Tour de France à la Voile i trimaraner

Tour de France à la Voile är ju en institution i Frankrike och en tävling som lockar både amatörer och proffs (det har väl blivit proffsigare med åren). Man har ju också seglar i ganska många olika båttyper, där de flesta av oss kanska minns Farr 30 bäst. Men nu blir det alltså flerskrov med Diam 24.

Ecume de Mer (1978)
First 30 (1979 – 1981)
Rush Royale (1982 – 1983)
Sélection 37 (1984 – 1991)
JOD 35 (1992 – 1998)
Farr 30 (1999 – 2010)
M34 (2011 – 2014)

Diam 24.är en liten sportig trimmis som designats av VPLP. Man har byggt 8 båtar och har redan en liten serie med bland annat Vincent Riou och Bernard Stamm. I Sverige har vi ju sedan tidigare sett Multi 23 som verkar ganska lik och Seacart 26 som väl är snäppet större/tyngre? Båten sägs kosta €55.000 “ready-to-sail”.

Length: 7.25 m
Beam: 5.62 m
Air draft: 12.20 m
Draft: 1.5 m
Displacement 450 Kg
Mainsail: 22m²
Solent 10m²
Gennaker: 32m²

Like the previous boats, the Diam 24 is one-design boat. But the true revolution that A.S.O chose to establish lies in the fact that the Diam 24 is a 7.25m trimaran !

The multihull revolution

After the Ecume de Mer (1978), the First 30 (1979 to 1981), the Rush Royale (1982 and 1983), the Sélection 37 (1984 to 1991), the JOD 35 (1992 to 1998), the Farr 30 (1999 to 2010) and the M34 (2011 to 2014), from next summerm 2105, the Diam 24 will be the new boat of the Tour de France à la Voile,

Like the previous boats, the Diam 24 is one-design boat. But the true revolution that A.S.O chose to establish lies in the fact that the Diam 24 is a 7.25m trimaran ! This sport boat was designed by VPLP and built in Port La Forêt (France) by Vianney Ancelin. Since its launch at the Paris Boat Show in December last year it has already seduced many renowned French sailors.

A circuit has also been created including various events like the Grand Prix Guyader, the Grand Prix de l’Ecole Navale, and the Raid Emeraude in Saint-Lunaire. Michel Desjoyeaux, François Gabart, Vincent Riou and Sidney Gavignet are just some of the the first people who have shown their interest in this multihull.

A controlled budget for easier access to the event

The Tour de France à la Voile needed a new breath of life. For a few months, A.S.O has led a large survey with stakeholders from the sailing industry (skippers, crew members, project managers, institutions, partners…). They had three priorities : firstly, to offer a boat that would make the participation to the event much cheaper. Secondly, to choose a one-design boat which also has a circuit, which means a boat that has a life outside of the Tour de France à la Voile. « We wished to start from a blank page in order to have a maximum of opportunities, without closing any doors. The budget for taking part in the event quickly appeared to be the key point, as well as the desire of many competitors to move to multihull racing, for more speed and more spectacular show on the water. The Diam 24 costs about 55 000 euros ready to sail, which is one third of the cost of the M34, and it entirely fullfils the two objectives. It offers a perfect budget positioning, with the opportunity to attract a large range of teams, from the corinthian to the elite crew. For the top teams, it will be a complementery platform to their main projects, on an event that they enjoy, and that offers their partners great possibilities in multiple places, both on the race village and from an hospitality point of view, the Tour de France à la Voile being, through its format, a summer tour along the french coasts », declared Jean-Baptiste Durier rhis morning in Nice.

Closer from the publicThe Diam 24 is a fun, fast and spectacular boat, and on top of that, it will sail closer to the public. It was one of A.S.O main objectives since they bought the Tour de France à la Voile in 2012. To reinforce the « show » aspect of the Tour de France à la Voile. The idea is to set an itinerary around France, with some iconic places of the French coast, like the « Château du Taureau », in Roscoff, or the island of Porquerolles near Hyères. « We will alternate two types of races in each stop. Some coastal races, on Day 1, that we can adapt depending of the weather conditions, and that will showcase the wonders of our coasts, and some inshore races, on Day 2 on a sailing stadium mode. Our will is the bring the show closer from the shore and from the spectators, and to create an entertainment program on land so that the public can understand what’s going on on the water, with a very well thought out visual and audio background. People like multihull sailing because it can be very spectacular. That’s also what guided our choice », said the director of the Tour de France à la Voile (name ?) The Diam 24 will have 3 or 4 crew onboard and can be lifted out of the water and dismantled in an hour only. From a logistical point of view, it is a perfect format for the Tour.

