trimaran ocean fifty

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Ocean fifty.

La classe Ocean Fifty est née en 2021 de la classe Multi50 dont l’histoire est intimement liée à celle de la course au large.

Depuis 15 ans, la classe ne cesse d’évoluer et se professionnalise en 2015 avant de faire le choix des foils en 2017. En 2021, elle innove et crée son propre circuit avec Upswing Prod. A cette occasion, elle change de nom et propose, grâce à des moyens de communication inédits dans la course au large, de gagner un public plus large. Une docu-série « Ocean Fifty » , en plusieurs épisodes, est ainsi diffusée chaque année sur Canal + .

Dynamique et raisonnée , la classe Ocean Fifty veille sur ses règles de classe qui garantissent un niveau de budget accessible aux PME, la performance et la valeur de ses bateaux sur le long terme. Son calendrier est composée d’un championnat et d’une grande course au large chaque année, Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe et Transat Jacques Vabre – Normandie Le Havre notamment.

La classe Ocean Fifty est la seule à proposer d’embarquer des invités à bord des trimarans lors des Grands Prix, en course !

Le fonctionnement de la classe Ocean Fifty

La classe Ocean Fifty fédère les skippers, armateurs et sponsors des multicoques qui sont à la jauge Ocean Fifty.

Chaque année, l’assemblée générale vote les Règles de Classe auxquelles doivent se conformer l’ensemble des bateaux pour prétendre courir en Ocean Fifty, soit sur le championnat dédié à la classe, soit sur les grandes courses au large. Le conseil d’administration travaille en partenariat avec les organisateurs de toutes les épreuves de son calendrier.

Règles de classes

La classe Ocean Fifty est aussi un laboratoire. Ses bateaux sont des prototypes qui permettent aux architectes et aux constructeurs d’innover en restant dans le cadre des Règles de classe éditées chaque année. L’écriture des Règles de classe Ocean Fifty est dictée par la recherche du meilleur compromis entre le coût de construction et d’équipement des bateaux d’une part ; les performances sportives et technologiques d’autre part. Ces deux notions sont indissociables et doivent être présentes à l’esprit de tout concepteur d’un nouveau bateau.

Le nombre de multicoques Ocean Fifty est désormais limité à 12 unités.

Responsabilité sociales des Organisations

Les membres de la classe Ocean Fifty s’engagent dans une réflexion sur leur responsabilité sociétale et environnementale, tant en termes de construction des bateaux que de gestion de projet ou d’organisation de courses. Elle souhaite également privilégier les courses dont les financements sont privés.

Documents officiels à télécharger

Le site Ocean Fifty a été conçu dans une démarche de sobriété numérique par David Daumer et Les Raisonné.e.s.

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Closeup: The Arkema 4 Racing Trimaran

• September 2nd, 2021
• Sailing Yacht

During my transfer cruise of an Excess 11 catamaran from Les Sables to Le Havre we´ve had to make a stopover in Brest due to bad weather and a case of serious sea sickness within my crew. It was there when, on one day, wind was easing a bit for a tiny time frame of some 30 minutes and I was able to cast off from the fuel station where I found refuge (and a free berth) to land the cat vis-à-vis at a proper berth alongside, not blocking the fuel station anymore. When we got up the other day, looking out of the saloon windows, I saw a huge trimaran berthed right behind us. ARKEMA 4!

And it was not just limited to this one trimaran as over the day more and more of these racing machines began to dock alongside in Brest marina, which was fascinating and a great occasion to take a look at cutting edge sailing machinery. Now that I was acting captain of a multihull myself, doing my first miles on a twin-hulled boat , I found it very intriguing to see how far this concept can be pushed and where possible differences might be.

Meet ARKEMA 4, a 50 feet racing trimaran

After drinking my morning coffee and getting dressed finally, I swung out to the pontoon and strolled around the boat. There was buzzling activity as apparently the crew having arrived so late in the night left the boat and a new crew stored their luggage on the jetty to take over. It was a fascinating look.

The trimaran is very, very sleek. Measuring 50 feet in length, which is little more than 15 metres and a width of little less than 15 metres. A racing square. This cat has been built over a period of two full years which shows the determination and care that goes into a boat like this. ARKEMA 4 is skippered by Quentin Vlamynk, once the youngest skipper (28 years of age) in this sailing series, but a serious salt by himself. He is head of a pro-team consisting of a technical crew, staff, co-skippers and care takers as well as a media crew. ARKEMA 4 is part of the Ocean Fifty Pro-Sailing Series, formerly known as Multi50.

