Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo 2023 S600 LEADERBOARD

Charlie Dalin's new boat: The small steps to super-competitive performance

by Ed Gorman / IMOCA Globe Series 26 Jun 2023 02:29 PDT
Charlie Dalin's new IMOCA MACIF Santé Prévoyance is launched in Concarneau, France © Maxime Horlaville / disobey / Macif

It's not hard to imagine the pressure when it comes to designing and building a new IMOCA for Charlie Dalin.

It's not just about producing a boat that is faster than his main rivals at the top of the IMOCA fleet, it's also about creating something that is better than Dalin's old boat in which he enjoyed a spectacular run of success.

The team that has taken up this challenge for the two-time IMOCA GLOBE SERIES Champion and line honours finisher in the last Vendée Globe, is once again led by superstar French naval architect Guillaume Verdier alongside project management by MerConcept and construction by CDK Technologies in Port-la-Forêt.

The technical manager for the project - the new boat is called MACIF Santé Prévoyance and was launched for the first time in Concarneau on Saturday - is MerConcept's Guillaume Combescure. He admits the old boat, Apivia, is an unavoidable performance reference.

"Yeah, with Apivia we can't do worse - we have to do better, but it's not a pressure," he told the Class. "The mood is more to consider that we are starting again with loops of development and improvement and analysis. For sure, Charlie was one of the leaders in IMOCA last season, but we do have a margin of progression."

Combescure says Dalin is the ideal skipper to work with on a new boat that the skipper originally from Le Havre hopes will take him to outright victory at his second attempt at the Vendée Globe next year. "It has been really exciting and interesting because Charlie is a naval architect and he was really involved in the design. He was always thinking about the issues we were trying to solve and coming up with a different angle of approach or a new idea and always being consistent. He knows how to trust the guys too, so he was really involved and present but also listening to us and the whole team, so Charlie has the perfect balance."

At this stage in the evolution of the Class rule, and the relative maturity of the latest designs, Combescure argues there is no magic bullet when it comes to new boats and instead design and build teams are looking for a series of marginal gains. "From my point of view - and maybe this is not shared - you cannot make a big step," he explained. "That's what makes the job difficult. You have to make little steps in all the axes of development. That's the difficult part - you cannot achieve a revolution."

With this boat, the small steps include the hull profile, which further emphasises volume at the bow, and the foil profiles which are designed to optimise performance at all wind angles. "The hull shape is obviously different and follows the evolution of having more volume at the bow, but keeping some power in the hull. With the foils we are trying to win downwind without losing too much power when reaching and going upwind," Combescure summarised.

The other main area of work has been the development of a protected centerline cockpit with the living and navigation area just behind it, not ahead of it. "The point of it was that Charlie wanted to have a central living area and not have to change position with each tack or each gybe. That was the first thing. Then we had to improve the transfer between the cockpit and the living area so he can relax or do the navigation at the computer at the seat without being completely out of the cockpit. We had two choices - living area in front of the cockpit or behind it - and we went with behind, so we could keep a central cockpit. It's really compact with only one winch pod."

When it comes to overall levels of comfort though, Combescure accepts that the new MACIF Santé Prévoyance is going to be another rough ride for its mild-mannered but super-competitive 39-year-old skipper. "Honestly, I think it's going to be the same as the other boats when it comes to comfort...the boat is going to be as savage as the others," said Combescure. "But we are really confident that the evolution of the hull and the foils - but mainly the hull - will give the boat more volume and be more sea-kindly. I'm not sure it will be kind for Charlie but the boat will ride the waves and not dig in..."

Combescure says there is plenty of scope for further performance improvement under the current Class rule, even if a massive step in one go is unlikely. "We always have the feeling that we have reached the limit and the optimal interpretation of the rule, but time passes and the generation that follows finds some improvement," he said. "Even if the rule doesn't change, progress will keep on-going and I don't think we will ever find the optimum - there will always be some margin for improvement."

And overall, is he happy that they have met the challenge of producing a boat for one of the top skippers in the Class? "Yes, we are hopeful," said Combescure. "We have done everything we can to be faster than the others. It doesn't mean we will be, but it is clearly everyone's objective and goal."

Related Articles

Team Malizia's Boris Herrmann reports damage
The challenges have been piling up for the German solo sailor The sail is safe on deck and the integrity of the mast is not at risk, but unless he can create a new hook system, the Malizia - Seaexplorer skipper will have to manage the race without his most important headsail. Posted today at 10:12 am
Vendée Globe Friday 10th January Update
Can Yoann Richomme catch Charlie Dalin? Yoann Richomme on PAPREC ARKÉA continues to push Charlie Dalin on MACIF Santé Prévoyance as the Vendée Globe leaders close in on Les Sables d'Olonne, and we look at whether there could be an opportunity for Richomee to overtake his friend and rival. Posted today at 9:30 am
Vendée Globe 9th January Update
Day 60, are we still having fun? On the Vendée Globe today there are two skippers in particular who are on ice watch, Antoine Cornic, HUMAN Immobilier in 31st position and in 32nd place Chinese skipper Jingkun Xu, (Singchain Team Haikou). Posted on 9 Jan
Vendée Globe Thursday 9th January Update
Is West Best? Sam Goodchild up to 4th! At the front Yoann Richomme on PAPREC ARKÉA is stay in touch with Charlie Dalin on MACIF Santé Prévoyance in the Vendée Globe, but the battle for 4th continues to provide excitement. Posted on 9 Jan
Richomme: "If Charlie wins, I'll be happy for him"
Two-time Figaro champion says he will be delighted for his old rival if he wins the Vendée Globe There are still 2,400 nautical miles to sail to the finish for the leaders of this epic Vendée Globe and Yoann Richomme on Paprec Arkéa in second place has not given up hopes of winning on debut. Posted on 8 Jan
Vendée Globe 8th January Update
Rivalries, frustration and electrifying action The rivalry between Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance, 1st) and Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA, 2nd) continues at full intensity in the trade winds on their 59th day at sea. Posted on 8 Jan
When Lightning Strikes Twice
Damaged Instruments for Team Malizia's Boris Herrmann in Vendée Globe It seemed impossible and yet it happened: After being struck by lightning in New York last May, Boris Herrmann's Malizia - Seaexplorer has suffered damage to key systems from a nearby lightning strike. Posted on 8 Jan
Vendée Globe Wednesday 8th January Update
Conrad Colman at Cape Horn! Battle for 4th intensifies At the front Charlie Dalin on MACIF Santé Prévoyance continues to pull away from Yoann Richomme on PAPREC ARKÉA in the Vendée Globe, but the battle for 4th is fascinating. Posted on 8 Jan
Vendée Globe 7th January Update
The two rivals are heading north towards the infamous Azores high pressure system What logically can be considered the Vendée Globe title duel between Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance, 1st) and Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKEA, 2nd) continues unabated in the trade winds. Posted on 7 Jan
Nico Lunven in the Vendée Globe Update
"I don't have much hair already, but now I'm losing even more!" Aboard Holcim-PRB, Nicolas Lunven hasn't lost his sense of humor, despite battling a series of technical issues since the weekend. Posted on 7 Jan
Maritimo 2023 M600 FOOTER