New Safran sails

Guillaume Verdier on Marc Guillemot's brand new Open 60

Marc Guillemot's newly launched Open 60 Safran set off on her delivery trip from Arcachon to her homeport of La Trinite-sur-Mer this weekend. The boat is a design from a new partnership of Guillaume Verdier and ORMA trimaran veterans Marc van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Previst (VPLP). While VPLP's CV includes many of the top ORMA 60s it also includes Franck Cammas' Groupama III maxi-trimaran, the new Pascal Bidegorry's new 120ft Banque Populaire IV maxi-trimaran and the new World Sailing League 70ft cats for Russell Coutts and Paul Cayard. It is the company's first foray recently back into singlehulled race boats.

Verdier, previously worked at Groupe Finot and first came to our attention as one of the designers of Yves Parlier's unique Mediatis Region Aquitaine catamaran. He has since worked on the refit of race winner PRB and VMI prior to the last Vendee Globe and was one of Areva Challenge's design team.

Verdier writes: "We shared the work from begining as follows: VPLP was responsible for project management/deck layout/sail plan/stability and weight estimate and I was responsible for the hull shape design/structure design/keel and mechanical design. We carried out the performance analysis and the whole appendages design together with Mick Kermarec who was in charge of the VPP development with the Woolfson Unit tank facility."

According to Verdier the philosophy of the boat is of a radically light weight, simple boat (in appearance). The sponsor Safran is a French hi-tech company based on a merger of SNECMA who build aircraft and rocket engines and SAGEM a manufacturer of civil and military electronics. "They suggested to us that we use some of their experience and technology," says Verdier. "Most of all they wanted to fully understand and follow our design approach. They thus had a clear vision of all the trade-offs made during in design.

"Marc Guillemot's vast experience racing singlehanded multihulls pushed for a very straightforward boat, with minimalist choices the priority alongside achieving the weight objective, reliability and a very compact deck organisation within the cockpit (all winches are positioned near boat centreline).

"We also had the opportunity to develop the design with a long enough timescale in order to build up the full design program with Pre-Projects, CFD, Towing Tank,VPP, weight estimates, etc..

"Marc Guillemot built up a full scale model of the boat in order to evaluate and
refine choices in terms of deck/roof/interior. The model could heel as needed...
We also chose one of the most talented builders, who we have shared
some very good building experiences with previously: Thierry Eluere (builder of VMI, Aquitaine Innovations, Mediatis Region Aquitaine, Sodebo, etc..) Build quality and Thierry's ingenuity was absolutely fundamental to the weight saving.

"We now have launched the boat and are starting to validate both its structural
and performance qualities."

The new Safran will be competing in this autumn's Transat Jacques Vabre.