It´s a fascinating sight and so much to see. This is what I love about sailing in French waters: You can meet so many interesting people, see so many special boats and yachts and can start so exciting conversations with the guys sailing them. No matter if they are private circumnavigators doing their own business or the stars of sailing, like these guys. So I went over and asked if I could take pictures: “Be our guest!”, the boat captain told me and smiled. Now, let´s go!

Built for maximum speed

ARKEMA 4 is kind of a brand-new trimaran incorporating some nice new ideas which make it different to most of the other boats. What can be seen immediately are the two foils in the floats and a huge forward removable daggerboard. Both are retractable for reducing unwanted drag when necessary. I reckon these are made of carbon of course.

The ARKEMA 4 sports a classy rigging. I couldn´t spot any lines or blocks which would indicate a rotating mast-system but I guess a racing trimaran in this class would have one. Everything was faired in sleek, aerodynamic panels trying to even further reduce every bit of drag created by vortexes in high speed sailing mode. Look at the cockpit: It´s as low as possible to allow a low boom and increase mainsail area. Speaking of which this trimaran has plenty of.

I checked their website and there it is said that the cockpit glass is made of a new material, Shield up Flex PMMA glazing that can withstand even hardest pounding by hard hitting waves. Thinking back to the standard acrylic glazing of my old OLIVIA this is clearly is rocket science. The ARKEMA 4 also sports a quite interesting energy management system, which consists of photovoltaic modules allocated all over the trimaran and latest technology Lithium-Ion batteries, this boat can increase energy storage of up to 50% to a prior version making it self-sustainable and not emitting one gram of CO2.

High speed tri-racing: How is this feeling like?

That these behemoths are going fast like hell cannot just be seen by looking at the space-fighter design and sleek form of the boat. You can see the effects of high speed all over the boat: The foil covering the trimaran in their sponsor´s colors is peeling off at all frontal edges of the outrigger beams, large chunky of thick wrapping is simply torn off.

Well, no wonder: These trimarans go fast even in the slightest of puffs. High speed racing with up to 30 knots SOG are possible, at one occasion, as skipper Vlamynck tells, they clocked in at whopping 39 knots upwind (!) leaving Toulon. This is absolutely incredible! As generally speaking upwind performance in multihulls is considered being inferior to a mono, this figure is absolutely exciting showing the potential of such a boat.

Asking if I could come inside and take a few pics, the crew was very friendly, but refused. I knew that this answer would be coming before I asked, of course, as competition is tight and all crews want to protect their tiny secrets and tricks. It would have been very interesting to see the berths for the off-crew, the galley and the WC-arrangement as this is always very interesting. (You may browse this article on ILLBRUCK racing yacht and see how they did it back in the day)

Fighter-Jet technology meets Viking-sailing

Anyway, what fascinates me most is the fact that sailing itself is a very old, almost ancient, technology. Man has been on the seas since he came into being and seafaring was, still is, the motor of our civilization. In this, one can still see the old Papyros-rafts of the Egyptians, the Latin-sail of the Venetians or the sleek lines of the Clipper Ships even in a high tech carbon-monster like ARKEMA 4.

It is still a crew of dedicated men and women working with their bare hands, pulling lines and ropes, running through pulleys and blocks. Ancient technology beamed to the 21 st century. Although I wasn´t allowed to get onboard and take pics from the inside, I managed to sneek into ARKEMA´s cockpit standing high up on the jetty (during falling tide). Thanks to the great zoom of my Huawei´s great camera I got a peak onto the large winches and the keyboard of the running rigging.

Amazing how I as a very, very ordinary sailor can almost instantly determine which line works which sail and where to pull and veer to trim the sails. Also something that fascinates me about sailing, this universal language, no words needed, just a look onto a rope, following its path up the mast to understand which function it has. In theory, anyone who can sail, would be sailing this trimaran too. Well … in theory. We all fly in planes regularly (well, not so much anymore apoparently …) but I reckon only a tiny percentage of us won´t be lost in the cockpit of an A350. Different in boats though.

We strolled over to the other trimarans of which the whole fleet was now mooring in Brest to try and spot some differences, like the steering positions which have sometimes been solved nicely (and quite protected from aggressive spray, sometimes not so much) and tried to figure out which of them trimarans would be our favourite.

