This morning Alain Thebault, founder and pilot of the Hydroptere project and Jean-Mathieu Bourgeon, scientific manager of the project, accompanied by their Design Team, unveiled their new prototype, l'Hydroptere.ch, a 35ft catamaran at the Decision SA shipyard in Ecublens (Switzerland) which will soon be launched on Lake Geneva.
The programmes led by the Hydroptere team are scientific and technological projects, whose purpose is to revolutionize the world of sailing and further develop the innovative concept of flying boats. In 2009, l'Hydroptere, the 60ft trimaran, became the fastest sailing craft in the world when she bet two absolute sailing speed records i.e. 51.36 knots (95 km/h) over 500 meters and 50.17 knots (93 km/h) over one nautical mile. These are milestones in the history of sailing.
l'Hydroptere.ch follows the same principle. As a trial lab, she will help conceiving l'Hydroptere maxi whose purpose is to beat the most famous oceanic records and to follow Jules Verne's vision: Flying around the planet.
Three boats to attempt all major records: Pure speed, Atlantic crossing, Pacific crossing and circumnavigation.
In the presence of their major partners, the private banker Thierry Lombard, Associate Manager of Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie, Philippe Merk, CEO of the watchmaking manufacturer Audemars Piguet and of their official scientific advisor, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) represented by Patrick Aebischer, its president, Alain Thebault and Jean-Mathieu Bourgeon talked about the history and the foundation of the project, presented the new flying boat and unveiled the main innovations. "l'Hydroptere is an extraordinary human and technological adventure and l'Hydroptere.ch follows the same principle. As a lab boat designed to conceive l'Hydroptere maxi, this catamaran will help testing a new geometry and especially the configuration with two rudders.
The objective of this hybrid sailing boat: The versatility. Sailing nearly as fast as Archimedean traditional boats and achieving higher speeds in flight. First on Lake Geneva, then in the Mediterranean and abroad, l'Hydroptere.ch should give answers to precise questions related to flight dynamics and she will be an ambassador of the cross-frontier collaboration", said Alain Thebault during the conference.
As a result of a close collaboration between sailors, the Design Team, the EPFL, the shipyards Decision SA and B&B, the design offices HDS and MSE and the "Papes", these eight retired engineers who have been supported Alain Thebault and the project on a voluntary basis, l'Hydroptere.ch is a real technological jewel.
This is a 35ft sailing boat (10.85 meters long and with a span of 10.40 meters) with a central structural peak. She is equipped with rear tail units that can be raised, with a very accurate adjustment system of the foils and with planing hulls with removable steps.
As on the 60ft l'Hydroptere, l'Hydroptere.ch will be equipped with a highly sophisticated on-board measurement system.
Patrick Aebischer, supporter of l'Hydroptere.ch broke a bottle of Champagne at the end of the press conference and evoked the links that gathered the EPFL and the Hydroptere project from 2006: "The researches carried out at the EPFL have already contributed to the two records beaten by the team last year. l'Hydroptere.ch is a new step in this collaboration. This sailing boat is an opportunity for the committed researchers to validate the developments they do and to experiment in real conditions the innovative solutions to extend the existing limits in many fields of activities. This project is really motivating for the researchers as well as for the students who are committed in it".
All the Hydroptere project is supported by two companies i.e. Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie and the watchmaking manufactorer Audemars Piguet who share numerous values such as tradition, excellence and know-how.
Thierry Lombard, passionate by challenges, sailing and technology, has been supported the project since 2005. "After the achievements of l'Hydroptere in 2009, the launching of this hybrid prototype is really promising. This incredible adventure that I had the pleasure to join in 2005, is the proof that the most wonderful dreams can come true thanks to the passion of a team and the unconditional commitment of its partners. To invest in such a challenge is a way to be a step ahead, prove the ability to innovate and show everybody our pioneer spirit", did he say before l'Hydroptere.ch.
For Philippe Merk, "this new ambitious prototype has also the same pioneer spirit as Audemars Piguet, which since 1875 has always extended the limits of its art through its quest for technological innovations, daring and excellence. This is not only the work of an enthusiastic, determined and experimented team that we appreciate with this partnership, but also the research and the implementation of innovative and revolutionary solutions. These are values that we share". The team of l'Hydroptere.ch is going to start the static trials and calibrations of the platform before focusing on the sailing boat's fittings.
Happy and moved to see the result of three years of studies, design and building, impatient to see the first achievements but aware of the fine-tuning to make on such a prototype, Alain Thebault and his crew will sail on Lake Geneva in October.
"This christening is a very important day for the team and for myself. I am proud and moved. l'Hydroptere.ch is the result of years of studies and sailing sessions on l'Hydroptere but also of the work and the commitment of an extraordinary team. After a few weeks of adjustments and finish-works, we will be able to fly over Lake Geneva", concludes Alain Thebault.