VPLP

Van Peteghem Lauriot-Prévost (VPLP) is a French based naval architectural firm founded by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost, responsible for designing some of the world's most innovative racing trimarans. Their designs presently hold many of the World Speed Sailing records.[1]

History

VPLP is a French based naval architecture firm founded by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost. These two French nationals first met at Southampton College of Higher Education both having enrolled to study Yacht and Powercraft Design.

During their years at college Marc and Vincent forged a friendship that was later to be the catalyst for VPLP. The company was formed in 1983 and first opened its doors in Marseilles with a focus on developing racing trimarans, which was a burgeoning niche market in the early 80’s.

VPLP’s initial project was to design a racing trimaran commissioned by skipper Vincent Levy for the 1984 OSTAR, (otherwise known as the English Transat). This 50-foot (15 m) foiler baptized Gerard Lambert was the first in a long line of racing trimarans that created a name for the firm and established the young designers as innovators in the field of naval architecture. VPLP designed their first cruising catamaran in 1984 for Lagoon, which was then a division of Jeanneau Techniques Avancées. The Lagoon 55 was the first in more than 240 cruising catamarans designed by VPLP. Lagoon is now part of the CNB division of Groupe Bénéteau and has produced more than 2000 catamarans with worldwide distribution. VPLP are the principal designers for the Lagoon fleet of sailing catamarans.[2]

Evolution

The offices moved to Paris, Bastille in 1985 to be closer their network of international clients. In subsequent years, VPLP have structured the organization into three divisions to focus on separate sectors of the yacht market:

In 1996, VPLP opened a Racing Division in Vannes for proximity to many offshore racing teams. In 2008 VPLP opened a Refit and Brokerage Division in La Ciotat, which is a large service center with many shipyards catering for superyachts operating in the western Mediterranean sea. In 2007 VPLP cooperated with French yacht designer Guillaume Verdier to penetrate the competitive IMOCA racing circuit. The performance of their first interactions Safran and Groupe Bel earned the VPLP-Verdier consortium a growing orderbook for racing monohulls.

Prototype projects

Waterworld

In 1994 VPLP designed the racing trimaran made famous by the movie Waterworld starring Kevin Costner. Two 60-foot (18 m) trimarans were built at Jeanneau’s racing division (Jeanneau Techniques Avancées),[3] one a conventional trimaran capable of speeds in excess of 30 kn (56 km/h) and a second boat with unconventional features that allowed it to transform for certain scenes in the movie and was used for most of the onboard and special effects scenes. This second boat, although used for many of the close up scenes, was able to sail but was not capable of the speeds of the conventional trimaran.

Hydroptère

In 1994 plans for an experimental Hydrofoil prototype was commissioned for Alain Thebault. The first Hydroptère was a 60-foot (18 m) trimaran. In the following years four additional evolutions were built. In 2006 HYDROPTÈRE 5 was launched. This was the first boat to cross the 50-knot (93 km/h) barrier (51 knots speed record set in 2009[4]).

Groupama 3

Groupama 3 and Franck Cammas
The prime design consideration for Groupama 3 was for a multihull which can be manipulated by a crew of ten people and not to make then LOA a defining characteristic thus Groupama 3 is not a maxi multihull!. It's a trimaran, which is also heavily inspired by Groupama 2, the 60-foot (18 m) ORMA : with the adoption of foils and the installation of three rudders, with a wide, open cockpit and a proportionally moderate sail plan. As a result, we opted for a relatively small boat which is rather light, progressive and very reactive. The deck plan enables the crew to manoeuvre faster in order to adjust the sail area to changes in condition and hence permanently exploit the trimaran's potential.

As the record programme included above all the Jules Verne Trophy, it was necessary to take into account the `Southern ocean' parameter: the foils are far forward so that the boat is nose up, the freeboard is high to prevent the bow from burying, the height of the mast limits the trim changes. The balance when sailing is considerably safer than on a 60-foot (18 m) Orma."[5]

Groupama 3 was reconfigured for Franck Cammas to enter the 9th edition of the single handed Route de Rhum 2010 which started 31 October 2010. Groupama 3 was the first to finish in 9 days, 3 hours, 14 minutes and 47 seconds. The Route de Rhum takes place once every four years, is a single-handed race across the Atlantic starting in Saint-Malo, France and finishing in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.