Ocean Fifty Pro-Sailing Tour in Brest

Now back in Germany for some weeks I followed the Ocean Fifty Sailing Series and I am amazed seeing Skipper Vlamynck and his ARKEMA 4 team finishing the overall series in second place. Congratulations for that, quite a nice success for a young man like him, standing his ground in high seas high speed racing against a wolfpack of such names as Erwan Le Roux or Armel Tripon.

There is of course one name that turned out unbeatable, at last in this year´s edition of Ocean Fifty Pro Sailing Series and that is Sam Goodchild. The mastermind of LEYTON trimaran managed to outpace even ARKEMA 4 and is the overall winner. I had the pleasure of talking to Sam Goodchild some years ago about the Solitaire du Figaro , a fascinating legendary race and cradle of so many pro sailing stars in France and the world.

All of those seven teams I guess will now return to their sheds. Boats will be repaired, maintained and brought up to the next level with tweaks and new equipment to be ready for 2022 edition of the Ocean Fifty Pro Sailing Series. Now that I have seen these great machines with my own eyes, spoke to their crews (although just short, but nevertheless …) I will have an eye on this fascinating niche of the sailing sport for sure.

Inspirational …

Thinking back to this encounter with the three-hulled Formula 1-racers of the oceans I can remember that they inspired me in sailing “my” own catamaran which I was taking from the Les Sables d´Olonne to Germany. The next day it seemed that weather would be good enough to get out into the English Channel with a cruising catamaran and so we decided to take off. Looking on this picture and remembering that fateful early morning, still dark, 14-17 knots wind in the marina, rain pouring down … gives me shiver still!

This manoeuvre was and still is the most exciting, the worst in terms of tension, the most complicated in terms of wind, pressure and drift of my whole sailing career. In front of me a trimaran, behind me a trimaran, next no me vis-à-vis boats moored in second row, further minimizing space to steer my boat through. I cannot imagine the catastrophe if I would have hit one of these …

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Renewal phase in the Ocean Fifty class

• 21 February 2023

After the Ultims, the Mini 6.50, the Figaro and the Class40, Tip & Shaft is continuing its pre-season review of the key classes of 2023,  now looking at the Ocean Fifty . And we find a class which, as is often the case in a post-Rum year,  is active with newcomers and a few leavers. 

The post-Route du Rhum year is often synonymous with transition for the Ocean Fifty class , the classic single-handed transat to Guadeloupe representing the pinnacle for these projects. This is the case again this year, with a transfer window still in progress , to the point that two months before the start of the season, it is difficult to know how many boats will take part to the Pro Sailing Tour then to the other races on the calendar.

If there is uncertainty it does not concern Sébastien Rogues , whose partners, lead by Primonial, have signed until the end of 2026 with a new boat ready for the start grid (Romaric Neyhousser design, built at Multiplast in the moulds of Arkema 4 ), nor does it concern Erwan Le Roux , whose contract with Koesio expires at the end of 2023. “But we are looking beyond that” , confides Le Roux who is still president of the class. And  Thibaut Vauchel-Camus ( Solidaires en Peloton-Arsep ), certain to be a starter this season, talks of “the desire” to embark again on a new four-year cycle with his partners.

Joining these lynchpins of the class  three new skippers are arriving this year , with the next Route du Rhum on the horizon. The first is Fabrice Cahierc who launched the current Koesio (originally Planet Warriors) in March 2021, before finally stepping aside, “for personal reasons” , explains the former entrepreneur now a full-time professional skipper.  He adds: “Having brought back the boat from the 2021 Jacques Vabre with Erwan (Le Roux), well that really reignited the flame. So I decided to go with a new boat ”. 

And so he has an optimized version of the VPLP design, built at CDK Technologies and which will be christened at the end of June in Nantes, where the headquarters of the Réalités company is. Fabrice Cahierc has them on board supporting him “at least until the Route du Rhum 2026.” For what budget? “Excluding depreciation, it’s around 800,000 euros per season , as for the boat [which Réalités is an owner, editor’s note] , it’s 3.5 million euros , but if you want to be safe all in you have to say 4 million.” 

