The 2003 Solitaire du Figaro winner Armel Le Cléac’h and his sponsor Brit Air have chosen the Multiplast yard to build their new Imoca 60ft monohull for the 2008 Vendée Globe.

Designed by the Finot Group, the boat will start to take shape in Vannes (southern Brittany, France) in early October 2006.
Brit Air will be the second Imoca Open 60 monohull built by Multiplast for the 6th edition of the Vendée Globe which starts in November next year

Commenting on the build Gilles Ollier said: “…We are very happy to build this boat for Armel Le Cléac’h. He is a talented skipper who will count among the rising stars of the very demanding Imoca Class. Furthermore, Brit Air is an airline, a field of activity for which accuracy, quality and performance are essential. We share these values and enjoy an excellent cooperation with them. And finally, the company is based in Brittany like ours, and shows a real attachment to its identity.”

Yann Penfornis, Brit Air Project Manager for Multiplast added: “We will start working on the deck as early as the beginning of October. Then in December, we will tackle the hull. At the end of February 2007, we will start the deck – hull assembly process. Once this is over, we will begin the paint job, fit the deck hardware and install the engine in May. We will also handle the construction of the rudder blades. The launch is due to take place in June.”

The construction will be carbon sandwich using a honeycomb (Nomex ) core, and oven cured. The build process will imply female carbon moulds, in order to ensure perfect dilatation homogeneity during the curing phase. Multiplast’s expertise regarding this type of process is world-renowned, in the field of competition sailing as well as in the industrial domain.