Thierry Lombard, whose family has been supporting great adventures for over two centuries, along with his son Adrien, gave longevity to the Hydroptère project and also a new dimension with two new boats in sight and more specifically in the building of l’Hyrdoptère.ch.
Their support since 2005 has also made certain partnerships possible, especially with the EPFL and has led to the creation of the scientific pole on the campus.
The programmes led by the Hydroptère team are scientific and technological projects, whose purpose is to revolutionize the world of sailing and further develop the innovative concept of flying boats.
l’Hydroptère.ch registers in this global approach and will serve as a lab boat whose main purpose is to test geometries and behaviours in the real conditions required for the development of l’Hydroptère maxi.
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Following the same experimental process as Alain Thébault who built three models before the existing 60 ft trimaran, the main purpose of l’Hydroptère.ch will be to test geometries and behaviours in real conditions in order to design l’Hydroptère maxi. |
l’Hydroptère.ch will be based in Lausanne, Switzerland, close to a part of the Design Team Hydroptère, which is in charge of her development, and close to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL).
The design studies for l’Hydroptère.ch were carried out jointly by our engineers, our “Papés”, the EPFL-laboratories involved in the project but also all the engineering offices collaborating with the Design Team Hydroptère, which coordinates all these people.
The design of l’Hydroptère.ch was focused on the desire to maintain and optimize the equipment related to the boat’s speed and behaviour “in flight” whilst developing points such as versatility and navigation in light winds. These two elements will be decisive for l’Hydroptère maxi to attempt oceanic records (Atlantic and Pacific) or Jules Verne’s Trophy around the world.
The geometry of l’Hydroptère.ch is innovative as she is a 35ft catamaran with a central structural peak and v-shaped foils.
She will be equipped with a centreboard to sail with the foils out of the water when conditions are not favourable for “take-off” and no more with only one rear tail unit as on l'Hydroptère but with two rear tail units known as rudder-elevator. This will improve the balance in flight. The rigging was designed so as to meet a wide range of weather conditions.
The building of l’Hydroptère.ch is Swiss-French following the example of the project.
It has started in Brittany at the shipyard B&B in La Trinité sur Mer. B&B is charged with the manufacture of the centreboard, the cross beams, the rear tail units as well as the foils.
The shipyard Décision Sa of Bertrand Cardis, located in Ecublens close to Lausanne, will start the building of the floaters and the central structural peak in June.
l’Hydroptère.ch will be totally constructed of high-tech materials in order to get the best weight-properties ratios according to each implementation.
l’Hydrotpère.ch aims to validate the choice of a new geometry as well as permitting the effects of numerous parameter combinations to be evaluated based on the boat’s performance. The boat will therefore be a veritable floating laboratory, equipped with ingenious mechanical systems that will enable a multitude of adjustments whilst sailing. The platform as well as all the elements and technologies tested on l’Hydroptère.ch should be transferable to the maxi.
Her launch is planned for autumn 2010.