Saint Malo is a key centre

Based in Saint-Malo, Fabrice Cahierc will have two newcomers there too, as well as Thibaut Vauchel-Camus. There is Luke Berry , from Class40, whose project has not yet been formalized, and a skipper sailing in the colours of the Breton company Viabilis – an official partner of the last Route du Rhum, and of Arnaud Pennarun in Rhum Mono. The skipper will be supported by BE Racing , the structure of Louis Burton and Servane Escoffier.

“The project came together just before the Route du Rhum,” says Servane Escoffier. “We received a phone call telling us that Viabilis wanted to do more and had a preference for an Ocean Fifty. It turns out that on our side, we had made the decision to get into this class by buying a boat. We had planned a visit of Leyton [former Sam Goodchild’s Ocean Fifty, this latter now in Imoca, ed’s note] in Saint-Malo, so the boss of Viabilis came with us, we were all very motivated, the project is up and running for at least four years! “ 

BE Racing had one question outstanding, to find a skipper, hence a selection launched at the beginning of January which is now on the verge of completion. “We received 45 applications,   continues Servane Escoffier , we retained six CVs and today we have three finalists left, we will announce the skipper and all the details of the project around March 6.”

Opportunities available

So that means six Ocean Fifty for the second part of the season – Réalités and the new Primonial will be launched at the end of May. But will they be joined by the four other existing boats in the class? Winner of the Pro Sailing Tour last year and second in the Transat Jacques Vabre, Quentin Vlamynck is not sure to do it again . “We [Lalou Multi, the operation of Lalou Roucayrol, NDLR] were at the end of the contract with Arkema. They had already told us in March 2022 that they would not be renewing. We almost signed a partner last summer, but it didn’t work out, so we’re continuing our search,” explains Vlamynck.  “We will do everything so that the boat, which we own, goes racing, because it is important for the class. We could charter it or sell it, or join forces with another skipper for the Jacques Vabre, we give ourselves a big month to think things over.

Armel Tripon , who has not given up on his Imoca project with a boat built with reused carbon, explains that his Ocean Fifty Les Ptis Doudous “is potentially for sale, but the idea is to at least the Pro Sailing Tour before possibly organizing some kind of handover”.   Gilles Lamiré’s trimaran, which he is bringing back from the West Indies, is for sale – Marsail, Christopher Pratt’s company, is in the running -, while Eric Péron , who is looking for partners to accompany him on the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest, is looking to charter his out – 200,000 euros a year – ready to sail. “My decision will be made in a month: if I can’t finance the Ultim, I will stay in Ocean Fifty.” says Peron

The Pro Sailing Tour seeks a balance

This uncertainty on the grid largely explains why the class has only finalised his programme 2023 last week, particularly on that of the Pro Sailing Tour , a circuit launched in 2021. “We knew that the post-Route du Rhum year was going to bring a lot of changes. We need to have a certain minimum number of boats because of the conditions the host cities, we hope for 5 to 7″ , explains Julien Mauriat, president of Upswing Prod, which along with Keneo in 2022, organizes the circuit.

The calendar will have two major sections: a first in the Mediterranean, which will pass through La Seyne-sur-Mer (8-11 May), Bonifacio (13-16 May) and Alghero (Sardinia, May 18-21), a second in the Atlantic and the Channel with a regatta in Saint-Nazaire as part of The Arch (June 1-4) and a final rush between Cowes and Brest (10- 14 June). The season, excluding the Pro Sailing Tour, will continue with the Trophée des Multihulls Baie de Saint-Brieuc, from July 12 to 16, the Fastnet and the Transat Jacques Vabre.

For its third season, the Pro Sailing Tour is based on a budget of around 2 million euros , which Julien Mauriat hopes will be “balanced” by the end of the year, thanks to the arrival of six new partners , which will be announced mid-March.  “Our economic model is being structured, the objective is to get closer to a balance between 40% of the budget by the cities, 60% by private partners and the broadcasters of our series.”  Broadcast in France by the Canal + group – and in 189 countries -, this series, whose season 2 is expected in early May, does it appeal to viewers? “We have no audience figures, but a real satisfaction from the direction of the programs of Canal + , which makes them return to the series this year” , responds the boss of Upswing Prod.

