On 7 November 2021, 81 boats will take the start of the 15th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre. Created back in 1993 and run biennially, this legendary race enables some of the big names in sailing, together with amateur sailors, to take on the historic trading routes for coffee, from France to South America or, as is the case this year, to the West Indies. For this 2021 vintage, as per usual, there are a number of pretenders to victory. Twelve of them (three in Ultim, seven in IMOCA and two in Ocean Fifty) have one thing in common: they benefit from both the experience and expertise of the CDK Technologies yard, a specialist in the construction of prototype yachts, whose productions have pretty much systematically made a clean sweep of the prizes in the most prestigious offshore races for the past 35 years and more.
The cast for the 15th edition of the Coffee Route is impressive. Better still, it boasts a record fleet with some 81 boats split into four classes (Class40, IMOCA, Ocean Fifty and Ultim). Indeed, the previous best score dates back to 2017 when 60 duos took the race start. As such, this year’s event is already exceptional before the competitors have even set sail and observers are particularly thrilled to see the return of the giant multihull category, which was absent two years ago. Five maxi-trimarans make up the ranks this year and this ‘clash of the titans’ is eagerly awaited since among these machines geared up for the finest round the world adventures, two have only been launched in recent months: the Maxi Banque Populaire XI skippered by the Armel Le Cléac’h – Kévin Escoffier pairing, for which CDK Technologies was responsible for the entire project management and the manufacture of her foils, as well as SVR Lazartigue sailed by the François Gabart – Tom Laperche duo, for which the yard manufactured the key components, namely the floats, the beams and the foils. Their performance is sure to be examined in detail between Le Havre and Fort-de-France. The same is true for that of Actual Ultim 3, skippered by the Yves Le Blévec – Anthony Marchand duo, she too a direct product of the Port-la-Forêt and Lorient sites in 2015. A solo world tour record holder since 2017 (42 days 16 hours 40 minutes and 35 seconds) and then winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2015, The Transat bakerly 2016 and then The Bridge the same year, today this high-tech multihull in the colours of a group specialising in temping, has a significant asset: her reliability.
Boats at the cutting edge of innovation and performance
Alongside these three ULTIMS there are no fewer than seven exceptional IMOCAs, whose creations have also been crafted by CDK Technologies and will be at the start with high hopes: 11th Hour Racing Team – Malama skippered by Charlie Enright and Pascal Bidégorry, the latest addition to the class, as well as APIVIA skippered by Charlie Dalin and Paul Meilhat (line honours in the Vendée Globe 2020-2021), CHARAL 1 skippered by Jérémie Beyou and Christopher Pratt, Maître Coq IV (winner of the Vendée Globe 2020-2021) sailed by Yannick Bestaven and Jean-Marie Dauris, CORUM l’Épargne sailed by Nicolas Troussel and Sébastien Josse, Arkéa Paprec sailed by Sébastien Simon and Yann Eliès, Initiatives-Cœur skippered by Sam Davies and Nicolas Lunven and Kostum Lantana Paysage skippered by Louis Duc and Marie Tabarly (ex Fortil, victim of a fire in the port of Le Havre just before the start in 2017).
All fuelled by a desire to push the envelope
Fleshing out the TJV ranks still further will be a couple of Ocean Fiftys, witnesses of the passion and know-how of CDK Technologies in the construction of these 50-foot multihulls: GCA - Mille et un Sourires skippered by Gilles Lamiré and Yvan Bourgnon, 2017’s TJV winner, and Leyton skippered by Sam Goodchild and Aymeric Chappellier (ex Ciela Village 2), winner of this season’s Pro Sailing Tour.
All these skippers, at the helm of offshore racing’s flagships, are driven by the desire to push back the limits of what is possible with the aim of making their boldest dreams a reality. These same drivers inspire the teams at CDK Technologies on a daily basis to build and develop such special boats, all of them capable of posting a (or another) win in this famous Coffee Route race. The event promises a top-flight match in every one of the categories represented, and there is no doubt that the company’s associates will be absolutely hooked on the action from beginning to end!.
About CDK Technologies
CDK Created in 1984 by Hubert Desjoyeaux, today CDK Technologies has racked up over 35 years’ experience in the construction of monohulls and multihulls which have gone on to take victory in the major oceanic races. The leading yard in the domain of offshore racing, thanks notably to its mastery of the construction of foilers, it has gone from strength to strength, extending its know-how of the construction of luxury yacht platforms to industrial parts made of high-performance composite.
Managed since the mid-nineties by Philippe Facque, today the company boasts nearly 100 associates, a turnover of €10M, and is constantly developing by notably investing in state-of-the-art tooling. Based in Port-la-Forêt since its creation and also in Lorient, at the heart of "Bretagne Sailing Valley ©" since 2007, CDK Technologies builds boats as well as high-tech individual parts (masts, booms and foils). This diversification has opened up a whole series of fresh prospects in industry, civil and military-based naval construction, defence, as well as Marine Renewable Energies.
The list of accolades amassed by the yard and the multiple boats that have come out of the IMOCA and ULTIM classes is particularly impressive and notably includes five victories in the Vendée Globe (out of nine editions), two in the Route du Rhum, three in the Transat Jacques Vabre and two in The Transat / The Transat Bakerly. On top of these successes in the major oceanic races comes a singlehanded Round the World record under sail (Trophée St Exupéry) held since 2017 by the Trimaran MACIF skippered by François Gabart and released from the CDK Technologies yard in 2015.
Furthermore, the CDK Technologies teams have just launched the construction of two IMOCAs. On the one hand, we have that of Charal 2 skippered by Jérémie Beyou and designed by Sam Manuard, the build process having just got underway at the Lorient site with a scheduled launch in mid-2022. On the other, that of the new Maître Coq 5 skippered by Yannick Bestaven, a Verdier design, set to be built in the moulds of the 11th HOUR 2 monohull on the Port-la-Forêt site.
In conjunction with these multiple awards, CDK Technologies is a member of a builders’ consortium, which is manufacturing the demo mast for the Chantiers de l’Atlantique project that goes by the name ‘Silenseas’, which prefigures the passenger transport yachts of the future, further increasing the value of the yard’s excellence in the manufacture of high-performance composite parts.
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