New boat for the Tour Voile

And a new race is announced, both to be introduced in 2011

At the end of the 2009 Tour de France à la Voile: Race Director William Borel revealed to the 23 teams competing, Henry Bacchini, Vice President of the French Sailing Federation (FFV) and Frédéric de Watrigant, Director of the TFV, the new one design to replace the Farr (Mumm) 30 for their event in 2011. The winner of this competition is the M34, built by the Archambault in France and designed by Joubert-Nivelt Design.

This 10.34m long, modern looking one design is one meter longer than the Farr 30. She should be especially powerful thanks to a greater sail area/displacement ratio and will be able to sail longer offshore legs. This benefit has allowed William Borel to reveal another plan: the first one design, crewed transatlantic race. Run by the organisers of the TFV, Larivière Organisation and supported by the FFV, the event is expected to be biennial , and will be first held over the winter/spring of 2011/2012. It will follow the trade winds allowing a fast run across the Atlantic.

Emmanuel Archambault, the boatyard manager, and Alexandre Mercier from Joubert-Nivelt Design, confirmed that the launch of the first M34 will be in March 2010. She will be unveiled in time for the next TFV in July 2010. Frédéric de Watrigant said that from then on five boat per month will be built.

To change the boat of the Tour de France à la Voile is no easy thing. Only six one designs have fulfilled this job in 32 years: the Ecume de Mer in 1978, the First 30 from 1979 to 1981, the Rush Royale in 1982 and 1983, the Sélection from 1984 to 1991, the JOD 35 from 1992 to 1998 and finally the Farr 30 (ex-Mumm 30) from 1999 to 2010. The later boats have lasted longer, the last three one designs spanning 26 years of the race. So longevity is expected from the new boat! In fact, the ten point design brief required a construction strong enough to last at least 10 years. William Borel never forgot about this brief while selecting the new boat: to mix inshore regattas with offshore legs of up to 200 miles long; allowing amateurs and students to sail against professional sailors, on a same start line aboard the exact same boat. Moreover, the design brief required a modern boat, that could be easily transportable by road, with a reasonable draft to enter into ports, to be sailed by no more than five or six crew, with a retractable bowsprit to fly an asymmetrical spinnaker, for a reasonable cost (120 000 Euros duty-free with the trailer). Generally the boat had to be a more offshore orientated than the Farr 30.

By 31 January 2009, Borel had received 23 preliminary proposals for the new boat from nine different countries. On 13 March, the final three were shortlisted: the JPK 998 by JPK Composite and designed by Jacques Valer, the One Design T2011 by K-Challenge and designed by Russel Coutts/Andrej Justin, and finally the M34 by the Archambault boatyard and designed by Joubert-Nivelt Design. So why did William Borel choose the latter? “This project offered several original choices, with the K-Challenge boat being one. I am thinking about the retractable keel, which allows a 2.5 m draft at sea to be reduced to 1.70 m in port or during transportation. It strictly respects the design brief according to the budget safeties. But the Archambault boatyard guarantees the international aspect of the class as they have more than 1650 Surprises sailing across the world since 1977.”

The M34 is only a temporary name: Larivière Organisation will announce her final name of the boat later on, as they will the name for their new race across the Atlantic.

The new boat will succeed the Farr 30 after 12 years. Borel summed up the advantages of the new one design compared to her older sister: “She is longer, more modern and suited to offshore legs. Her sail area/displacement ratio is way greater, she will sail ½ knot faster upwind and much faster downwind thanks to her greater hull volume and an asymmetrical spinnaker (130sqm compared to the Farr 40's 90sqm). She will then be easier to transport thanks to her retractable keel and because of a mast splits in two.”

The offshore qualities of the Archambault M34 will also allow her to compete in a wider range of races, hence why Larivière Organisation has announced the creation of their new one design, crewed transat race. Its code name is One Wave West, setting sail over the winter after the first TFV in the new M34s.

In addition Cino Ricci, manager of the Italian Giro Vela, announced that he would choose the M34 as the new boat for his Italian race, when renewing his fleet of boats.

According to boatyard manager Emmanuel Archambault, 30 to 40 of the new boats are expected to be launched in July 2011.

Archambault M34 vital statistics (Farr 30 equivalents).

LOA: 10.34 m (9.43)
Beam: 2.98 m (3.08)
Disp: 2,400 kg (2,040 kg)
Draft: 1.70 m/2.5 m (2.10 m)
Sail area upwind: 72sqm (56sqm)
Spinnaker: 130sqm (90sqm)
Architects: Joubert/Nivelt Design
Boatyard: Archambault
Cost included the trailer: 120 000 Euros