Stéphane Vidal , boss of Primonial, the title partner of Sébastien Rogues, comments: “It’s really great to watch the series, but it is seen by few people in France, it’s a shame, everything like the fact that it comes out a year later”. But the fact is it works for them, hence the extension of his partnership for four more years with the winner of the TJV 2021 proves it. He is “very happy with the positioning of the class in the general ecosystem of sailing , it is on a human level, well regulated, with no big arms race and a very good atmosphere.” The only pitfall in his eyes, the lack of real visibility on the sailing calendar which makes it difficult to organize public relations at events.

These are things the organizer and the class are aware of and they promise to communicate by next fall on the 2024 calendar. “That’s the big job we have to do right now. We know that we can improve, but we can see that the class is attracting people, which shows that we’re on the right track overall ,” says its president Erwan Le Roux.

Photo: Alexis Courcoux

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Fast Track to the Fifties

• By Emily Caroe
• February 13, 2024

MerConcept, the high-performance hub for offshore sailing and sustainable technologies based in Concarneau, France, announced the launch of its racing program to provide female sailors with experience in offshore multihull racing. UpWind by MerConcept will recruit, train, and support a squad of six female sailors as they compete in the Ocean Fifty offshore sailing circuit this year, with the ambition to have a female skipper on the starting line in a multihull for the 2026 Route du Rhum.

Backed by Founding Sponsor 11th Hour Racing, UpWind by MerConcept’s overarching goal is to be a driving force in the transformation of offshore sailing. UpWind’s vision is for the sport to become a more inclusive and diverse community, providing equal opportunities for everyone while increasing the pool of female talent available for selection to join mixed multihull crews for record-setting challenges like the Jules Verne Trophy.

MerConcept is based in the heart of the international offshore sailing world in Brittany, France, and was founded by François Gabart, the fastest person to sail around the world. “Our mission at UpWind is to support and empower female sailors to excel in high-performance, multihull offshore racing, breaking down barriers, and creating a welcoming and safe space for everyone,” Gabart said. “Teams perform at their best when they comprise diverse talent. A first step to achieving this is to support the growth in the critical mass of talented female sailors with offshore multihull experience so that all teams taking on challenges like the Jules Verne Trophy will have mixed crews in the future. As the sailing industry, we have to change the status quo, and at MerConcept, we are excited to be part of the solution.”

The application process to join the program is now open, and female sailors from anywhere in the world are invited to apply by completing the form on the UpWind by MerConcept by March 24, 2024.

Cécile Andrieu, MerConcept’s Director of Racing, outlined the candidates they are looking to recruit. “We’re very excited to launch our worldwide call for applications today. The spirit of UpWind is both performance and diversity and therefore we’re open to a wide range of profiles and backgrounds. Ideally, our applicants will have some good racing experience, whether it is offshore, inshore, match-racing, or Olympics, and have a genuine desire to get involved and bring this new racing team to life.

“At the end of selection week, we hope to have recruited two groups. A performance-focused squad to take part in the Grand Prix and transatlantic races and a second which will support in the training and on deliveries, with a view to gaining valuable sailing experience and miles for their CV.”

Francesca Clapcich , the only Italian to win The Ocean Race – racing as part of the winning crew with 11th Hour Racing Team in 2022-23 – has been appointed as the Skipper, leading the sailing squad.

“Francesca is the perfect skipper for UpWind by MerConcept,” Gabart said. “Her sailing CV is impressive, with experience at the Olympics, the Women’s America’s Cup, the Solitaire du Figaro, and The Ocean Race. She is competitive and driven on the water and is a champion for supporting women in the sport at all levels. We are really pleased she will be leading what we hope will be a truly international squad of female sailors.”

At the end of 2023, MerConcept acquired the Ocean Fifty trimaran previously owned by Armel Tripon, which is currently undergoing a complete refit. The boat is scheduled to be launched at the end of March. The race schedule for the 2024 Ocean Fifty circuit is still to be officially announced and is anticipated to include four events between June and October, including a transatlantic race from west to east.

“The Ocean Fifty is the ideal high-performance training and racing trimaran for UpWind by MerConcept,” Clapcich said. “The platform is big enough that can have a rotation of sailors throughout the campaign, allowing more access and opportunities for the sailors to get hands-on experience on the boat.

“When racing, the series has long offshore courses as well as short inshore, round-the-buoys-style racing, so we’ll need the skills and ability to quickly switch between the two modes. It’s going to be a lot of hands-on learning, and I can’t wait to see the application process open and get started.”

