The thoroughbreds of the Atlantic
LE HAVRE, France -- If it's speed you want, it does not come much faster than this.
The Transat Jacques Vabre is the most famous two-handed race and it is all about crossing the Atlantic as fast as possible.
Multihulls are the speed machines of the yachting world. The trimarans competing for the Jacques Vabre are pure thoroughbred racers, crossing the oceans on the edge.
The newest designs at this year's Jacques Vabre are already 25 percent more powerful than those launched just three years ago. The modern multis may demand more and more from those who sail them, but it is a thrill few can resist.
It is a delicate balance between maximising speed and disaster. These boats are not for the faint-hearted. It is sailing at its most spectacular and competitors have an unforgettable experience.
"Here you are sailing at 35 knots -- America's Cup boats sail at 10 knots, 11 knots upwind sometimes," says Christian Fevrier.
"The sailing conditions on these boats are absolutely fantastic. You are between the sea and the air, you are flying."
Jean-Luc Nelias adds: "On the water, everybody goes 'Wow!' This is terrific because there is much power without any noise. There is no engine, there's just the wind."
Karine Fauconnier describes the races as "very very wet. You can never find a moment when it's dry. When you go fast it's always wind and waves."
For Michel Desjoyeaux, the boats are fun. "They are only six tonnes with a very big sail area. The top of the mast is at 100 feet so it makes boats very powerful, very fast and very fun."
And Loic Peyron says: "These machines are crazy for sure. But they are so exciting to steer, like a Formula 1. That is the summit of sailing for me."
Arm of protection
Racing multihulls are not a recent phenomenon. In the late 1970s the aluminium design of Frenchman Eric Tabarlay's trimaran Paul Ricard broke the transatlantic record and heralded a new era.
Trimaran design has come a long way since those pioneering days. Modern construction techniques and the use of composite materials have made the latest generation faster, lighter and more robust.
France remains the centre of the multihull tradition. All 14 of the class in the Jacques Vabre, were designed and built there.
But increasingly the boats are collaborative efforts. Launched at the Transat, Sergio Tacchini was the product of much discussion between British designer Nigel Irens and skipper Fauconnier.
The skipper says: "The arms of the boat are designed in an X. It's very secure, you are protected by the arm. It's very, very beautiful too."
Irens adds: "Our job is to be far more attentive to what people are saying and to what their needs are, to try to give them the tool they need to win the race.
"That might be to do strictly with performance or things to do with the way they live on board, the way they like to keep dry."
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