The Imoca are 60-foot Open monohull yachts mainly intended to race in the Vendée Globe. Find here the latest news and investigations from Tip & Shaft on the subject.
Since being launched in May 2020, the Imoca Corum L’Épargne has suffered a whole series of different damages. A dismasting last week during the Azimut Challenge has now proven the final nail in the coffin, a mechanical failure which pressed Corm L’Épargne to announce the end of the project on Tuesday. Tip & Shaft looks back at the reasons that led to this decision.
On Thursday the Holcim group announced that they have chosen Nicolas Lunven to replace Kevin Escoffier at the helm of the Imoca Holcim-PRB for the 2024 Vendée Globe. The Dutch sailor Rosalin Kuiper will then succeed him for The Ocean Race Europe 2025. Tip & Shaft explains how this decision was made.
After completing his second consecutive Ocean Race campaign, this time with Team Malizia, Nicolas Lunven was back on a different Imoca at this week’s training camp in Port-la-Forêt sailing alongside Sam Davies who he will be co-skipper with this season on her Initiatives Coeur. Tip & Shaft caught up with the 40-year-old French ace.
After completing his second consecutive Ocean Race campaign, this time with Team Malizia, Nicolas Lunven was back on a different Imoca at this week’s training camp in Port-la-Forêt sailing alongside Sam Davies who he will be co-skipper with this season on her Initiatives Coeur. Tip & Shaft caught up with the 40-year-old French ace.
The 2023 edition of The Ocean Race finished in Genova with victory for the US team 11th Hour Racing Team ahead of Holcim-PRB and Team Malizia. Tip & Shaft now examines the event with some proper experts with an insider’s view.
In Brest on Wednesday Bertrand Quéguiner and Elodie Bonafous formalized the launch of Horizon 29 Offshore Racing team which is aiming for the Vendée Globe 2028 with a new Verdier design which expected to launch in January 2025. Tip & Shaft tells you more.
After racing the third leg of the Pro Sailing Tour on Viabilis with Pierre Quiroga, Pascal Bidégorry is training this week with Tom Laperche on SVR Lazartigue whilst also awaiting the launch of Macif, Charlie Dalin’s new Imoca, at the end of June. He will sail with Dalin this season, notably on the Transat Jacques Vabre. Tip & Shaft spoke to him this week.
Between taking part in The Ocean Race with Team Malizia and a double-handed season with Yoann Richomme, Yann Eliès is in demand. Next week he will be at the start of the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race aboard the new Imoca Paprec Arkéa, Tip & Shaft spoke with the triple winner of La Solitaire du Figaro.
Britain’s five times Vendée Globe skipper Alex Thomson has put together a potent project which keeps Clarisse Crémer in the race for the 2024 Vendée Globe, he opens up to Tip & Shaft about France’s ‘worst kept secret’…..
A little over two months after announcing Banque Populaire’s decision to part company with her, Clarisse Crémer is once again focused on the Vendée Globe 2024, with a boat, the ex-Apivia, a team, Alex Thomson Racing, and a partner, L’Occitane en Provence. Tip & Shaft tells you the story of this express return from the brink.
Finishing up with Team Malizia’s victory ahead of Team Holcim-PRB, the third leg of The Ocean Race was full of twists and turns, a giant stage – the longest ever-lasting more than 35 days. Meteo ace Christian Dumard, Imoca skippers Charlie Dalin and Thomas Ruyant, designers Quentin Lucet (VPLP Design) and Hervé Penfornis (Guillaume Verdier), Antoine Mermod, president of Imoca, as well as The Ocean Race director Johan Salén, speak to Tip and Shaft to give us their first assessment.
The Saem Vendée held a press conference last Monday in Les Sables d’Olonne to announce the list of 28 candidates who, to date, have finalized their application for the Vendée Globe 2024 and also to announce the appointment of Hubert Lemonnier as Race Director of the Round the World Race. Tip & Shaft spoke with Lemonnier.
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