A shortlist of 12 applicants will be invited to Concarneau to be put through their paces during a selection week in April, with the aim of identifying six female sailors to join the team.

11th Hour Racing has joined UpWind by MerConcept as the Founding Sponsor as the Newport, RI, USA-based organization broadens its ocean health-focused work to include diversity, opportunity, and access in sailing.

Michelle Carnevale, president of 11th Hour Racing, said, “Sponsoring MerConcept signifies our commitment to increasing diversity in high-performance sailing and aims to set a precedent for other sports organizations. For more than a decade, our sponsorships have centered around sports, strategic innovation, and sustainable technologies. UpWind by MerConcept marks a substantial progression for women in sailing, and we look forward to witnessing its positive influence on the future of ocean racing.”

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Francesca Clapcich on the trimaran Ocean Fifty with a female crew

• February 15, 2024
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Trieste’s Francesca Clapcich is increasingly a major player in the world of ocean racing, after the announcement of the sports and social project to be developed with 11Th Hour Racing, comes another news. Clapcich and 11Th Hour Racing will also be supported by MerConcept, the company founded by François Gabart that trains professional skippers for the most important ocean races being run, for two seasons of racing on Ocean Fifty trimarans.

Francesca Clapcich will have the role of skipper in a crew of 6 sailors , all women, who will participate in the major events of the class until 2026. Clapcich will be tasked with selecting the crew, training them, and identifying a sailor who can be entrusted with the tiller of the helm at the 2026 Rhum Route. In short, a responsible role that will serve the Trieste-born woman to further develop her skills, she who is the only sailor in Italy who can boast of having won a round-the-world crewed race, the last edition of The Ocean Race.

Clapcich will therefore not be involved in the 2026 Rhum Route , partly because her long-term goal is to be at the start of the 2028 Vendée Globe in Imoca 60. So it seems logical that the Italian sailor after this period as skipper of the Ocean Fifty, will change classes to devote herself to her solo challenge project. In the meantime, he will be at the helm of the trimaran that MerConcept purchased from Armel Tripon, waiting to learn who his traveling companions will be.

Francesca Clapcich – The “Mula de Trieste”

Born in 1988 in Trieste , Italy, but a resident of Utah, Francesca Clapcich is now one of Italy’s most multifaceted sailors, as well as one of the most experienced in the international arena as well. Two Olympics behind her, in Laser in London 2012 with 19th place, in Rio paired with Giulia Conti in 49er she finished fifth instead.

After her experience in the Olympic classes, with a European and world gold medal in 49er and several other Italian titles , Francesca turned her attention to something else and discovered the pleasures of the high seas. Start sailing on different classes, try the Figaro 3 as a contact with the big oceanic offshore, finally comes the opportunity for the first round-the-world voyage with Turn the tide on Plastic in the 2017-2018 edition. An edition that positively marks the career of Francesca, who continues to sail in Figaro 3 by participating in a Solitaire du Figaro in 2021, the first Italian woman to try her hand at this very tough all-French test.

For the last of The Ocean Race. her name has long been at the center of the hypothetical birth of an Italian crew that never materialized, but Francesca Clapcich’s international profile meant that the Trieste native found a place in Charlie Enright’s crew, 11Th Hour Racing, with whom she has competed in all but two stages.

For ocean sailing of the present and future, Francesca Clapcich is a solid reality on the way to Vendée Globe 2028.

Mauro Giuffrè

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If the America’s Cup were a poker game, the moment we are about to experience could be called a “show-down,” which is when the cards are finally revealed to play it all out. And April will be just that, the

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Primonial has taken line honours and the Ocean Fifty multihull title in the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre race. French pair Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben crossed the line in Martinique ahead of Koesio in second. Britain’s Sam Goodchild was third aboard Leyton.

Primonial took 15 days 13 hours 27 minutes and 14 seconds to cover the 5,800 theoretical miles from Le Havre to Martinique in the West Indies, averaging a speed of 15.4 knots. They actually covered 6,536.56 real miles at 17.50 knots.

Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben crossed the finish line in the dark of night, under a full moon and drenched by light rain to claim the Ocean Fifty title – the first of 150 boats still racing to cross the line near Martinique’s legendary Diamond rock.

Talking amidst the celebrations on board, Matthieu Souben told us, “We’re very emotional right now. We didn’t expect it to be easy, we said before the start that there were no favourites. It’s a really great race but it has been hard because it has been long, longer than expected. It has required a lot of commitment, the chess game on the water started early. We gave it our all and are totally exhausted now.”  

