{"id":156332,"date":"2025-01-13T06:55:16","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T06:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/?p=156332"},"modified":"2025-01-14T12:17:31","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T12:17:31","slug":"the-design-secrets-of-charlie-dalins-vendee-globe-leading-imoca-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/vendee-globe\/the-design-secrets-of-charlie-dalins-vendee-globe-leading-imoca-revealed-156332","title":{"rendered":"The design secrets of Charlie Dalin’s Vend\u00e9e Globe winning IMOCA revealed"},"content":"Charlie Dalin<\/a> approached the 2024 Vend\u00e9e Globe<\/a> with a unique perspective. Dalin\u2019s previous boat, Apivia (now Clarisse Cremer<\/a>\u2019s L\u2019Occitane en Provence) was one of the benchmark IMOCAs<\/a> of its generation. So fast, in fact, that it wasn\u2019t until Dalin arrived in Les Sables d\u2019Olonne in January 2021 that it became obvious just how hobbled Apivia had been, with a MacGuyver-esque arrangement of improvised stays supporting the port foil for 13,000 miles.\r\n\r\nDalin was first across the line in the 2020\/21 race, though eventually finished 2nd after Yannick Bestaven received redress<\/a> time for his part in the rescue of Kevin Escoffier<\/a>.\r\n\r\nSo when it came to creating a boat for the 2024 race, his target was to try and improve on a design so quick that it had effectively dominated the Vend\u00e9e Globe fleet while sailing at reduced performance.\r\n\r\n\u201cApivia was a really good boat,\u201d Dalin explained. \u201cIn almost any condition, it\u2019s just an amazing boat. It\u2019s easy to go fast and it\u2019s easy to maintain a high speed. But the boat had a small weakness: running dead downwind with a big sea state. That was a bit complicated.\u201d\r\n\r\nFellow Vend\u00e9e Globe skipper Yoann Richomme<\/a> went further. \u201cThe conclusion of the 2020 generation was that they were bloody fast, and the foils were improving all the time, but the hulls were awful in the way the bows were digging all the time,\u201d he told us in Les Sables d\u2019Olonne.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156346\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Designing and building Macif took a team of 50 people, over 20 months and 60,000 hours of work. Photo: Ronan Gladu\/Disobey\/Macif[\/caption]\r\n\r\nFor the 2024 IMOCA cycle the design evolution has mostly centred on two major areas of improvement: hull shape and \u2018liveability\u2019. The aim is to create a hull shape that can handle big seaways without the huge speed losses \u2013 and damage potential \u2013 of slamming and nosediving into waves, but maintain fast, smooth averages.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile there has been an increased focus on the interior spaces and how the skippers can safely survive \u2013 let alone perform at their optimum \u2013 at the sustained high speeds and brutal motion of a foiling<\/a> IMOCA. Across the fleet there has been an intriguing variation in how to solve these problems.\r\n

Moving the volume<\/h2>\r\nTo draw his new Macif, Dalin returned to work once again with legendary IMOCA designer Guillaume Verdier. Verdier\u2019s wizardry is evident from first glance with Macif\u2019s complex hull form. There is a lot going on here.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156338\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Macif\u2019s complex hull form with wave deflecting strakes and chines running forward. Photo: Maxime Horlaville\/Disobey\/Macif[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe overall shape is the first thing that\u2019s most striking; long gone are the days when IMOCA transoms flared out to maximum beam. \u201cBecause of how we managed to harness the power of the foils, we realised that there was a possibility to make a narrower hull shape, especially on the transom. And because we really wanted to get rid of this nose-dive problem, we essentially moved the volume forward,\u201d Dalin explains.\r\n\r\n\u201cSo we got narrower at the stern and made the boat as wide as we could, according to the rules, further forward, to give it as much power as we could in the forward sections, to avoid the boat going down [the mine].\r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019ve also got a bit more rocker, so the boat can sit a bit higher naturally. It\u2019s a more natural position for the boat to sit when you\u2019re sailing downwind, but reaching is not so good. [Combined] with the width distribution, we got a smaller wetted surface area compared to Apivia, so it\u2019s better all round. The first time we went sailing on the boat, I really felt like the boat was less draggy in the water.\r\n\r\n\u201cIf you look at the bow, it\u2019s vertical at the sprit, at the very tip. Then we\u2019ve got a hard chine all the way forward.\u201d\r\n\r\nRichomme also observed that the lower chine helps Macif take off at lower angles of heel, and lower speeds, for earlier flight.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156335\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The curved, slightly convex deck shape is inherently stronger and also disperses water. Note the toerail\/flanges are also structural. Photo: Maxime Horlaville\/Disobey\/Macif[\/caption]\r\n

