BIOTHERM

Designed by Guillaume Verdier, and built using LinkedOut molds, Biotherm's implementation has not only saved time while limiting the budget, but has also been "economical" in terms of carbon footprint and LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), which is now mandatory in the IMOCA class when building a new boat. Paul Meilhat is no stranger to the Verdier plan, having sailed the entire 2021 season with Charlie Dalin (victory in the Rolex Fastnet and second place in the Transat Jacques Vabre behind Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière on LinkedOut). But given the tight schedule (Biotherm announced its partnership in March 2022), the winner of the last Route du Rhum in the IMOCA class wanted a solid, simple and versatile boat, almost a sister ship to Apivia, which with LinkedOut has won every race for the past two years. Starting from its basic version - the plans dating back to the previous campaign for the Vendée Globe 2020-2021 - the monohull has been updated to suit the skipper's taste and minimalist spirit. The bow is now spatulated and has more rocker, the aim being to extend the boat's nose downwind. The foils are the latest generation, and the rudder systems and cockpit cover have been optimized. Everything was kept as simple as possible, without taking any risks in terms of technological bias or overly complex developments. In June 2022, Paul Meilhat and his technical team joined the Persico shipyard, to add the finishing touches - laminating, machining, sanding, laying cables and fittings, installing systems... After an express shipyard and a more than remarkable Route du Rhum, Paul Meilhat and his team set off around the globe for The Ocean Race, where they finished 4th overall.