
Architects: Joubert/Nivelt Design
Boatyard: Archambault
Cost included the trailer: 120 000 Euros