A \u2018drier\u2019 ride<\/h2>\r\nAs well as a hard chine, there is a relatively deep \u2018strake\u2019, which helps wave deflection \u2013 keeping water off the bow and off the deck is key. Again, designers of the newest boats have tried to tackle this problem in different ways.\r\n\r\nOn Macif the deck has a slightly \u2018gull-wing\u2019 organic shape, rising to mounds on either side, with its higher freeboard also helping keep the bow out of the sea. Dalin says there are multiple gains to it: \u201cHaving a deck which is this shape gives it a natural rigidity. The water presses against it, and if it was flat, that would just break.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s like the inside of a cardboard box; you find this little wavy pattern. This makes it more rigid naturally, so you can put in less carbon.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe second reason is because you\u2019re lower down in the middle of the boat, you\u2019ve got smaller bulkheads as well. And also, you lower your centre of gravity on the deck.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156337\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The hatches can be partially closed from the bottom to keep out deck water, from the top to protect against spray, or left fully open\/closed. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait\/Macif[\/caption]\r\n\r\nStructurally, getting the sides of the deck to take some of the loads and bending forces is advantageous, as he explains: \u201cBasically, you\u2019ve got 20, 25 tonnes pushing on the mast step. Then you\u2019ve got the runners at the back and the stays forward. So the boat wants to bend. Having the sides of the boat higher means that some of the efforts are running on the side part of the deck.\u201d\r\n\r\nAnd because every part of the boat has been thought through in enormous detail, what looks like a simple toe rail is also structural trickery.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019ve added this little flange on the bow. With this feature, the water is just evacuated to the side. And it helps the structure for sure \u2013 instead of having something that\u2019s useless inside the boat, like a horizontal stringer, this is multi-purposed.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156343\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The winches have been arranged so every sheet can be used on three out of four units. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait Macif[\/caption]\r\n

Cockpit evolution<\/h2>\r\nThe area where Macif most departs from the rest of the fleet is inside. Covered cockpits have become a huge trend, with everything from Ultims to Class 40s pulling protection further and further aft to keep skippers safer and drier. Alex Thomson\u2019s Hugo Boss was probably the most radical IMOCA of the last generation for this, with a completely enclosed cockpit. Thomson\u2019s \u2018living\u2019 space was something of an afterthought though \u2013 with a combination of bean bag and chair wedged in.\r\n\r\nSkippers have gone for different arrangements this time around, with a raft of solutions to create a protected navigation and sleeping area. Sam Goodchild and Sam Davies both have aft-facing reclining and canting chairs in a central companionway, so they can view their screens while hurtling along, and won\u2019t get thrown forwards. Alan Roura, whose Hublot is the former Hugo Boss, has a reclined \u2018double\u2019 chair behind the cockpit aft bulkhead so he can sit or lie on either tack. Richomme\u2019s cockpit is entirely covered, and has a forward-facing chair with mountain bike suspension (Davies\u2019 seat also has suspension based on that used on RIBs).\r\n\r\nDalin has gone for a unique solution: a covered cockpit forward, with an even more protected living \u2018pod\u2019, which he calls the studette (or studio) aft. The whole premise is based on reducing movement \u2013 both for efficient ergonomics, and the more dangerous involuntary movement of being thrown around as the boat nosedives or falls off a wave.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156333\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Dalin\u2019s customised bunk and deep foam mattress went through several iterations to perfect it for the Vend\u00e9e Globe. It\u2019s also the only IMOCA bunk with a sea view\u2026 Photo: Macif[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe less energy Dalin spends on clinging on, or staying warm and dry, the more energy and focus he can spend on eking out every fraction of performance.\r\n\r\nThe spaces are intentionally small \u2013 just 5m2 \u2013 and the number of steps between each \u2018function\u2019 has been carefully thought out. It\u2019s just 1.5m from his bunk to the chart table, and 1.5m from chart table to winch column.\r\nTo create the spaces, a 1:1 scale model of the cockpit, including articulated coffee grinders, and living pod was set up in Dalin\u2019s team base at MerConcept, Concarneau, while the boat was built at CDK, Port la For\u00eat.\r\n\r\nIn the cockpit, he opted for four winches rather than five for reduced weight, but the team worked hard on finessing the ergonomics. \u201cOn Apivia, we had the four winches in a line. At the beginning we thought that was a good set up. We tried, but it was not really working well with the tunnels on Macif. This set-up is actually better.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe jib sheets, J0, fractional, the runners... everything goes through these tunnels. And for all these sheets, we can use three out of the four winches.\u201d\r\n\r\nCharlie says that on the last Vend\u00e9e even a simple act like filling up his jet-boil to make food involved frustrating, energy-sapping scrambles around the cockpit. This time everything has been packed into a compact space with everything Dalin needs in arm\u2019s reach from his mission control chair, like the pilot\u2019s seat in an aircraft cockpit. The main screen is repeated in both the cockpit and nav station also.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156345\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Built-in ventilation hatches \u2013 Dalin says that temperature management was a big problem in the last race. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait Macif[\/caption]\r\n

