The much-anticipated moment has finally come. The launch of Spindrift 2 will take place on thursday, on April 3rd, with the satisfaction of a job well done by a team that has pulled together to meet demanding deadlines. So, here we are; three 40-metre hulls are leaving their paddock for the racetrack. But before that, backstage, the technicians of the Spindrift stable are working hard to make everything perfect. Action, rolling, welcome to episode 9 of ‘40 metres solo’.
Antoine Carraz, technical manager of the maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2, takes a while to get back to the hanger as he answers questions about one thing and another. The work on the platform was done with CDK in Lorient and that on the mast at the neighbour, Lorima. It was a three-month mission that took more than 8,000 hours of work by a team of 15-20 people. “With the drying times for the composite, the technical team moved to double time,” says Carraz the conductor, who is calm despite the imminent departure of the boat. “Some of the teams worked day and night to keep to the schedule. The structural modifications necessitated by cutting the height of the mast meant lots of work. At the same time, there were also the electronics, motors, fittings, equipment, rigging and rope… then at the end: incorporating the logos of our new partner sponsors into the design, touch-ups to the paintwork, finishing the appendages and assembly of everything that needs to be mounted on the boat while it is still dry.”
Teamwork
We can see and feel the pressure rising. The faces seem a bit drawn but the smiles are still there and those little jokes that are the telltale signs that they are excited by the approach of the sea and competition. “In the end, we got parts from all over,” Carraz says, “a piece of the rig arrives from America, ditto for the sails, which are then finished in Vannes, the engine comes from Sweden, some rope from Italy and the centreboard was made in La Rochelle. Everything has to be assembled in a short time. It is important that each step forward together happens in a good working environment and we had that.”
Sailor reinforcements
In painters’ overalls, wearing facemasks, Xavier Revil and Nicolas Texier tinker on deck. They joined the team for the end of the construction. As members of the Spindrift racing sailing team, they are already familiar with the boat after being board for the beating of the Discovery Route record last year. “Some sailor reinforcements have arrived for these last few days to help the technical team,” Carraz says. “For example, it takes eight people to set up a foil or a daggerboard. It’s really useful to have them here. They have also helped in setting up a lot of parts and managing details that save time.”
A boat in the image of Spindrift racing
The maxi-trimaran joined the Spindrift stable in early 2013 and the first construction work was done. This was essentially maintenance and a repaint with the colours of Spindrift racing. This construction in 2014 went much further. The boat has been optimised for the season’s crew and solo program, particularly the Route du Rhum at the end of the year. More generally, the evolution of Spindrift 2 deeply reflects the aspirations of Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard, and the work of the in-house design office. “This time, we took a lot of technical decisions based on the experience we’d on the boat and how Yann and Dona sail,” Carraz says. “In terms of the human dimension, we also have a team that knows itself better and has developed its own working methods. I have learned a lot about myself about managing such a project. It is stressful but there’s also the excitement of seeing, with the start of the sailing, the result of all our efforts.”
To watch the episode 9 : Job done, click here
To replay all the series : click here