BMW Oracle design team core announced

VPLP working in team led by Mike Drummond and Mick Kermarec

Hardly news this given it has been known that leading French multihull design firm Van Peteghem Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) has been working with BMW Oracle Racing since last summer. Russell Coutts commissioned VPLP to design his maxi-catamaran for the World Sailing League (currently on hold) and so it was a natural progress for the Paris/Brittany-based design house to continue with him for a maxi-multihull for the 33rd America's Cup.

However only today have Larry Ellison's team formally announced the nucleus of their design team. This included the main duo behind VPLP - Marc van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prevost who are working in conjunction with Design Co-ordinator Mike Drummond (hiimself a multihull officionado), while BMW Oracle Racing’s Michel Kermarec heads up the performance prediction and appendage design.

“We are enjoying working with and learning from the vast experience of VPLP in multihulls,” said Drummond who jumped ship from Alinghi to join the US team last year. “The French multihull community, in general, are leaders in these yachts and we are benefiting greatly. When we first looked at a multihull in the event of a Deed of Gift challenge, we were impressed with the record of the Groupama series of racing multihulls. Franck Cammas and VPLP designed yachts have been breaking speed records and leading this field, so VPLP was the natural choice.”

Vincent Lauriot Prévost said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by BMW Oracle Racing to design the new multihull for the 33rd America’s Cup. To be able to integrate our expertise in high performance multihull design with the experienced BMW Oracle design team, as well as with the construction team in the United States, is exciting and inspiring for VPLP.

“We have always believed that innovation is the key to success, and working in synergy with BMW Oracle, Franck Cammas, and the Groupama Team is exactly the type of challenge we thrive on. To see a match between these racing giants should be pure adrenalin.”

VPLP at a glance

Vincent Lauriot Prévost and Marc Van Peteghem met at the Southampton College of Higher Education, in the Yacht and Boat Design Section. They created the VPLP office soon after, in 1983. 25 years on, VPLP is the world’s leading multihull design house. After the success of their first racing trimaran, the company moved to Paris. Thanks to the growing success and demand for their multihulls, VPLP now employs 26 people based in two offices – one in Vannes, at the center of the racing circuit in Brittany, as well as in Paris. VPLP are the only naval architects who specialise and design multihulls for all three sectors of the market: racing trimarans, luxury sailing catamarans and production catamarans in both power and sail.

VPLP’s list of achievements is huge, with victories in almost all offshore multihull regattas including the Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre, OSTAR, and Jules Verne Trophy as well as speed records. VPLP are also involved in special projects such as l’Hydroptère, Groupama 3, the new Banque Populaire and many more.