An extraordinary design

Overshadowed by the Greenpeace ramming was the unusual concept of Le Defi's FRA-69. John Roberson reports

Further, this unusual angle of the stern overhang means that the boat will have to heel a long way to make the 'sugar scoop' dip onto the water, and produce a significant increase in waterline length. Add to this the rounded midships sections, which would tend to make the boat stiffer, and one has to ask questions about this boat.

With a design team that includes Peter van Oossanen, something radical is to be expected, he was a major player in the team that created Switzerland's Fast 2000 for the last Cup, and his cup history dates back to 1980, when he first worked with Ben Lexcen, who was later to create the innovative winged keel on Australia II. He was also on John Bertrand's "Fluid Thinking" group for the 1995 Cup, their OneAustralia was believed to be the second fastest boat of that era, behind Black Magic, but it broke up and sank before being able to prove itself.

The luminous colour of the hull, which extends to all the outer surfaces, including the deck and cockpit, is going to be very tiring on the eyes for the crew. Even in the dull conditions of the launch the brightness punished the eye, on a crystal clear sunny southern hemisphere day it will be hard to look at, but the crew will be surrounded by it, they will have to wear sunnies constantly.