Multiplast delivers the AC50 at Groupama Team France to compete for the America's Cup 35th edition

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AC50 construction multiplast groupe carboman

These last weeks have been quiet intense in the Multiplast yard, with the transformation of the AC45 Turbo, delivered last July to Groupama team into an AC50. This catamaran will compete in the French colours in Bermuda at the end of May, led by Franck Cammas.

 

Groupama Team  France were training until the 20th December in Lanveoc using the AC 45 Turbo, before sending it back to Multiplast yard at Christmas. The transformation consisted of taking off the 45 feet floats and replace them by two new 50 feet ones. These parts were built in the Decision S.A. workshop in Switzerland, ahead of time and sent by truck to Multiplast.

It was then necessary to proceed to the assembly of the two new floats and repaint them. The assembly is a delicate operation that needed more than 2,500 hours of work from Multiplast and the same amount of time for the Groupama Team, who were at the yard while the transformation took place.

Performance quest ...

Ben Wright, Franck Cammas's  Technical team Manager explains : " The modification is very demanding in terms of precision because our quest for performance is constant; we have to control the weight of the boat and make sure that all the systems are reliable. Futhermore, we must respect the rules defining the characteristics of the America's Cup boats. In parallel with the work conducted on the composite parts, which Jack Michal monitored for Multiplast, our task was to integrate the electronics, the hydraulics, but also all the new ideas collected through five months of sailing on the test boat, the AC45 Turbo".

 

Around the world in 49 days: Thomas Coville's amazing achievement with the Maxi-trimaran Sodebo

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sodebo brest record

It was a fantastic achievement by Thomas Coville, who sailled his Maxi-trimaran, Sodebo, arround the world in under 50 days, becoming the fastest person to do so and improving upon Francis Joyon's 2008 record by some seven days.

The numbers behind this outstanding exploit give some measure of just what an accomplishement this is :

        - Average speed: 24.09 knots

        - Time to circumnavigate the planet: 49 days, 3 hours, 7 mminutes and 38 seconds

        - Miles sailed: 28.400

For Multiplast Groupe Carboman, there are also some interesting numbers behind the achievement: 14 tons of composite material for a boat that is 31m long, 21m wide and has a 35m-high mast.

Beyond these numbers, of course, lies both a truly great sailor, Thomas Coville, who fulfilled his dream, as well as an amazing team that supported his project.

The project to transform Oliver de Kersauzon's old trimaran, Geronimo, into a magnificent machine capable of covering more than 700 miles in a day while being sailed single-handed relied, above all else, on teamwork. Team Sodebo, under the management of Jean Christophe Moussard and Elie Canivenc, the naval architect (VPLP) and Multiplast's technicians conceived and delivered the transformation over hundreds of hours of work and effort.

 

 

 

The launch of Groupama Team's Class AC Test (AC45 Turbo) at Multiplast

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AC45 vue arienne

At 9.30  thrusday morning, the Groupama team France training boat, in preparation for the 35th America's Cup, was launched. 6 months were required for the French ansd Swiss divisions of the Carboman Group to combine all the elements needed in this concentration of technology.

React to the challenge

The rules set by the US defender, Team Oracle, do not permit navigation on the Coupe Class AC+ (AC50) more than 150 days before the competition and allow only one boat to be built. It was quickly apparent to the challengers that a solution was imperative in order to optimise their training time. The construction of the training boat, the Class AC Test, with the same beams and rig of the Coupe Class AC+ but with the hulls from the Class AC45, allowed them to circumnavigate this rule.

The launch of this catamaran will allow Franck Cammas and his team to start training immediately in very similar conditions to those which they will encounter on the Coupe Class AC +. The real raceboat won't leave the boatyard until the end of the year to take part in the competition in Bermuda in June 2017.

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