Chirps from the Yacht Racing Forum

More than 430 delegates and experts from around the world gathered to make business, network and discuss some of the sport’s biggest opportunities and challenges at the 11th edition of the Yacht Racing Forum on October 22-23 in Lorient, France. To read a summary of the event, click here.

With a list of illustrious speakers contributing, here are some of the chirps from the forum’s twitter account:

• Michel Kermarec, engineer and designer, member of NYYC American Magic design team: “The next big challenge is to be able to go offshore in big waves and be able to foil safely. That’s the main difference between the America’s Cup and the offshore sailors.”

• Renaud Bañuls, Bañulsdesign, designing a new foiling Sodebo for Thomas Coville, and a number of foiling craft for weekend sailors: “After achieving foiling, the next big step is creating dynamic righting moment.”

• @VendeeGlobe winner 92-93 Alain Gautier is concerned the sailing world may not be able to sustain the size and cost of the incredibly advanced racing boats being launched today. Space is running out to harbour these boats

• Loick Peyron, the offshore legend talks about trickledown of technology: “When I’m racing, I’m dreaming about cruising. When I’m cruising, I don’t like to be inefficient. That’s why many of our innovations from racing are useful for cruising.”

• Offshore racing legend Loick Peyron describing the trickledown effect into wider sailing world: “When I’m racing, I’m dreaming about cruising. When I’m cruising, I don’t like to be inefficient. That’s why many of our innovations from racing are useful for cruising.”

• Gary Jobson believes next America’s Cup will be won by the superior sailors. Bruno Dubois disagrees: “I believe the fastest boat will win, just like every other America’s Cup.”

• Benoit Lebizay, managing partner, Gunboat: “The Gunboat has a specificity for cruising but has to be high performance too.” The boat and the equipment are as stress tested in the same way as a full-on race boat.

• Gary Jobson: “We need to get owners back on board America’s Cup and high profile campaigns to keep them engaged in the sport. And the Cup needs a 100% nationality rule.”

• “The idea of sailing around the world in around 40 days, singlehanded, is a fantastic dream. Armel Le Cleac’h, looking forward to some exciting times aboard his giant Ultime trimaran, Banque Populaire. Is there any limit to French offshore sailing ambition?

• The Class Ultime general manager Emmanuel Bachellerie admits the costs of the giant trimarans are creeping up and might have to be limited, from €10m a few years ago to more than €13m today: “Maybe the owners of these boats will one day ask, can we stop?”

• Ryan Breymaier, former skipper of the 105-foot VPLP-designed trimaran Lending Club in the USA: “There’s no better platform for doing big business deals than one of these boats. I’m proud of the fact that 100s of millions of dollars of business was done on this boat.”

• Halvard Mabire selling the benefits of the Class 40: “I’m proud that of the 53 Class 40s lining up for the Route du Rhum, the boats have been designed by 17 different designers.”

• Richard Mason: “Taking the race back into the Southern Ocean was a critical move and it’s important to keep that as part of the race’s DNA in the future.”

• There are eight orders already for the yet-to-be-built TF35 high-speed foiling catamaran, designed to replace the successful but ageing Decision 35 on Lake Geneva, says class manager Bertrand Favre.

• Phil Lotz, commodore of the New York Yacht Club, comments: “We have some ulterior motives to competing in the Cup. Yes, we’re sailing to bring back the America’s Cup to America, but also to bring America back to the America’s Cup. We have 11 US sailors on our team.”