Class 40 state of the nation

Notes from the recent AGM

Following its AGM, the Class 40 has issued the following status report:

Just four years on from when it made its grand entry into the world of offshore racing with the 2006 Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale the Class40 has grown at pace.

"Class40 is currently positioned as a credible alternative in the world of offshore racing," states Jacques Fournier, who was re-elected President of the Class40 Association for this season at the AGM. "The Class has surprised everyone with its rapid growth. Today it is recognised by the offshore racing scene, from competitors to race organisers, national authorities and the press. It has not gone unnoticed.

"Many see the Class as a breath of fresh air in the offshore racing world, going back to the core values of adventure, pleasure, solidarity, camaraderie, exchange, competition…Class40 has grown significantly, and this needs to be matched by ever more rigorous management and forward planning.  The foundations of the Class are strong, but there are some vital points which need to be addressed."

- Managing the pro-am mix, the two camps sometimes having quite different agendas.
- Enforcing tighter checks on conformity to the Rules and safety requirements.
- Developing the Class Rules to increase the performance and safety of the boats, while keeping the fleet as evenly matched as possible.
- Assisting race organisers.
- Establishing a race calendar which takes into account the international growth of the Class, covering all types of racing: inshore regattas, 1000 nautical mile races, transatlantic races and round the world races.

Solutions and the means to develop these points were proposed at the AGM. Specifically, by June 2010, there will be a new post, to assist the executive and secretariat thus ensuring conformity to Class Rules and safety, as well as providing assistance to race organisers.

The Rules will remain unchanged for 2010

Questions on the Rules elicited a lively and constructive debate at the AGM. The latest prototypes have raised the performance of Class40s, and the race programme is evolving with a round the world race on the horizon in 2011… So not all Class 40 projects have followed exactly the same path over the last four years. It is a hard task keeping everyone happy while allowing for the development of the Class. Nonetheless it was decided to keep the class rules unchanged.

From growth to future development…

The AGM also provided the opportunity to assess the changes in both the level of membership and profile. As in 2008, the 2009 season saw an increase in membership, with ever more nationalities represented. Increase in membership however was slower than in 2008 (12 new boats, compared to 19 in 2008).

From growth to stability and future development

Thierry Bouchard, skipper, re-elected to the executive commented: "We had a packed race schedule in 2009, the key of which was the Solidaire du Chocolat, the first transatlantic race exclusively for Class40s. The 2010 season has an exceptional programme of races - apart from the numerous North Atlantic races, there are also four races in the Mediterranean, three races in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and six races in the USA. This is a strong sign of maturity for the Class. "

Class40 facts and figures
The Class40 fleet
2008: 79 boats in 18 countries
2009: 91 boats in 22 countries
New countries: New Caledonia, South Africa, Poland, Finland, San Marino, Bulgaria
14 new boats: France (5), Finland (1), Belgium (1), San Marino (1), Italy (1), USA (1), GB (1), Bulgaria (1), 1 Germany, 1 Ireland
Designers:  Owen Clarke (3), Lombard/MC Tech (3), Finot/Structures (2), Manuard/Bert Mauri (1), Jim Antrim (1), Verdier (1), J Valer/JPK (1), Humphreys/Ocean Tec - Slovenia (1)

Slower growth of the fleet: +19 in 2008, +12 in 2009
Members: 128 in 18 countries: France: 75 - United States: 6 - United Kingdom: 20 - Italy: 8 - Spain: 2 - Germany: 3 - Belgium: 2 - Switzerland: 1 - Norway: 1 - Finland 2 - San Marino: 1 - Australia: 2 - Chile: 2 - Holland: 1 - Ireland: 1 - New Caledonia: 1

2009 Summary (extract from the minutes of the 2010 AGM) 

There are 41 new members. 40 have left. These fluctuations are primarily down to crew changes from one season to the next. As there is no double-handed transatlantic race in the 2010 programme, we envisage a drop of about 20% in associate membership.

4 new members voted onto the executive
President: Jacques Fournier (re-elected)
Secretary and Vice-President: François Angoulvant (re-elected)
Treasurer: Jean-Edouard Criquioche (re-elected)
Administrators: Thierry Bouchard (re-elected) - Michael Hennessy (re-elected) - Christian Chardonnal (new) - Oliver Krauss (new)- Sam Manuard (new) - Axel Strauss (new).