Maxi Banque Populaire V

Banque Populaire V, the largest ocean racing trimaran in the world, was launched in August 2008 in Lorient (Brittany – France). Built at sites in Cherbourg, La Rochelle and Lorient, the construction of the maxi trimaran took 250 000 man hours of work, utilising a total workforce of some 170 people. Under the leadership Pascal Bidégorry, skipper of the Banque Populaire trimarans since 2004, the crew of the Maxi Banque Populaire V has embarked on a campaign to beat some of the most prestigious ocean racing records.

For VPLP, the challenge consisted of designing a fully crewed, no compromise multihull, which is totally versatile but very high-performing, suitable for a mixed programme, which is always seaworthy but cutting edge and progressive, but which always preserves the safety of the crew on board. At 40-metre (131 ft) trimaran, Maxi Banque Populaire V is, to date the largest ocean racing trimaran ever designed and built.

Pascal Bidégorry and his associate Ronan Lucas, the Director of the Team Banque Populaire, sought a design centred on a very specific idea:

“We wanted a big boat which would be able to sail fast safely but with a range of speeds, all that we knew we could master from a technological point of view”. Pascal Bidégorry skipper of Maxi Banque Populaire V.

BMW Oracle BOR 90

BMW Oracle winner America's Cup 33 - Deed of Gift
The 33rd America's Cup was held under a strict Deed of Gift[6] rules: The first team to win two out of three races is the winner of the 33rd America’s Cup. It was specified by the cup holder SNG that the match be sailed in yachts 90 ft (27 m) by 90 ft (27 m), and so the Golden Gate Yacht Club developed their trimaran BOR (BMW Oracle Racing) 90, whilst the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) have opted for a giant catamaran, Alinghi 5. When it was proposed that the 33rd edition of the America's Cup would be contested with multihulls, BMW Oracle team immediately signed[7] VPLP to their core design team

BMW ORACLE Racing 'BOR 90, sailed as USA 17' the American challenger, representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club, won the 33rd America’s Cup Match in Valencia, sweeping past the Swiss defender, Alinghi, to a 2-0 victory.

Race one, a windward - leeward course with 20-mile (32 km) legs, saw BMW ORACLE Racing's trimaran winning by 15.28 minutes. In race two, a triangle, with 13-mile (21 km) legs, the Challenger crossed the finishing line ahead by 5.26 minutes.

Multi One Deign MOD 70

An one-design 70-foot (21 m) multihull designed to create a new class of oceangoing racer. When compared to its predecessor the ORMA 60. the MOD 70 is 10-foot (3.0 m) longer, 5 feet (1.5 m) narrower, carries less sailarea with a shorter rig and higher crossbeam clearance. The design concept was to sacrifice some of the ORMA 60's extreme performance for reduced cost, reliability and safety.[8]

Racing prototypes and results

1984        GÉRARD LAMBERT

        50' foiler trimaran for the OSTAR

1985        LA SANTA MARIA

        45' catamaran for the Route de la Découverte
        1st in class

1986        POULAIN

        75' trimaran for Olivier de Kersauson
        2nd of the Tour de l'Europe in 1987
        Round the world solo in 1988/1989
        BISCUITS CANTREAU 1
        Formula 40 trimaran for Jean Le Cam

1987        BISCUITS CANTREAU 2

        Formula 40 trimaran for Jean Le Cam
        World champion 1987

1988        BISCUITS CANTREAU 3

        Formula 40 trimaran for Jean Le Cam
        World champion 1988 and 1989
        HITACHI / BOTTIN
        60' trimaran for Lionel Péan in 1988
        Skippered by Éric Tabarly in 1989

