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Right before the last race of the 2009 Tour de France a la Voile: the race director William Borel revealed the monotype to replace the Farr 30 in 2011. He exposed her name to the 23 teams of the TFV and in the presence of Henry Bacchini, vice president of the French Sailing Federation, and Frederic de Watrigant, the Tour de France a la Voile director: the M34 project, built by the Archambault boatyard and designed by Joubert-Nivelt Design, a French yacht design office. This 10.34 meters long, modern looking monotype is one meter longer than the Farr 30. She should be especially powerful thanks to a greater sail area/displacement ratio and will be able to sail longer offshore legs. This advantage allowed William Borel to reveal another release: the creation of the first transatlantic with a crew on a monotype. The start of such bi-annual race, supervised by the TFV managers, Lariviere Organisation and supported by the French Sailing Federation, will be given at the winter/spri ng 2011/2012. It should follow the trade winds so as to be a proper speed run across the Atlantic.
Emmanuel Archambault, the boatyard manager, and Alexandre Mercier, Joubert-Nivelt Design architect, confirmed the launching of the first M34 for March 2010. She will be officially introduced as soon as for the next TFV, in July 2010. Frederic de Watrigant claimed that five units per month will be built from this date. The end of a nine month-long story, since the announce of a design brief for the new TFV boat in November 2008. It is not only a new boat, but also a new offshore adventure.
To change the boat of the Tour de France a la Voile is not an easy thing. Only six monotypes did the job in 32 years: the Ecume de Mer in 1978, the First 30 from 1979 to 1981, the Rush Royale in 1982 and 1983, the Selection from 1984 to 1991, the JOD 35 from 1992 to 1998 and finally the Farr 30 (ex-Mumm 30) from 1999 to 2010.
The design brief called for a modern boat, easily transportable by road, with a reasonable draft to enter into ports, asking for no more than five to six crews on board, with a retractable pole for an asymmetrical spinnaker, for a reasonable cost (120 000 Euros duty-free with the trailer). She will generally be a more offshore boat than the Farr 30.
January 31, 2009, William Borel received 23 preliminary projects coming from nine different countries: it was the expression of a major interest. On March 13, three names were selected: the JPK 998 by JPK Composite and designed by Jacques Valer, the One Design T2011 by K-Challenge and designed by Russel Coutts/Andrej Justin, and finally the M34 by the Archambault boatyard and designed by Joubert-Nivelt Design. William Borel finally chose this one after many surveys. Why? "This project offered the most original choices with the K-Challenge one. I am thinking about the retractable keel, which allows a 2,5 m draft at sea to be reduced to 1,70 m in port or during transportation. It strictly respects the design brief according to the budget safeties. The Archambault boatyard guaranties the international aspect with more than 1650 Surprises sailing across the world since 1977."
The M34 is only a temporary name: Lariviere Organisation will announce her final name later on, like the final name for the new race across the Atlantic.
Archambault M34 Main Parameters - between brackets are the Farr 30 parameters.
Length Over All: 10,34 m (9,43)
Beam: 2,98 m (3,08)
Displacement: 2 400 kg (2 040 kg)
Draft: 1,70 m/2,5 m (2,10 m)
Sail area upwind: 72 m2 (56 m2)
Spinnaker: 130 m2 (90 m2)
Architects: Joubert/Nivelt Design
Boatyard: Archambault
Cost included the trailer: 120 000 Euros
www.tourvoile.fr
