Quite a few of us still think of Yannick Lemonnier as the keen young French guy who came to Galway by way of Dingle, and in time became the Irish branch of Quantum Sails, with a new loft in the City of the Tribes. But he turned 50 last July, and was thinking of unfinished business, even though he and his son Sean – they're a formidable team – were on their way to winning the Cong-Galway Race for the second year running.

Being King Cong twice on the trot would be enough for most of us for a while. But Yannick was remembering that, when he got into top-level competitive sailing on his native waters in the Bay of Biscay at the age of 26, his foremost ambition was to race the Mini Transat 6.5 across the Atlantic

King Cong. Sean Lemonnier and his dad Yannick after winning the Cong-Galway race for the second year running

You might well think that as the boats are only 6.5 metres in overall length, there'd be more of them available second-hand for rookie skippers. But on the contrary, around La Rochelle he found that Figaro boats of several vintages were in much more plentiful and affordable supply for charter, and he found himself being "trapped" into competing in no less than five Figaros.

And when he started to make his mark on the Irish scene, it was racing the Figaro 2 DoDingle in the 2004 Round Ireland Race in the Two-Handed Division, co-skippering with Galway's Aodhan FitzGerald to such good effect that their time stood as the Two-Handed Round Ireland Record until 2016, and even then it was only bested by a Belgian Class 40 which in turn was beaten by Pam Lee of Greystones and Cat Hunt in a Figaro 3 in October 2020.

The newly-acquired boat making well to windward, but nevertheless reminding us that when all is said and done, a Mini 6.50 is just 21.3 ft long. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O'Brien

But by 2016, while Yannick had made a significant mark on Irish sailing, the Mini-Transat itch hadn't gone away, and by 2018 he'd bought a well-proven Sam Manuard-designed Mini 491 with which he promptly won the developing Mini class in that year's Round Ireland Race, and the following year, after regular shipmate Dan Mill the ace boatbuilder had sustained a serious knee injury 24 hours before the race, he won the class in the Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Race 2019.

He was ultimately crewed with minutes to spare by pierhead jumper John Malone of Lough Ree YC, Ireland's SB20 Class President, who subsequently provided an entertaining account of what it's like to be power-hosed for hours on end while your Mini 6.50 tears down Ireland's East Coast with everything set in a roaring nor'easter at an average of 22 knots.

An already well-worn Lough Ree YC cap has taken another battering – SB20 Class President John Malone and Yannick Lemonnier at the conclusion of a successful Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race 2019. Photo: John Malone

The basic design of Mini 6.50s has moved on since this boat first appeared, as we well know from the appearance of current "Irish Sailor of the Year" Tom Dolan's Pogo 3 Smurfit Kappa, which placed sixth in 2017's hop across the pond. But Yannick Lemonnier's boat still has plenty of oomph, so much so that designer Sam Manuard has come on board with plans for a new twin daggerboard arrangement which he reckons will bring on planing speeds earlier, thanks to a slight inward angle, thereby providing the possibility of sustaining 24 knots for long periods.

View from astern, showing new starboard foil activated. Sam Manuard has angled the new asymmetrical foils slightly inwards, on the theory that they will start to provide real lift sooner than a vertical or outward-angled foil

As the foil in use will be on the opposite side to the canting keel, both will be operating in relatively undisturbed water

These very special asymmetrical carbon foils are being made in a purpose-created workshop unit in a corner of the Quantum Galway premises by Dan Mill in an upgrade and campaign project currently being supported by Port of Galway, Quantum Sails, Premium Ropes, Dubarry, the Irish Mini Class and West Sails.

Once the boat is afloat, the programme is hectic:

• Early April : launch then testing of new Dagger boards and new mast rake between Galway Bay and Dingle
• End April: 1000 miles solo non-stop qualifier course finishing in La Trinite Sur Mer
• 22th May start of the "Mini en Mai 6.5", La Trinite Sur Mer, 500 miles/ solo
• 13th June start of the "Mini Fastnet 6.5" , Douarnenez, 600 miles/ double handed
• 28th July start of the "Mini Gascogna", 580 miles/ double-handed (Backup race in case there was an issue finishing a previous race)
• 26th Sept, the start of the Mini Transat 2021:
• Leg 1: Les Sables D'olonne- Santa Cruz de la Palma (Canary Island), 1350 miles
• Leg 2: Start early November Santa Cruz de la Palma (Canary Island)- St Francois (Guadeloupe), 2700 miles
• Early December loading boats for shipping back to France

Course for the Mini Transat 2021, starting on September 26th at Les Sables d'Olonnne. By the time Yannick Lemonnier is on the starting line, he will already have sailed thousands of miles with his re-configured boat

Despite the intensity of the programmme, Yannick reckons the longest he'll be away from the loft is one period of only 16-17 days, but in any case, Quantum colleagues in Ireland such as Mark Mansfield, and others abroad, will be rallying round to maintain the well-established smooth service.

