Hydroplaneur
The sailing world was amazed when the odd skipper and well-known inventor Parlier presented his revolutionary 60-foot catamaran "Hydraplaneur" last year. With hulls that are modeled on the swimmers of seaplanes and a double rig, he wanted to speed over the sea at up to 45 knots.
The ship should be the first Maxi-Kat that can glide and reach unimagined speeds. Such radical projects earned him the reputation of the "extraterrestrial" (in the sense of beingted) during his time as Vendée Globe skipper.
But first tests and the participation in the Transat made some problems clear: The very wet and nervous sailing boat could hardly be controlled with one hand. The hoped-for speed by lifting the hulls out of the water was not achieved as effortlessly as planned.
But Parlier is famous for his tenacity, and so he further developed the boat last winter: The step, a right-angled shoulder in the underwater area of the hulls, was modified so that sucked in air makes stalling and thus easier planing. In addition, the ship was slimmed down by over 700 kilograms and the sail plan changed.
Hydroplaneur
Now the Frenchman wants to prove what "Hydraplaneur" is capable of. For several weeks he prepared a 24-hour one-handed record attempt on Gran Canariauf. Yesterday the time had come: "Hydraplaneur" set off in stable trade wind conditions to break the 540-mile record set by Frenchman Laurent Bourgnon in 1994 (with a 60-foot trimaran). Everything went well, the boat reached up to 39 knots and drove at an average speed of more than 30 knots for more than seven hours (!) - which gave hope for an Etmal far beyond the 600-mile limit. But then Parlier drove a patent jibe while reefing, whereby four battens broke and he had to break off the record attempt. In the meantime he has returned to Gran Canari and is preparing a new start in the next few days
More information about the boat and the project (only in English or French at www.parlier.org)