Transat Jacques Vabre 2017: Team Arkema Lalou Multi are off!
Transat Jacques Vabre 2017: Team Arkema Lalou Multi are off!
Lalou Roucayrol and Alex Pella have now set off on their transatlantic journey on board the Multi50 Arkema for this 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, a legendary ocean race between Europe and the Americas.
An ever evolving ultra competitive trimaran
Built in 2012 and launched in 2013, the trimaran Multi50 Arkema is the result of a great combination of Arkema’s skills and Team Lalou Multi’s experience. Sturdy, graceful and competitive, this multihull was designed by architect Romaric Neyhousser and fine-tuned thanks to innovations from the Group.
Fitted with Altuglas® ShieldUp acrylic glass, the glazed surfaces of the deckhouse and the helm stations boast a degree of visibility that significantly outperforms that of traditional glass, combined with unrivalled light weight and impact resistance.
The boat was assembled with joints using adhesives from Bostik (an Arkema subsidiary) which ensure an optimum flexibility – sturdiness – optimal weight ratio, even in extreme weather conditions.
The most recent innovation in the Multi50 class is unquestionably the addition of foils, replacing the boat’s traditional keels. These new formidably effective appendages offer greater speed as well as improved stability, resulting in a rather more airborne feel to sailing the trimaran.
Explore an animated version of the multihull’s innovations:
https://www.arkema.com/en/arkema-group/arkema-sailing/arkema-multi50-trimaran/
Lalou Roucayrol and Alex Pella, a dream team for the Coffee Route
On 5 November the starting signal was given for the Transat Jacques Vabre, a transatlantic race for two-man crews. This ocean race follows the legendary route taken by the large merchant sailing ships of the 17th century.
Lalou Roucayrol and Alex Pella have now sailed from Le Havre (France) on their enhanced Multi50, heading for Salvador de Bahia (Brazil). The skippers will have to tackle a 4,350 mile course across the Atlantic, a passage that is neither straight nor smooth…
In particular they will have to overcome the formidable doldrums, a particularly turbulent buffer zone with air masses clashing from the Northern and the Southern hemispheres.
Throughout their crossing, the skippers will receive precious guidance from Karine Fauconnier and Éric Mas stationed on shore to look after routing and weather strategy.
Don’t miss a moment of the #TJV2017 and follow our two-man crew live on the Team Arkema social networks:
Media Contacts
Marie-Astrid Parendeau, Tel. +33 (0)6 24 53 52 41, [email protected]
Aline Teyssier, Tel. +33 (0)1 49 00 83 74, [email protected]