SP80: in pursuit of the speed record

New and old records

The main goal set by the creators of the SP80 was to break the current world speed records among sailing yachts. The main source of inspiration for the SP80 project engineers is the Hydroptère trimaran, which was designed by the famous yachtsman Eric Tabarly.

The three founders of the project – Xavier Lepercombe, Benoît Gaudier and Mayul van den Broek – witnessed the Hydroptère set the world speed record on 4 September 2009. Then the trimaran managed to develop a speed of 52.86 knots (97.9 km/h). This served as the starting point for the work to begin.

After a while, the record was updated. In 2012, yachtsman Paul Larsen reached a speed of 65.5 knots per hour (121 km/h) on a stretch of 500 meters. After this momentous event, the trio of “founding fathers” of the future SP80 understood which direction to move.

In 2019, work began on the SP80 kite at the Persico Marine shipyard. A small trimaran with a kite instead of a sail is 6 meters long and weighs about 150 kg. 

Hull, hydrofoils and kite-sail SP80

The SP80 uses the latest technology to reduce weight and increase the strength of the trimaran. So, the body was molded from durable and lightweight carbon fiber, which was created using the North Thin Ply technology. 

The North Thin Ply technology creates durable carbon sheets thanks to carbon strands that are impregnated in rubber and further baked in an autoclave. Thanks to this chip, the body of the kite will be very durable.

Foyles will be another interesting feature. The hydrofoils of the SP80, unlike those of other yachts, are not oval, but triangular in shape. The reason for this modification lies in the fact that thanks to this form it is possible to create a stable air pocket.

The kite deserves special attention. In simple words, this is a large kite that creates the necessary driving force. According to the creators, the kite will be the best alternative to the classic sail due to the fact that it allows you to develop sufficient speed without too much weight on the boat. Thanks to the kite, the SP80 does not need to be additionally stabilized with a keel or increase its actual width.

Model and complete construction of the SP80

The beginning of work on the SP80 was the creation of a reduced model. Thus, in 2020, a 4-meter model was launched. The tests were carried out on Lake Geneva. During the research, which was carried out for several months, the engineers took into account a few problems and set about creating a full-scale model.

In the spring of 2022, the SP80 carbon 7-meter trimaran arrived in Switzerland. Now the project engineers are working on fine-tuning the hull. According to the project’s roadmap published a few years ago, an attempt to break the record was supposed to take place in the summer of 2023, but so far there is no news about this. The new building was officially presented to the public in April 2023.

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21.07.2023