Alone on the World’s Biggest Trimaran
How will Yann Guichard handle a 131ft trimaran alone across the Atlantic? Matthew Sheahan went to find out
This coming Sunday (2 Nov) Yann
Guichard plans to start the Route du Rhum, the singlehanded 3,500nm race
from St Malo to Guadeloupe aboard the world’s biggest trimaran
Spindrift 2.
At 131ft (40m) LOA with a beam of 77ft (23m) she is
the combined size of three tennis courts and dwarfs every other
competitor in the 88 boat fleet.
She’s holds nine world records
and is easily the fastest offshore racing boat in the world. But she’s a
boat that has been fully crewed for all of these records and when you
see her up close it is easy to see why. There are no powered winches and
when it comes to her sail plan there is nothing you can lift on your
own.
So how on earth is Guichard going to handle this beast alone?
Earlier
this year I travelled to the team base in La Trinite sur Mer in
Brittany, France where I sailed with Guichard and his crew to find out.
This months YW (Nov 14) carries that feature where Guichard explains how and why he thinks he can do it.
Meanwhile, here’s the video of my trip aboard the world’s biggest trimaran.
Read more at http://www.yachtingworld.com/blogs/matthew-sheahan/537505/alone-on-the-world-s-biggest-trimaran#SYIPfJFAetj24iBz.99