24 hours after the start of the Route du Rhum, while he was in the lead Sebastien Josse saw the right float of his Maxi trimaran Edmond de Rothschild explode into pieces. Three weeks later, the reasons for this damage are not yet fully determined. But for Cyril Dardashti, director of the Gitana team, two factors already explain the context: the high speed and the height of the waves.
Do you now know what happened when the starboard float of maxi Edmond de Rothschild broke?
No, not quite yet, because we have just collected all the data data of the boat to analyze them, because it is useless to draw plans on the comet until we control everything. What we know is that there was a lot of sea, and that we went very fast, two factors that are not ideal to keep our boats intact ...
What do you mean by "going very fast"?
We were above 40 knots, that was a lot of decent ... We were not in a conservative mode, but rather in an attack mode, because we, in any case, had already platform and we knew that in the big sea, it went pretty well. After, navigate in 4 m waves at 40 knots, we had never done, because we had never had the conditions for that so far. And then we realize that it has not happened. Explanations, we are still waiting for them, and we will have them.
Sébastien Josse was he over-riding?
No, we had to go quickly to the south and the faster we went, the better we went behind. And, in addition, we had already dug a little gap, since we were already nearly 40 miles ahead on the longitudinal part, on Macif. It was already consistent and it allowed to build something.
What was astonishing is that it's the float in the wind that exploded ...
Yes, but it's because that float touched the water too, despite everything. With the maxi Edmond de Rothschild, we are in a flying mode, even in the sea where we can also do interesting things, obviously with a platform a little flatter. And, of course, in these conditions we also ask for the float in the wind. Even if we have relatively high coefficients of resistance of the materials, because we had built a rather robust boat, at least known for that, well we realize that it is not enough.
We will also have to learn how to manage these boats. When we do a crash test for a car and we send it on a wall at 60 km / h, whatever the car, it is folded. And it's the same for boats given the speed at which we sail with these boats. It is necessary that we learn to lift the foot when it is necessary.
In summary, the Ultimate are not yet adapted to darken at 40 knots in more than 4 m of hollow ...
I do not want to anticipate, but anyway it's always a question of compromise. There are two solutions: where do you want it to go and you build the boat accordingly so that it fits, and in the air, you stay stuck on the track up to 15-16 knots or more. Or you make lighter, and you agree to have to lift the foot.
What does your architect say about this?
We discuss with them ( the Verdier cabinet ) to see if we have not forgotten something in the sizing. And from there, there will be two possible conclusions: if we have forgotten something we will reinforce where it is needed, and the opposite case, if we have not forgotten anything, we will adapt our behavior accordingly. . I have not discussed with our neighbors Banque Populaire to know where their worries came from, it is besides a conversation that we will probably have, because it is necessary that one understands all that it is before making hasty conclusions.
There was not too much voice to criticize the reliability of you boats ...
Where I am happy is that the general speech has been fairly measured. I think people understood that we had moved on to another era, flying boats. And that it does not happen overnight. We are fortunate to have partners like Benjamin and Ariane de Rothschild, who support us and follow us closely on these projects, which make us make huge leaps in technology, but can not be done without a hitch. . Just see the start of the Route du Rhum and the incredible spectacle of these Ultimate ... it was the Star Wars ... I pass you over, I pass you below, I switch to flying mode, I regulate ... The course between Grouin and Fréhel looped in 34 minutes, it was amazing!
We quickly saw the potential of your boat, during the first 36 hours ...
Yes, but that we did not have many doubts. I think we were, without having the melon, the boat that was the most feared ... Already in Port-la-Forêt, during training, we had shown a great potential. The proof, even if Seb had lost the command, a moment in the Seven Islands, he had taken it back to Ouessant.
What are you going to do on the boat in the coming months?
The boat is back in our shed in Lorient. We are doing a check of the platform, if only to check if we do not leave on a base too much solicited. We are preparing the bow of the broken float, so we can bring a new bow part built at Multiplast. With what, it is likely that it is also reinforced ... As the other float also.
How long will it take?
It's a long time ... We'll say we should put the boat back in late April. But it is often the price of a good winter yard ...
At the financial level, it must be expensive no?