As we emerge from lockdown, it will be fascinating to follow this very special example of competitive sailing life returning to our seas, and grasping the first possible opportunity to fulfill a long-held dream. For as Yannick himself says: "You only live once".

Meet Yannick and Sean Lemonnier, Galway Bay's father-son shorthanded offshore sailing duo. Yannick is the owner of Quantum Sails Ireland and is preparing for the 2021 Mini Transat Race.

He has been sharing his passion with Sean for years and the two have spent some unforgettable moments together on the water.

As regular Afloat readers will recall, the duo – with a hat-trick under their belts – are the reigning champions in the Cong-Galway Race, Ireland’s oldest and Europe’s longest inland yacht race. 

Learn more about their favourite offshore adventures in the Quantum vid below.

Sailmaker Yannick Lemonnier, a five-time Figaro sailor with over 90,000 miles sailed mostly solo, shares some Quantum Sails tips

Whether the wind shifted for the downwind leg or you need to reach home to the marina, knowing how to reach with your runner or run with your reacher is a valuable skill. Quantum’s specialist shares his tips for these valuable techniques.

While each sail has a prescribed purpose or wind range, there are techniques that allow you to push a sail beyond its intended purpose, particularly when it comes to spinnakers. Whether you want to avoid a sail change or you need to quickly alter course to make a mark or destination, here is how to set up your downwind sails to reach or run when the breeze is not cooperating.

REACHING WITH A SYMMETRICAL KITE

When you want to reach, you will need to set your symmetrical kite to act like an asymmetrical one Photo by Gary Trinklein

Symmetrical spinnakers are designed to fly with the fullest shape possible. This allows the boat to run faster downwind by capturing as much breeze as possible. However, when you want to reach, you will need to set your symmetrical kite to act like an asymmetrical one. Start by moving the pole forward and down. Next, set the weather tweaker at the deck and ease the leeward tweaker (use your spinnaker-pole downhaul, if equipped). Moving the pole forward sets the tack close to centerline (like a sprit) while the pole tip-down hardens the luff so it can act as a leading-edge (like an asym). The hotter the angle of sail, the more forward the pole will need to be relative to the forestay. (Note: Be careful to keep the pole controlled and prevent it from banging against the forestay. A sudden gust can cause crash it into the forestay and damage the rig.) Once the pole is properly positioned, cleat the guy and have the trimmer trim the sail like an asymmetrical kite. Ease the sheet until the luff curls, then back in again. If you sheet it in hard or tight, it will act similar to a code zero. 

SAILING DEEP WITH AN ASYMMETRICAL

Sailing near-dead downwind. Photo by Sharon Green

By design, asymmetrical kites are better for reaching. They are built with more of a foil shape similar to a working sail, making them easier to use. However, their shape also limits their effective angles. When you need to sail deeper than the polars might recommend, there are a few simple adjustments you can make. Start by easing the tack 10-18 inches to extend the length of the luff to give a fuller shape. This allows the sail to rotate around the forestay. Next, as the driver turns down, the trimmer should ease the sheet to induce even more rotation.

This combination helps project the sail area forward and enables the kite to run deeper. Trim as you normally would.

Whether conditions call for reaching or running, the ability to maximize your downwind inventory is a handy skill. Because every boat is rigged a bit differently, the exact adjustments can be specific to the boat or one design class, but these tips will get you started.

For more information on a particular boat and spinnaker setup, you can contact Yannick Lemonnier or Mark Mansfield to discuss in detail.

Ireland now has another proper option for the purchasing of sails, with the arrival of this World Class Quantum brand to Ireland. Come and ask Yannick or me for a quote. You won't be disappointed.

Download the Quantum brochure below

Mark Mansfield [email protected] Tel: 087 2506838
Yannick Lemonnier [email protected] Tel: 087 628 9854

#sailmaker – Veteran pro solo sailor Yannick Lemonnier has opened Quantum sail loft in Galway docks to service both the Southern and Northern Ireland sailing markets.

Lemonnier, a double handed Round Ireland record holder, says he will service and repair any type of sail; cruisers, racers, dinghies, windsurf, kitesurf and even windmill sails.

With an impressive floor area of nearly 450 sq.metres, the Galway harbour loft is capable of handling the largest sails such as for VOR70 or MOD70 racing yachts and operates collection points from Dublin and Cork.

The French sailmaker has an impressive sailing CV, having sailed in excess of 70,000 miles, mostly single handed or double-handed, and competed in five 'Solitaire du Figaro', 2 Transatlantic race double-handed "AG2R", won 2 French National Student match-racing, won French National Student cruiser/ racer title and has competed in many "Tour Voile", "Spi Ouest France", Cowes Week (TP52), Fasnet Races.

The international Quantum Sail Design Group was formed in 1996 by a group of independent and experienced sailmakers. The firm has grown to more than 60 sales and service outlets throughout the world with headquarters in Traverse City, Michigan, USA. Sails are built at three, state-of-the-art manufacturing centers strategically located around the globe.

More on the new Galway loft here