1989        NORD PAS DE CALAIS 3

        Formula 40 trimaran for Alain Comyn
        Skippered by Steve Ravussin since 1993
        Named Triga 4 when she won the Bol d'Or on Lake Geneva in 1994
        3rd in the Bol d’Or 1998
        1st in the 3rd category of the Route du Rhum in 1998
        GROUPE PIERRE 1ER
        60' trimaran for Florence Arthaud
        1st in the Route du Rhum in 1990
        LAKOTA
        (EX-GROUPE PIERRE 1ER) FOR Steve Fossett
        Transpac "Los Angeles- Honolulu" record in 1995
        Transpac "Yokohama-San Francisco" record in 1995
        1st in the "Longbeach-Cabo San Lucas" (Mexico) race in 1995

1990        RMO / PRIMAGAZ / FONCIA / BAYER / REXONA / REGION GUADELOUPE

        60' trimaran for Laurent Bourgnon
        1st in the Open-UAP in 1991
        1st in the Baule Dakar in 1991
        1st the Québec Saint-Malo in 1992
        1st in the Twostar in1994
        Record for the single handed transatlantic crossing in 1994
        24 hours speed record single handed : 540 miles/24 hours
        1st in the Route du Rhum in 1994
        1st in the Fastnet in 1997
        Record of the English Channel Crossing in 1997
        1st in the Le Havre - Carthagène in 1997
        1st in the Route du Rhum in 1998
        3rd in the Le Havre – Carthagène in 1999
        Record for 60’ Atlantic Crossing in 1999
        3rd in the Quebec – St Malo 2000
        3rd in the Fecamp grand prix 2000
        YLLIAM
        Formula 40 for Pierre-Yves Firmenich
        1st in the Bol d'Or in 1993
        1st in the Bol d’Or in 1998
        LÈGE CAP FERRET
        Formula 28' trimaran for Jean-Louis Miquel
        Vice world, champion in 1992
        World champion in 1993

1993        LYONNAISE DES EAUX DUMEZ

        90' trimaran for Olivier de Kersauson
        Sailing around the world non stop in 77 days in 1994

1997        SPORT-ELEC

        90' trimaran ex Lyonnaise des Eaux-Dumez
        Jules Verne Trophy record in 71 d, 14 h, 18 m
        BROCELIANDE / FONCIA / TECHNOMARINE / BANQUE COVEFI / STENA SOVCOMFLOT / ORANGE
        60’ Trimaran for Alain Gautier
        Record Port La Forêt - Gijon (A/R) en 29 h 58 m 16s
        3rd in the Course des Phares 1998
        2nd in the Route du Rhum 1998
        2nd in the Fastnet 1999
        1st in the Fecamp Grand Prix 1999
        1st in the la Trinité sur Mer Grand Prix 2000
        1st in the Challenge Mondial Assistance 2001
        2nd in the Cap d’Agde Grand Prix 2001
        1st in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2001
        2nd in the Belgium Grand Prix 2001
        2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2001
        1 st in the Nokia Oops Cup 2005

1998        GROUPAMA I / HIQ

        60' trimaran for Franck Cammas
        3rd in the Route du Rhum in 1998
        2nd in the Le Havre – Carthagène 1999
        2nd in the Trinité sur Mer Grand Prix 2000
        1st in the Québec – Saint Malo 2000
        1st in the Grand Prix de Fécamp 2000
        3rd in the Challenge Mondial Assistance 2001
        1st in the Cap d’Agde Grand Prix 2001
        2nd in the Cagliari Grand Prix 2001
        2nd in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2001
        3rd in the Belgium Grand Prix 2001
        1st in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2001
        1st in the Lorient Grand Prix 2002
        2nd Belgium Grand Prix 2002
        1st in the Lorient Grand Prix de 2003
        1st in the Challenge Mondial Assistance 2003
        2nd in the Cagliari Grand Prix 2003
        1st in the Marseille Grand Prix 2003
        1st in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2003
        1st in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2003
        1st in the Trinité sur Mer Grand Prix 2004
        3rd in the The Transat 2004
        2nd in the Québec – Saint Malo 2004
        Winner Nokia Oops Cup 2006