Koesio second

2 hours 27 minutes and 58 seconds later Koesio crossed the line in second place. Co-skippers Erwan Le Roux and Xavier Macaire took 15 days 15 hours 55 minutes and 12 seconds to cover the race distance.  

Le Roux said, “To have a good regatta, you need good competitors and I think with the whole class it has been very close. There were no big gaps and the racing was intense. This second place suits us perfectly.” Leyton third

The only non-French sailor in the Ocean Fifty class took third place, 3 hours 48 minutes and 29 seconds behind the winner. Britain’s Sam Goodchild and co-skipper Aymeric Chappellier on their boat Leyton took 15 days 17 hours 15 minutes and 43 seconds to cover the course.

Straight after crossing the line Goodchild told us, “It was our first transatlantic race on this type of boat. These are extraordinary boats that can go very fast, so you have to be careful. We learned a lot about the boat and ourselves.”

The winner of the Utlime class is expected in a few hours. We’ll bring you regular updates through the day as the boats approach Martinique.

• Transat Jacques Vabre

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Ocean Fifty - On course for The Pro Sailing Tour!

Article published on 16/03/2021

By Emmanuel van Deth

published in n°176 mar. / apr.

There’s something new in 50-foot trimarans: the Multi50 class is becoming the Ocean Fifty class and, specifically, is launching the Pro Sailing Tour. 

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Ocean Fifty: the Multi50 Class changes its name and unveils its new circuit

The Multi50 Class has been evolving for the past 15 years and it is now under the name of Ocean Fifty that we find it. With its new partner for the next 8 years - Upswingprod, a specialist in audiovisual and film production - it unveils its new professional circuit, the Pro Sailing Tour.

"The history of the Multi50 class is linked to all the major transatlantic races and ocean racing. For the past 15 years, we've been trying to develop this class with new challenges, while ensuring that it remains accessible with affordable budgets.

We continue to innovate with this class name Ocean Fifty, with a new logo and a new visual identity. Ocean for the sea and Fifty for the 50-foot size. Thanks to Upswing Prod, our new organizer, we will have new audiovisual production resources that will transport us into the collective imagination, while showing the spectacular side of these boats. We have media ambitions but also common values that we share with UpSwing Prod, especially on the vision of what an ocean racing event is today" says Erwan Le Roux , president of the class.

A 5-episode tour of the Atlantic and Mediterranean

The Pro Sailing Tour This event, registered in the FFVoile's official calendar , will take place from May to August 2021 in France and Spain with a mix of events: offshore racing, 24-hour challenge, coastal courses..

• 1 er episode: Brest (5 - 9 May 2021)
• 2 e episode: La Rochelle (26 - 30 May)
• 3 e episode: La Palmas de Gran Canaria (30 June - 4 July)
• 4 e episode: Marseille (July 21 - 25)
• 5 e Episode: Offshore race lasting about 7 days from a Mediterranean town (to be defined) to Brest (August 1 - 7).

The races will take place with a crew (30 skippers) aboard 6 boats - and potentially 7 as the former Leyton is currently for rent or sale by Lalou Roucayrol's team for a budget of around 850,000 euros. On board, the crews will be between 3 and 5 and all of them will be accompanied by a mediaman - employed by the production company and unable to take part in the manoeuvres - who will produce immersive images.

"We wanted to create an international circuit with events in France and Spain organised over the next 4 years. This concept is both compact and easy to understand and will take place over 4 months with one major objective, to meet the public, encourage exchanges and race in the heart of iconic Atlantic and Mediterranean cities. We want to humanize competitive sailing with a mix of coastal and offshore racing and present our class to the general public. We will also highlight the strong values of the class: social integration, inclusion, environmental issues and sustainable development explains Julien Mauriat, associate director of Upswingprod.

While today the Ocean Fifty class has 6 boats, it is aiming to grow and would like to have up to 12 boats by 2022. A reasonable number, which would allow us to avoid being blocked for places in the stage cities, but above all to be able to continue telling life stories for each of the crews.

Similar tests for each stage

At each stopover, the crews will take part in the same tests. It all starts with a 24-hour challenge that will take the boats offshore for a course of about 400 nautical miles. The crews will leave on Thursday mid-day and return on Friday mid-day.

