SolOceans

By entrusting the design of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design to Finot-Conq and Associates, Yvan Griboval, CEO of SailingOne, benefited from their invaluable experience as the architects of the last four winning boats of the Vendée Globe. It was a guarantee in terms of quality and reliability. JMV Industries yard in Cherbourg (Normandy-France) was selected for the same reasons. They have built a great number of IMOCA 60 monohulls, as well as one of the biggest racing oceanic monohulls (Marie Cha IV - 45 metres) and the biggest racing trimaran in the world (Banque Populaire V - 40 metres).

The results have exceeded the initial targets decided in Spring 2006. The Veolia Oceans^® one-design has now proved her exceptional qualities and how fit she is for the oceanic sailing programme she has been designed for. All the sailors who took part to the fine-tuning of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design, notably: Charles Caudrelier (skipper of Bostik), Erwan Tabarly, Liz Wardley, Yann Clavier (boat captain of Bostik), Alexia Barrier, Phil Paxton and Franck Ferey have valued her intrinsic qualities. They all have expressed how safe they felt onboard, even in the most hostile conditions. They all have pointed out her reliability and how easy she was to steer in all weather and wind conditions, her "road stability" in all point of sails and her capacity to sail fast easily. Charles Caudrelier, who arrived in the Port of Caen under sail, last Monday, and sailed the first unit of the Veolia Oceans^® series to SailingOne base often says "It’s a real motorbike" when describing the one-design.

In return to the fantastic qualities of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design in breezes above 12-15 knots, there was at the beginning a lack of speed in a force 2. In this field, Charles Caudrelier worked a lot with North Sails France teams. In comparison with the first set of sails designed by Yann Régniau (Chief Designer at North Sails France), the Veolia Oceans^® one-design is now more powerful in light wind conditions. Last September, a 115-square-metre Code 0 (a kind of big light genoa) was added to the set of sails of the one-design series. The surface of the Solent evolved from 74 to 85 square metres. The Gennaker was 145 square metres and is now 172 square metres. A second spinnaker, specially designed for winds below 12 knots, has been added to the 250-square-metre spinnaker part of the base set of sails. This maxi 290-square-metre spinnaker is rigged from the masthead. Finally the surface of the staysail evolved from 34 to 39 square metres. Obviously, the Veolia Oceans^® one-design will always be more at ease in strong oceanic breezes rather than in light coastal winds. Nevertheless, from now on, the skipper will have at their disposal all the equipment needed to steer the boat when they have less than 12 knots of winds.

Three major modifications have been done during the navigations.


A retractable 2.40-metre bowsprit similar to the one found on the Class 40 yachts had been tested during the first part of the test-sail and then during the journey from Caen (Normandy - France) to Wellington (New Zealand). Despite numerous modifications made on it, this system was not satisfying. Finot-Conq and Associates recommended a traditional boom. This boom comes now on top of the stem of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design. It is 2.20 metres long - to be compared to the 1.80-metre boom of an IMOCA 60 prototype.

The second modification concerns the living area. The first version of the kitchen block - motor cowl - table chart - nav station was too voluminous. The second version gives now more room. The interior storage units are more practical. It is easier to move around the living area when sailing. The access to the engine is easier and optimized.

The third modification which is been made at the moment on the first unit of the series that will be displayed at the International Paris Boat Show, is the addition of a grinder. The power of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design is demanding on the crew during the manœuvres. Despite her renowned physical capacity, Liz Wardley said she could do with a grinder when she arrived in Wellington (New Zealand). Harken, which has made all the deck equipment for the Veolia Oceans^® one-design, have designed a grinder which will help the sailors to keep their energy, especially on the solo-race the SolOceans.

All the gear suppliers chosen at the beginning of the design of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design are all kept as official suppliers for the rest of the series: Alucarbon for the mast; Navtec for the standing rigging; Corderie Lancelin for the running rigging; North Sails France for the base set of sails and the competition set of sails; Harken for the deck gear; Karver for the furlers; NKE for the electronics and the autopilot; Groupe Navimo (Plastimo and Goïot) for the deck equipment, the inside equipment and the basic safety equipment; Nanni Diesel for the engine; International for the painting; V1D2 at Caen (Normandy - France) for the paint work and the handling, including the keel stepping.

JMV Industries yard in Cherbourg and SailingOne carbon infusion workshop at Saint Philibert (Brittany - France) make the majority of the carbon elements for the Veolia Oceans^® one-design. The rudder-blades, rudder boxes, centre-boards and centre-board cases are in Carbone and made by C3 Technologies. The keel bulb and all the metallic pieces of the keel are made by Lemer-Pax.

For the first unit, the Carbon keel fin was made by Profil Composites, which will soon be put out of business. A new supplier will be chosen soon. Then, the keels will be finished off by digital milling technology. Similarly, ITS Demolin ceased operation. As a consequence, the hydraulic equipment of the keel will be made by two former employees of ITS Demolin, now at the head of Oleosystem, implented in Norlanda enterprise zone at Caen (Normandy - France).

As a summary, this 16-metre High-tech one-design all in carbon has numerous assets to seduce sailors who want to evolve, at a reasonable cost, from a category of yacht smaller than the Veolia Oceans^® one-design to the summit of solo oceanic races, with as a main objective an introductory round-the-world race: the SolOceans. Nevertheless, the specialist from the IMOCA 60 and Volvo Open 70 class are assured to also have fun sailing this simple high-tech machine, bold, reliable, strong and easy to steer.