Uh ... yes, this story is expensive enough indeed ... We do a bow 9 to 10 m long, it's almost equivalent to a boat ... But compared to what we see in our neighbors (Banque Populaire), this is little. And even at Macif, with a foil and saffron to do again, plus the rest of their repairs ... We are almost the best off from this point of view ... Not in terms of results, however ...
It is possible that you put your experiences in common with the other teams of Ultime?
Yes, I think we'll trade a bit. What's interesting is how they broke. After that we do not have to share all our data, either. And above all, we must address, in terms of security, how we consider the future ...
What do you mean ?
Casually, when we see the state of Banque Populaire after ten days, we think we'll have to think about security if we go around the planet ... Imagine the boat, returned from the same way, in the Great South, with a guy on board ... we would go through some phases of stress.
Does the Ultimate World Tour, in 2019, arrive too early? Should it be postponed?
Honestly, the question arises. That said, I can not answer it today. It is a reflection that we must lead all. We must also have all the elements to make a choice. What is clear is that the decision can only be murie. Do not tell yourself: this was planned in 2019, and we do not move ... We can not say: Banzai, we go, the flower with the rifle, without having more explanation on all the breaks and damage to everyone. Because it would be pure madness to send guys around the planet without having answers to these questions. Because in race, it's very different from record mode. In record, one adapts to the conditions. In race mode, we also adapt, but we are also interested in other competitors to stay in the game. And it's often a little push to crime. And this Route du Rhum is the proof. But this world tour alone in the ultimate is the Grail. It will be the most beautiful event in the world, I'm sure. Today, we can not do better. But it must be done in an intelligent and safe way.
How?
With the certainty that, if there is any problem at sea, we can recover the guys. For me, that is the essential. If, in the event of a capsize, one could say that it is easy to cut the rigging and wait for help inside ... but this is not the case. On a Ultimate you can not cut a rig alone under the water, the mast comes and hit the central hull, the floats, it destroys everything ... This means that we have to find solutions so that, on a Tour of the world, there is, at less than three days of sea, a boat able to come to help our sailors, if need. It will be necessary to position around Antarctica, two or three merchant ships, or the Navy, or other, to intervene.
This is not a thin file that ...
No, indeed, it's a complicated but important subject. Anyway, something would happen to us, we would blame him. There are risks, we know, anyway when we go to the Great South, we know all that. On the other hand, when we identify these risks and dangers and send the guys to the pipe breaker, it is not reasonable.
Destroy the boat ok, that's a subject, and the insurance problem is going to arise too. Will we succeed in securing our boats tomorrow? I'm not sure of it. But send a guy thinking that there is a chance of two that he stays there, I do not want.
Banque Populaire out, the new Sodebo, not yet out of work, when we know the time it takes to make such a machine reliable ... the winter of 2019 comes too fast no? Moreover Idec did not confirm that it would come ... There may not be big-world on this Brest Oceans ...
Of course, for a similar event ... I'm not saying that we have to wait for everyone to be ready, otherwise, imagine that we too are breaking something this year ... we will not stop waiting and repel. That's why I do not advance. We must make this decision, together, as a good father, as they say. With, as I said, a security requirement.
Are you in Ultimate Class 32/23 finally?
No, not for the moment. We are very close, we exchange a lot, and I am sure we will find our common ground. They are constructive, open, and we too ... it just blocks on small subjects ( enslavement ). We have a little advance in some areas, especially when we put our finger on the reliability of the machines. We already had experience with the MOD70 flying Edmond de Rothschild, and we had already identified a number of issues.
And Sébastien Josse, what will he do during these months of construction?
He will follow the site, and help analyze the datas. And then he will also train on our GC32, and continue learning the flying boat on our flight simulator that allows us to test the configurations of sail, appendages.
As a simulator for aircraft pilot?
Yes exactly. It was a simulator that had been developed by Team New Zealand to allow Peter Skipper, their skipper, to become familiar with the flight on the America's Cup. We did the same, and it's really good.
For this year's program, and as Lorient-Bermuda-Lorient is postponed, there are not many races to come ...
Indeed, there, we are a little in the fog. We will know more in a fortnight. At this time, it is true that there is not much. We can imagine many things ... if there is no world tour, we can consider the Transat Jacques-Vabre, or go in a record campaign, crew or solitaire ... Or finally, go around the world. Ultimate, even without all the actors. We will quickly know it.