2000        BONDUELLE / GITANA XII

        60' trimaran for Jean Le Cam
        Launched in September 2000.
        1st in the Cagliari Grand Prix 2001
        2nd in the Course de Phares 2002
        3rd in the Challenge Mondial Assistance 2003

2001        FILA / TIM

        60' trimaran for Giovanni Soldini
        1st Roma Per Due 2002
        BELGACOM II / GITANA XI
        60' trimaran for Jean Luc Nélias
        3rd Belgium Grand Prix 2002
        1st the Fecamp Grand Prix 2002
        3rd in the Grand Prix de Lorient 2003
        2nd in the Marseille Grand Prix 2003
        2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2003
        3rd in the Marseille Grand Prix 2004
        1st the Calvi Grand Prix 2004
        3rd in the Grand Prix de Fecamp 2004
        3rd in the Grand Prix de Lorient 2005
        2nd the Marseille Grand Prix 2005
        2nd the Calvi Grand Prix 2005
        2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2005
        2nd in the ORMA Championship 2005
        3rd in the Trophy Alpes Maritime 2006
        3rd in the Grand Prix of Trapani 2006
        3rd Marseille Grand Prix 2006
        2nd Portugal Grand Prix 2006
        2nd in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2006
        3rd overall Multicup championship 2006
        Winner 2006 Route du Rhum with Lionel Lemonchois. * Current record 7d 17h 19m 6s
        2nd in the AS Lease Challenge 2007
        2nd in the Multihull Trophy 2007
        GERONIMO
        34 m 110’ trimaran for Olivier de Kersauson
        Jules Verne Trophy 2004
        Record for the Transpac 2005
        Record for Around Australia 2005
        Record Sidney – Tahiti 2005
        Record San-Francisco – Yokohama 2006
        Record Yokohama – Hong Kong 2006
        Record Yokohama / San-Francisco 2006

2002        FONCIA II

        60’ racing trimaran for Alain Gautier
        2nd in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2005
        GEANT
        60’ racing trimaran for Michel Desjoyeaux
        1st in the Route du Rhum 2002
        2nd in the Lorient Grand Prix 2003
        3rd in the Marseille Grand Prix 2003
        3rd in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2003
        3rd in the Trinité sur Mer Grand Prix 2004
        1st in the Transat 2004
        3rd in the Québec – St Malo 2004
        3rd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2005
        3rd in the ORMA Championship 2005
        3rd in the London – Nice Grand Prix 2006
        2nd in the Grand Prix Alpes – Maritime 2006
        2nd in the Trapani Grand Prix 2006
        2nd in the Marseille Grand Prix 2006
        3rd Portugal Grand Prix 2006
        3rd in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2006
        2nd overall Multicup Championship 2006
        SODEBO
        60’ racing trimaran for Thomas Coville
        3nd in the Grand Prix de Cagliari 2003
        2nd in the The Transat 2004
        2005 Record in the Discovery Route10d 11h 15m 20sc
        2005 Record Miami - New York solo 3d 5h 19m 39sc

2004        IDEC

        90’ trimaran ex Sport-Elec
        2004 Solo round the world record in 72d 22h 54m 22s for Francis Joyon
        2005 Solo transatlantic world record in 6d 4h 1m 37sc for Francis Joyon
        GROUPAMA 2
        60' trimaran for Franck Cammas
        1st in the Marseille Grand Prix 2004
        3rd in the Calvi Grand Prix 2004
        2nd in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2004
        1st in the Trinité sur Mer Grand Prix 2004
        1st in the Calvi Grand Prix 2005
        1st in the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2005
        1st in the Marseille Grand Prix 2005
        1st in the Vigo Grand Prix 2005
        1st in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2005
        1st in the Lorient Grand Prix 2005
        1st in the London – Nice Grand Prix 2006
        1st in the Alpes – Maritime Grand Prix 2006
        1st in the Trapani Grand Prix 2006
        1st in the Marseille Grand Prix 2006
        1st in the Portugal Grand Prix 2006
        1st in the Fecamp Grand Prix 2006
        Multicup Champion 2006
        Trophy SNSM June 2007
        1st in the AS Lease Challenge 2007
        1st in the Multihull trophy 2007