A mix of top sailors and corinthian sailors, the essence of the Tour de France à la Voile

The teams of the Tour de France à la Voile have welcomed the Diam 24 announcement with enthusiasm. They know this is the opportunity to revive the sporting aspect of the event, following on from the large reorganisation operated on land for the last two years (increase of the Race Village, creation of a set of publicity cars and of an entertainment hub on the beaches). Some key sailing figures who haven’t taken part for many years could consider coming back along the french coasts , like Michel Desjoyeaux, François Gabart, or Vincent Riou, who won everything this year on the Diam 24 circuit. « The future of sailing, in general, is the multihull. I am absolutely sure of that », explained François Gabart. And for Michel Desjoyeaux, « the objective is to have more boats and more sailors on the Tour de France à la Voile. The Diam 24 complies with the necessary flexibility on a mobile event along the French coasts, taking into account the timing priorities for the entertainment on land ! »

The Corinthians are also very intertested by the new series that should keep developing this year. Paul Adam, President of the Ligue Haute Normandie who initiated the Normandy-Acerel M34 campaign, who just won the Corinthian ranking this year, is supporting the Tour’s evolution : « The Tour de France à la Voile needed to be rejunevated. We are heading torwards a more attractive type of sailing, that is also a show for the spectators. The lower financial conditions will encourage the smaller teams to come back to the event ». The new course will be revealed during the Nautic – Paris Boat Show in december, as well as a few competitors already involved for the next edition. The objective is to offer a diverse fleet, gathering various families of sailing, olympic sailors, offshore sailors, professionnal crew members, and corinthian teams. The Tour de France à la Voile is en route towards its future on three hulls !

Quotes from :

Michel Desjoyeaux skipper :
« The Tour is a model in french crew handed sailing. Many young sailors have grown to top level racing and became pro after sailing on the Tour. Multihull sailing is clearly part of the french sailing and technological culture, and now it is finally going international ! It’s great gather the two and revive this major event. The objective is to have more boats and more sailors. The Diam 24 complies with the necessary flexibility on a mobile event along the french coasts, taking into account the timing priorities for the entertainment on land »

Vincent Riou, skipper of the 60’ monohull PRB :
« The Diam 24 is a light and fun sport boat. It’s full-on and it’s going to be a great show. I was looking for another boat on top of my 60 foot monohull. It’s an easy campaign to take on. The Diam 24 series has just started and it already attracts top people. And the Tour de France à la Voile is also an institution. I think the Diam 24 can rejunevate the event. It will be a great campaign to do the Tour on a multihull. I just love the idea ! »

Daniel Souben, skipper of Courrier Dunkerque 3 :
« We are at a time when the Tour has some difficulties despite the level of the competitors and the excellent media cover. We don’t have enough teams. So we can’t refuse the opportunity to rejunevate. The solution they found should allow attract many teams to the event and facilitate the mix of professionnals and corinthians. It will be a different format as we are going to lose the offshore legs. But it will bring some new competitors including a younger generation and some people from the multihull world. The Diam 24 in the Tour is a good thing, from a communication point of view, but also from the budget point of view. It’s definitely worth trying ».

Eric Hainneville, President of the Diam 24 class :
« The introduction of the Diam 24 as the new boat for the Tour de France à la Voile is a bit stressful for me, as a president of the Class. The bar is set high right from the start. We just want to be good enough so that no one is disappointed. As a sailor, it’s a fantastic project. I think it’s a recognition of the multihull as a proper racing platform. Sailing a multihull requires real sailing abilities. The America’s Cup helped a lot in this recognition. With Vianney Ancelin, we wanted a sensationnal boat, for a reasonnable price, simple and easily accessible. It was a real challenge. This boat will attract other types of sailors, both on the pro and on the corinthian side. It will give the Tour de France à la Voile a new dimension. I think it’s fantastic. There is a real mutual trust amongst us, the sailors, the class, and the race organisers ».

Nicolas Honor, project manager of Oman Sail :
« The fact that A.S.O is changing the boat is a good thing. Unfortunately today, the entries are decreasing every year on the Tour de France à la Voile. A.S.O had the courage to do something about it. Regarding Oman Sail, our project is more offshore sailing orientated, but we also have our MOD70 so the Diam 24 could be an interesting platform for us. We can readjust our omani sailors training program. We are more than 50% sure to do the Tour de France à la Voile again next year. But there are still some question marks because the Oman Sail program for next year hasn’t been established yet for the various circuits we are involved in. In brief, if we have an opportunity to do the Tour on a Diam 24, we will take it ».

Sidney Gavignet, skipper of Team Oman Sail :
« Moving to multihull is simply in the mood of our time. This change was necessary. To find a more affordable platform is logical considering the economic situation. I think the competition will be homogeneous. The big teams will prepare like big teams do and then we will have some sailors who don’t come from offshore sailing but from the sport multihull. I trust A.S.O to make the right choices ».

François Gabart, skipper of Macif :
« I did my first Tour in 2002 or 2003 and at the time I was sailing on Tornado. On the Tour I discovered offshore sailing, nightime racing, sailing with the tides and current… But I thought monohulls were a bit slow. AT the time I remember I told myself that it would be great to do it on small multihulls ! Therefore I think the evolution of the Tour de France à la Voile is very positive. And the future of sailing in general is multihulls. I bought a Diam 24 before even knowing it would be the new Tour boat. It’s an excellent boat, very accessible, both from a budget point of view and from a technical aspect. The Tour will be more popular, for the public and for the competitors. The mix has always been the Tour’s strength ! »