Sailing and one design, Planet Warrior takes off from Persico

Persico – It is a trimaran called Planet Warrior, built for French skipper Fabrice Cahierc according to Multi50 Class rules. Because of its size – 15.24 metres (50 ft) long and the same dimension at its widest point – Planet Warrior had to be transported by air. The 2.5-ton multihull was airlifted by an AS 332 Super Puma helicopter from the Swiss firm Heliswiss International and arrived at the port in about 3 hours. 

 The flight was carefully planned, especially due the need to refuel before crossing over the Apennines. And it was carried out without a hitch owing to the long experience of Heliswiss in this type of transport. Featuring waterline and construction designed by the renowned French firm VPLP, a specialist in both racing and cruising multihulls, Planet Warrior strengthens the already solid transalpine Multi 50 class. An increasing number of ocean skippers have been participating in the class either alone or in pairs. The class rules have been developed to allow for a high-performance trimaran, albeit at a lower cost, thanks to the strict limitations. Glass fibre is required for the build, except for the crossbeams, mast, rudders and foils, which can be made of carbon fibre. Despite these restrictions, Multi50 is a high-performance class, ideal for offshore regattas with a smaller crew. 

 For this French project, skipper Fabrice Cahierc and the design firm VPLP relied on the extensive experience of the Italian boatbuilder Persico. All the work was done at the foot of the Bergamasque Alps by the highly qualified local team of boatbuilders that has been skilfully developed and guided through the years by Persico. Any difficulty in transport logistics was more than compensated for by the excellent construction quality ensured by the Bergamo boatyard. Just one example is the absolute precision of the total weight – it turned out exactly as designed. From Marina di Carrara, the boat will head for Marseilles, where the mast will be installed, then sail to Marseilles and, finally, move on to Malta for its debut in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, along with other Multi50 trimarans. The offshore Mediterranean classic will start and end at Valletta, after circumnavigating Sicily, Pantelleria and Lampedusa in an anticlockwise direction for a total of 600 miles. 

Planet Warrior bears the name of the foundation created by Fabrice Cahierc that is dedicated to safeguarding the Earth. In the next three years the foundation will raise funds to train engineers, who will be able to work without any commercial ties and apply for patents to develop systems for capturing and neutralizing excess CO2..Persico was already chosen in 2017 by two superstars in French sailing, Gitana and Sodebo, to produce the crossbeams and foils for their Ultim Class maxi trimaran.

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