Ventilated<\/h2>\r\nKeeping the water out is of essential importance, but Dalin emphasises that ventilation was also given a lot of focus. He has two access hatches on either side of the cockpit which have a three-way closure that can keep out water sweeping down the deck, spray from above, or be fully closed\/open. There are also aft facing portholes that can be opened for ventilation, and air circulation has been built into the studette. Forward facing perspex \u2018look outs\u2019 offer visibility.\r\n\r\nBoth his bunk and chair went through several iterations. The bunk is lengthways in the compact space, with Dalin\u2019s feet up against the forward bulkhead, and a deep custom-shaped mattress that might just be the most comfortable racing yacht bunk ever.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156340\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" A 1:1 scale mock up of the cockpit and living area was created at the MerConcept team base. Photo: Macif[\/caption]\r\n\r\nHis chair was created after a 3D body mapping process and built to his exact shape. A window aft lets Dalin keep an eye on conditions outside as well as the mainsheet track. It also means his is, he believes, the only IMOCA to offer a bed with a sea view!\r\n

Enjoying the process<\/h2>\r\nFor Dalin, who is a trained naval architect, the process of designing and building Macif has been fascinating and he was closely involved in all areas. \u201cIt\u2019s such an amazing, interesting part [of the campaign] because you take decisions every day that are programme-changing decisions. Once you hit the button of your hull shape, that\u2019s it. You\u2019re committed for four years.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_156334\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The \u2018nav station\u2019 has a custom-built chair, plus lanyards and stow pockets dedicated to everything \u2013 from forks to headphones. Photo: Macif[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\u201cI had something to say on everything. The hull shape, foil case positioning... things that are not impossible to change, but are pretty fundamental, and extremely expensive and time consuming to move. I think we moved the foil cases just at the last minute!\r\n\r\n\u201cI always loved to think and rethink about it during the night. Then in the morning, I\u2019d come up into the design office and say \u2018I had an idea last night. Maybe it\u2019s bad, but listen up, guys!\u2019 Sometimes we keep it, sometimes we bin it.\r\n\r\n\u201cBut it\u2019s such a fun project, such a fun process. You are making a boat just as you want. As a naval architect, it\u2019s something I really enjoyed, both for Apivia and Macif. It was really cool.\u201d\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/a>If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/h2>\r\n
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","excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charlie Dalin approached the 2024 Vend\u00e9e Globe with a unique perspective. Dalin\u2019s previous boat, Apivia (now Clarisse Cremer\u2019s L\u2019Occitane en Provence) was one of the benchmark IMOCAs of its generation. So fast, in fact, that it wasn\u2019t until Dalin arrived in Les Sables d\u2019Olonne in January 2021 that it became obvious just how hobbled Apivia had been, with a MacGuyver-esque arrangement of improvised stays supporting the port foil for 13,000 miles. Dalin was first across the line in the 2020\/21 race, though eventually finished 2nd after Yannick Bestaven received redress time for his part in the rescue of Kevin Escoffier. So when it came to creating a boat for the 2024 race, his target was to try and improve on a design so quick that it had effectively dominated the Vend\u00e9e Globe fleet while sailing at reduced performance. \u201cApivia was a really good boat,\u201d Dalin explained. \u201cIn almost any condition, it\u2019s just an amazing boat. It\u2019s easy to go fast and it\u2019s easy to maintain a high speed. But the boat had a small weakness: running dead downwind with a big sea state. That was a bit complicated.\u201d Fellow Vend\u00e9e Globe skipper Yoann Richomme went further. \u201cThe conclusion of the 2020 generation was that they were bloody fast, and the foils were improving all the time, but the hulls were awful in the way the bows were digging all the time,\u201d he told us in Les Sables d\u2019Olonne. For the 2024 IMOCA cycle the design evolution has mostly centred on two major areas of improvement: hull shape and \u2018liveability\u2019. The aim is to create a hull shape that can handle big seaways without the huge speed losses \u2013 and damage potential \u2013 of slamming and nosediving into waves, but maintain fast, smooth averages. Meanwhile there has been an increased focus on the interior spaces and how the skippers can safely survive \u2013 let alone perform at their optimum \u2013 at the sustained high speeds and brutal motion of a foiling IMOCA. Across the fleet there has been an intriguing variation in how to solve these problems. Moving the volume To draw his new Macif, Dalin returned to work once again with legendary IMOCA designer Guillaume Verdier. Verdier\u2019s wizardry is evident from first glance with Macif\u2019s complex hull form. There is a lot going on here. The overall shape is the first thing that\u2019s most striking; long gone are the days when IMOCA transoms flared out to maximum beam. \u201cBecause of how we managed to harness the power of the foils, we realised that there was a possibility to make a narrower hull shape, especially on the transom. And because we really wanted to get rid of this nose-dive problem, we essentially moved the volume forward,\u201d Dalin explains. \u201cSo we got narrower at the stern and made the boat as wide as we could, according to the rules, further forward, to give it as much power as we could in the forward sections, to avoid the boat going down [the mine]. …Continue reading »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1571,"featured_media":156344,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[892],"tags":[901,747,1633,1481],"review_manufacturer":[],"acf":[],"introduction":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156332"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1571"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156332"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156382,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156332\/revisions\/156382"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156332"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=156332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}