Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008 - (Page 58)

TRIAL : MACH 45 AN UNUSUAL IRC PARADOXICALLY, IRC boats with canting keels rapidly developed in the Anglo-Saxon world, although the origin of the system is French, coming from Pascal Conq and Michel Desjoyeaux. So when a French yard came up with a new design for this Franco-British class, OceanRacing was there to test it for real with a famous racer, an IRC expert, who has sailed in various models of Courrier, Géry Trentesaux. Based in La Trinité/mer where they manufacture the famous Open 7.50 and the Mach 6.50, JPS Productions took on somewhat of a major challenge: to build a 45-footer entirely of a Corel foam sandwich with epoxy resin, and carbon fibres, characterised by a moderate beam, a canting keel, an adjustable 3.9 metre long bowsprit, a very spacious cockpit with a coffee grinder. The result is more than conclusive in all points of sail, as long as the breeze gets above six knots of real wind, and is quite amazing when the wind gets up and the sheets are eased… During a weekend of training, the Mach 45 rapidly asserted herself at the front of the fleet in real time, although she did find it more difficult in the calms during the first day (less The 45-foot boat category has been developing a lot over the past three seasons, partly because of the Commodore’s Cup, but also because of the increasing number of models from boatyards (X-Yachts, Grand Soleil, First…) and the growth in size of the IRC boats. Designed by Samuel Manuard for JPS Production, the Mach 45 At the helm sailed for the first time in the Autumn Challenge in La Trinité Sur Mer "In quiet weather, we suffered partly because the sails were with Géry Trentesaux at the helm… very flat and the hull is very than 3 knots), while she really took off in winds above twelve knots the next day. Known for his remarkable powerful boats in the Mini Transat, Samuel Manuard has this time designed a hull, which is rather narrow, wider at the stern with steady trim when fully canvassed and a high freeboard. The Mach 45 is without doubt designed for a breeze and for downwind sailing… Géry Trentesaux takes a look at her. broad at the stern. Almost all of the crew had to move forward when there was less than five knots of wind But with wind above ten knots, the Mach 45 is very pleasant to steer with a gentle reaction at the tiller and a fine feeling of power: as soon as I bore away slightly with the keel already canted at 45° to the wind, she really took off clocking up more than 8.5 knots at 40° to the real wind. She is a boat that is going to be extre- ©L. Vidal/JPS Productions © D. Bourgeois In spite of her fairly narrow hull, the Mach 45 offers good trim under canvas with her clear chine and her canting keel The long cockpit enables a central column to be fitted that does not hinder the crew’s movements, while the pitman is well positioned between the two watch hoods Ocean Racing - december 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008

Cover
Edito
Contents
What they said
News
Portfolio - The news in the picture
Transat Jacques Vabre - Monohulls in power
In the words of the skipper - Michel Desjoyaux, A little bit more
Barcelona World Race - A couple sailing around the world
Imoca - Growth crisis in the Imoca class
Transat 6.5 - A whole series of records
Mini Class - Anatomy of a winner
Multihulls - What sort of trimarans tomorrow ?
Volvo Ocean Race - Second generation
Trials - Mach 45 : an unusual IRC
Match Racing - King Richard
Tactics - A good start
Portrait - Jacques Caraës
Lab - Tubular or wing mast ?
Forty years ago - Chichester, the lonely sea and the sky
Equipment - Shop window
New products - From the drawing board to the boatyard
Opinion - The mirage of worshipping technology

Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008