From the team that brought you the world’s fastest sailing machine, the next stage in the team’s campaign to scorch around the world on foils began with the launch of l’Hydroptère.ch.

Designed as a test bed for their maxi hydrofoiler, Alain Thebault’s team’s new machine was launched today in Switzerland. Here’s the official pic and the official words that went with it.

Can’t wait to get aboard!

The official word:
This morning Alain Thébault, founder and pilot of the Hydroptère project and Jean-Mathieu Bourgeon, scientific manager of the project, accompanied by their Design Team, unveiled their new prototype, l’Hydroptère.ch, a 35ft catamaran at the Decision SA shipyard in Ecublens (Switzerland) which will soon be launched on Lake Geneva.

l’Hydroptère.ch follows the same principle. As a trial lab, she will help conceiving l’Hydroptère 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, Managing Partner 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 Thébault and Jean-Mathieu Bourgeon talked about the history and the foundation of the project, presented the new flying boat and unveiled the main innovations.