2005        CREPES WHAOU ! 2

        50’ trimaran for Franck Yves Escoffier
        1st in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2005
        2006 Record SNSM in 1d,3h,31m,52s
        2006 Winner 50’ class of Route du Rhum
        2008 Winner 50’ class Québec – St Malo

2006        GROUPAMA 3

        105’ trimaran / 31.5m for Franck Cammas
        2007 24 Hr Speed Sailing Record: 794 miles (1,278 km)
        2007 Transatlantic Record 4d 3h 57m 54s
        2007 Discovery Route record 7d,10h,58m,53s
        2007 Record Miami – New York 1d,11h,5m,20s
        2008 Record to the Equator - 6 days 6 hours 24 mins
        2008 Record Equator to Cape Agulhas – 7 days 2 hours 22 mins
        2008 Record Ushant – Cape Leeuwin 21 days 2 hours 00 mins
        2009 Trans Mediterranean Record 17H 08M 23S
        2009 Record to the Equator - 5 days 15 hours 23 mins
        2010 Record Cape Agumhas – Cape Leeuwin 6d 22h 34m
        2010 Record Circumnavigation – Jules Verne Trophy 48d, 7h, 44m, 52s

2007        SAFRAN

        60’ IMOCA monohull with Guillaume Verdier
        Built at Chantier Naval Larros (CNL) for Marc Guillemot
        2nd Transat Jacques Vabre 2007
        5th Transat Ecover B to B 2007
        4th Artemis Transat 2008
        3rd Place Vendée Globe 2008/2009
        1st in SNSM Trophy
        Winner Transat Jacques Vabre 2009
        GROUPE BEL
        60’ IMOCA monohull with Guillaume Verdier
        Built at Indiana Yachting for Kito de Pavant
        2nd Transat Ecover B to B 2007
        6th Transat Jacques Vabre 2007
        1st 1000 Miles Brittany Ferries 2008
        7th in the Rolex Gigragli Cup 2009
        Record for solo crossing of the Med (1D, 21H, 20M, 29S)
        2nd Transat Jacques Vabre 2009

2008        BMW ORACLE RACING 90x90 USA17

        90’ carbon multihull
        Designed for America's Cup Racing Team
        Winner 33rd America's Cup 2010
        MAXI BANQUE POPULAIRE V
        40m Custom racing Trimaran for Pascal Bidegorry
        Composite built at CDK Industries
        Transatlantic Record 2009 -- 3D 15H 25M 48S
        24 Hour World Speed Sailing Record 2009 -- 908 Miles

2009        CREPES WHAOU ! III

        50’ trimaran for Franck Yves Escoffier
        Built by CDK Industries
        Winner Transat Jacques Vabre 50’ Class 2009
        Second in the Trophée Prince de Bretagne
        Winner St Malo Trophy
        Winner of the Fécamp Trophy
        Second in the Vendée Saint-Petersburg 2010
        Winner of the Prince de Bretagne trophy 2010
        Winner of the Port-Médoc Trophy 2010
        Winner of the Fécamp Trophy 2010
        GITANA 77’
        77’ trimaran for Yann Guichard
        Built by Larros / Southern Ocean Marine NZ / Team Gitana
        FONCIA
        60’ IMOCA monohull with Guillaume Verdier
        For Michel Desjoyeaux

2010        PRB

        60’ IMOCA monohull with Guillaume Verdier
        Built at Larros / CDK/ ReFraschini
        For Vincent Riou
        VIRBAC-PAPREC 3
        60’ IMOCA monohull with Guillaume Verdier
        Built at Cookson Yachts NZ
        For Jean Pierre Dick

References

  1. ↑ World Sailing Speed Record Council
  2. ↑ Lagoon Yachts
  3. ↑ Waterworld boat construction by Lagoon
  4. ↑ World Sailing Speed Record Council
  5. ↑ Quote: Frank Cammas
  6. ↑ Deed of Gift 2010 America's Cup
  7. ↑ BMW ORACLE Partners With Multihull Designer VPLP
  8. ↑ 70 - The Boat

External links