World's Largest Racing Trimaran Sailing in France - Banque Populaire V

Lorient, France - The largest racing multihull yacht ever built started testing on the waters in France this week.  Rather than taking it easy, and sailing her slow on the maiden voyage under sail, the crew of Banque Populaire V just couldn't help themselves from seeing what the new boat could do, and flying a hull in the ideal sailing conditions.  Built to smash ocean sailing records, this yacht is made to test the limits.  Just how large can a racing trimaran get?  At 131 feet (40 meters), this giant boat is answering that question.

Skipper Pascal Bidégorry took the helm of Banque Populaire V on Tuesday, for the first sailing of the new trimaran.  Bidégorry and his team could not imagine better conditions for the long awaited event.  For five hours, under superb conditions, the 21 member crew tacked and jybed the massive multihull, just to get a feel for the yacht under sail.  A gorgeous indian summer day, 14 knots of wind, the thrill of being the first to test a new racing yacht while gliding on the water under the clear blue sky - the smiles radiated from the crew at the sheer pleasure of it all.

"It was a beautiful day," said the skipper.  "There was a strange mixture of alertness, excitement and emotion aboard. It gave me a great sense of satisfaction.  We have discovered many good things about the behaviour of the boat, sails, mast, appendices, and our embedded systems. There remains, of course, much developed to be carried out, but this first boat trip has brought us great pleasure.  It is also a great relief for me.  I waited for this day for a long time,"  said Pascal Bidégorry before adding, "I am particularly pleased to have seen so many smiles on board today."

Well, who wouldn't be smiling, on this maiden sail of the boat built for speed.  Also grinning aboard the maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V was Hubert Desjoyeaux, head of CDK Technologies, builders of the yacht: "It's a great satisfaction to see the smiles of the men who were aboard. Even if the vessel is now in the water, we will continue to have a watchful eye on it. Our job will not be over until the boat has been proven."

Skipper Pascal Bidégorry described the test sail: "We have essentially tested Banque Populaire V upwind and downwind.  The boat is perfect. It glides well, and does not drag in the water.  It is really good in its lines.  It is amazing!  It is a boat that goes very quickly, with angles very closed it rose to 25 knots.  After three hours, we were already flying a float.  An extraordinary pleasure! It's as if we had already sailed several days on board, everything works so well!"

The satisfaction is palpable around Team Banque Populaire, as pointed out by its director, Ronan Lucas: "It was a superb testing in good conditions.  For us it is the culmination of several months of work.  I am very pleased with everything.  The overall functioning of the boat is very satisfactory, and each member of this team feels rewarded by that.  However, we remain cautious because this sailing was the first, and it was done under favorable conditions.  We still have work.  Now we will focused on the development to push Banque Populaire V even further next time."

Looks like the fun of testing this behemoth multihull has just begun!

- Kim Hampton exclusively for YachtPals.com

Photos Banque Populaire V - Y.Zedda/BFBP

Banque Populaire V sailing in France.

See more sailing videos and sailing news about multihull sailboats or Banque Populaire V:

• Banque Populaire V (all articles about the trimaran Banque Populaire V)
  
• New Racing Trimarans  - The Big and the Beautiful (more about Banque Populaire V multihull)
• Oracle sailboats
• Groupama multihulls
• The World's Fastest Sailboats - Sailing for Speed Freaks!
• New America’s Cup Multihulls
• Sailing the New BMW Oracle America's Cup Multihull
• Catamarans
• Trimarans

Video added 2009: Banque Populaire V Sailing Video