Veolia out of the shed

Roland Jourdain relaunches his Open 60 on World Oceans Day

Roland Jourdain's Veolia Environment IMOCA Open 60 team celebrated World Oceans Day in their own particular fashion on Monday. After four months in the shed, the red Open 60 was launched back into the water, despite a windy and rainy weather in her homeport of Concarneau, Brittany.

Her relaunch was delayed as the team awaited the arrival of a new keel foil from Guelte Industry, which arrived over the weekend. In addition to th new keel, Veolia Environnement has been fitted with a new satellite broadband Fleet 250 antenna, replaced the giant Fleet 77 dome while her hull has been freshly repainted.

In 10 days' time, the boat will be delivered by the team to St Nazaire to take the start, on 21 June, of the SNSM Record. Between now and then the team hope to include several training days.


Roland Jourdain, in Concarneau this morning:

"I am looking forward to getting back on the water," said Roland Jourdain this morning. "We have made no major changes, just some systems and we have worked on the ergonomics of the cockpit so that it works better with a full crew. But generally, everyone will recognise her just as she was at the start of the Vendee Globe. It is about 80% the same: The Fleet 77 antenna has been replaced by the Fleet 250 Broadband anteena wich consumes less power and is faster. The mast is the same, but will benefit from the masthead halyard that I did not have on for the Vendée Globe since I prefer not to have too much canvas. While the configuration will be the same for the Record SNSM, we will get a new mainsail prior to the European Pro Tour. Keel, hydro-dynamically, remains the same. The inner structure was repaired the same structurally. The hydraulics, keel canting and kick-up rudder mechanisms have also benefited from small revisions over the winter.Tomorrow, we'll put the sails on board to sail over the next few days to prepare the boat as well as train. I now look forward to the next time we line up with the new boats. so we will see how are progress has developed and if there are still things to do."