Parlier goes solo

French skipper to attempt singlehanded records this year

For the first half of the 2005 season Yves Parlier has chosen to attempt two singlehanded records. From April he will attempt the 24 hour record and from June will be on standby to attempt the singlehanded transatlantic record from New York to the Lizard.

Over the winter Parlier's radical 60ft catamaran Médiatis Région Aquitaine has been back at her builder at Chantier Naval de Larros just outside of Parlier's base in Arcachon, SW France. Modifications to the boat have included improving the upwind and downwind ability of the sail plan to improve the balance of the boat and to remove 700kg of weight.

The catamaran will be leaving the boatyard on 1 March and will then spend a month testing the modifications. Parlier sees this as a work in progress: "the research program is not finished, we have still to learn, test and prove the concept is correct...".

In April, Médiatis Région Aquitanian will head for the Canary Islands awaiting the strong winds neceesary to try and beat Laurent Bourgnon's 11 year old 24 hour record of 540 miles. Parlier will then head for New York to await the right weather system to have a crack at the solo transatlantic record of 5 days 2 hours 34 minutes and 42 seconds also held by Bourgnon. For the transatlantic record attempt Parlier will not be alone - Francis Joyon is also set to make an attempt on this record this spring-summer while Ellen MacArthur is also intending to have a crack at it, but probably not until later in the year.

To read more about Parlier and his radical boat see the following articles:

Is it a boat - is it a plane? Part One
Is it a boat - is it a plane? Part Two