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Boating NZ : FREE TO READ April 2014
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10 Boating New Zealand April 2014 Pedal power SPINDRIFT II IS the biggest and fastest racing yacht on the planet. In 2012, under the name Banque Populaire V, she set the record for a lap of the world in a whisker over 45 days, averaging 19.75 knots. Her triple bows are now aimed at destroying the fleet in a solo race across the Atlantic and she requires a bit of tinkering. Like adding a bike. Her new skipper, Yann Guichard, will have to wrestle the 140-foot trimaran – normally crewed by 14 – alone. Tasks such as steering and trimming sails will not be vastly different for him yet the winches, which must be powered by human energy, pose a mountainous obstacle. He will be turning the winch handles alone so must use an extremely low gear, often grinding for minutes at a time. With physical trainers and the design team at his side, Yann underwent a series of tests on an exercise bike which determined that using his legs to power the winches would be more efficient than using his arms alone. Designer Edward Touchard says the idea is to alternate between the arms and the legs: “There are manoeuvres that are quite long, especially hoisting sails, winching them in and reefing, so Yann can alternate when he is tired.” The bike has been modified to make it easier to use on the boat. It is fixed to the cockpit floor with sturdy carbon legs and the cross- bar has been removed to make it easier for Yann to get astride while wearing wet-weather gear. “He will change the gear ratio depending on how hard he can push,” says Touchard. “For example, the effort when hoisting a sail is not the same as when raising the foils, and he can quickly change the gear ratios accordingly.” Edward Touchard with the bicycle power he helped develop for grinding winches on Spindrift II. retail showroom: 383 New North rd, Kingsland tel: 09 845 5347 email: sales@advancetrident.com www.advancetrident.com 0414-13 makes manoeuvring easy • Have confidence docking in all weather conditions • Global leader with 100 years of servicing the boating community • Low noise and more compact gearleg design • Electric Bow and Stern Thrusters • Hydraulic Thruster systems • Vector Fin Stabilizers Contact our sales team for appraisal and quotation on the perfect thruster system for you thruster sale now on ON WATCH_April14.indd 10 19/03/2014 2:24:25 p.m.
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