THE IMOCA DESIGN RACE

RUPERT HOLMES TAKES A LOOK AT THE OFFSHORE CLASS EVOLUTION

An astonishing number of new IMOCA 60s are being launched for the next Vendée Globe, with eight splashing last year and more to come, along with an accelerated updating of existing boats. A stark indication of the speed of evolution is that the boat which holds the Vendée Globe course record set in 2018 (ex-Banque Populaire VIII) is now Pip Hare's Medallia. Yet so much has changed she reckons it's currently outclassed in design terms by two dozen others.

That will change for Medallia next season, after UK boatbuilder Jason Carrington fits bigger foils and slices off the front 2m of the hull to create more of a scow bow shape. If the latter sounds drastic, bigger budget teams have been more aggressive. Kevin Escoffier's new PRB, which was originally built for an entry in The Ocean Race, had the front 4.5m chopped off for restyling. PRB's new bow shape reduces wetted surface area, while still providing key scow bow advantages of increased form stability and a softer landing when you plough into the wave in front, or fall off the foils.

Minimising these potentially enormous decelerations should make life easier for skippers - every time the boat slows from 30 knots to 20 the apparent wind shift necessitates re-trimming sails, which takes a huge amount of effort and attention. Maintaining a consistent pace also significantly reduces the risk of damage.

THE BULL IS BACK