"They will pass iconic marks for each of the host cities, such as the Iroise Sea for Brittany , the Pertuis for La Rochelle etc... Only the fifth episode which will serve as the open sea final will not have course marks." explains Gilles Chiorri, race director.

Saturday and Sunday will be devoted to inshore races - 8 coastal courses and constructed courses - to bring the boats as close as possible to the coast and the public.

"They are fabulous boats but without a real circuit, we were a bit bored. We needed a real circuit. Some of them still have speed records to break. We're really excited. We really want to meet in Brest at the beginning of May. Some of us are already starting to train together. We will be able to promote this class which is evolving year after year. Today, there are 6 boats, potentially 7, which can all win. It's a very homogenous class. The boats launched in 2009 are as fast as the boats launched last year. Everything will also depend on the weather and the crews. It's a great suspense" explains Quentin Vlamynck, the youngest in the class and skipper of the Multi50 Arkema4.

A documentary series about Ocean Fifty

To highlight the Ocean Fifty class, producer Edouard Mauriat, associate director of UpswingProd, will produce a series of 5 episodes to bring the race to life behind the scenes. Mediamans will be on board each boat to relay what the sailors experience during the race. The aim is to satisfy both enthusiasts and novices by introducing them to sportsmen and women who are also involved in important causes.

These episodes will air between December 2021 and January 2022 once the race is completed.

"It's exciting! What sailor wouldn't love to be on this circuit, sailing these boats. With Ocean Fifty , we keep the DNA of the class. We're going to be sailing in very diverse territories. We'll be sailing in a maritime way in the Iroise Sea in Brest , then in La Rochelle . Las Palmas will be something else. And finally the Mediterranean. We've been wanting to sail the Mediterranean for years. This circuit will allow us to do so. We continue to show the strengths of our class. They are fantastic boats, very spectacular. We'll be able to sail inshore in front of the cities. We will also show that these are offshore boats. Thanks to this documentary series, we will be able to show what offshore sailing with a crew is all about. It's a great asset. We will also visit cities with an exceptional maritime heritage . These cities have engraved the maritime history of our world and remain in the modern world. And our boats are high-tech and very modern explains Gilles Lamiré , skipper of Groupe GCA and Mille et un Sourires.

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The Arkema 3 Mini 6.50 prototype, an expression of innovation

With its Mini 6.50 monohull, Arkema is forging ahead into sailing with renewed energy. This prototype with an innovative design takes up a major challenge: the construction of a boat that is recyclable thanks to Arkema’s latest generation materials.

A floating laboratory teeming with innovations

Building on their experience with the Multi50 trimaran, Arkema and Team Lalou Multi have designed a resolutely high-tech Mini 6.50 class prototype. Those products with a proven track record on the  trimaran have been retained, in particular the methacrylate structural adhesives.

A new product has also stepped on board, the  Elium ® recyclable resin. Fresh out of Arkema’s laboratories, it had never been used in this type of manufacture. This full-scale test has enabled the Group to save months of development.

The building of this boat was planned from the outset as a genuine research project .

A recyclable monohull of the future

The hull and the bridge of this 6.5 m boat are made entirely from recyclable thermoplastic composite , thanks to the  Elium ® resin, infused with carbon fiber . This liquid acrylic resin is processed in the same way as the resins traditionally used in boat building, and features all their mechanical properties, but is recyclable unlike those resins.

The building of this boat was planned from the outset as a genuine research project. The Elium ® resin, for example, fresh out of Arkema’s laboratories, had never been used in this type of manufacture. This full-scale test has enabled the Group to save months of development.

A 2019 season geared towards a transatlantic race

Raphaël Lutard took over the helm of the Mini 6.50 Arkema 3 from Quentin Vlamynck in 2018.

After injuring his hand in a solo ocean race that year, Raphaël is now back with his motivation intact to prepare as best he can for the major event of the 2019 season: the Mini Transat - La Boulangère race.

Arkema Sailing

As partners since 2013, Arkema and Lalou Multi decided in 2019 to give a new dimension to their collaboration, still anchored on the common values of innovation and a quest for performance.

The Ocean Fifty trimaran Arkema

Launched in September 2020, the new trimaran Ocean Fifty  Arkema  is the result of a new rationale, which transpires in its design.

Sports  program

To know more about the 2022 racing program.

Find all our videos dedicated to sailing