From scores of white and red Jeanneau Selection 37s, to planing, twitchy Mumm 30s, their large kites dragging the masthead from side to side like the weight on a metronome until the inevitable wipe out, from stories of trucking the fleet across the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Med, to tales of squally offshore marathons to intense inshore sprints, the Tour de France à la Voile was one of the major events of the year.

But over recent seasons this French modern classic has withered to a fleet of just nine boats. It was time for a change. And what a change they’ve made as the tour looks to trimarans with the Diam 24 One Design!

Here’s what the 2015 Tour Voile will look like.

For the full picture on the new huge change see the Feb 15 issue of Yachting World where James Boyd takes a look at what’s behind the move to lightweight high-performance trimarans.