The entire Holcim-PRB team gathered today at Port-La-Forêt for the relaunch of the IMOCA that Nicolas Lunven will sail around the world starting this fall. After two transatlantic races and a month and a half in the yard, the green and blue 60-footer returned to the water this morning.

The technical team, led by Sébastien Col, then installed one of the new foils with which the Holcim-PRB skipper will conduct training sessions offshore for about three days starting next week. The second foil will be installed tomorrow. Equipped with these new appendages, the IMOCA is expected to benefit from improved performance. All attention will be focused on them during the upcoming outings at sea, as Nicolas Lunven explains: “We hope this new pair of foils will result in a global performance improvement for Holcim-PRB, leading to more speed. For now, we can’t say under which wind conditions they will perform best. What is certain is that they will provide more tolerance in sailing because they are more flexible than the previous ones. This should generate more self-regulation. In terms of design, these foils have a straighter tip but are also more horizontal, with a smaller radius of curvature at the elbow. I’m really looking forward to sailing to test them. If they fully satisfy us, I will do the Vendée Globe with this pair of foils; if we have any doubts, I will sail with the old ones that we know well by now,” said the skipper, pleased to see his boat back in the water.

On the team side, smiles were evident at the end of the day after a quick relaunch and installation of the first foil. For Sébastien Col, team manager, this end of the yard work is a true satisfaction as the final stretch toward the Vendée Globe approaches. “I’m impressed by the dedication of each team member. This was an important project, the last before the round-the-world race, and everyone gave their best to meet the timeline and allow Nicolas to get back to sailing as soon as possible.”

Rosalin Kuiper, who will take the helm of the IMOCA after the Vendée Globe, participated in all the operations for this relaunch. The skipper is delighted to see the boat at 100% of its potential and is Nicolas’s biggest supporter as he prepares to participate in the Défi Azimut in September before taking the 60-footer to Les Sables d’Olonne in mid-October, the starting city for the Vendée Globe.