MACSF

© François Van Malleghem / Imoca
Country FR

FRA 27

Baptismal nameSAFRAN
ArchitectVPLP - Verdier
Construction2007, Chantier Naval de Larros
Launch date8/6/07
Former namesSAFRAN, Quéguiner – Leucémie Espoir, Sensations i, Generali, Monin

Presentation

This 60-foot IMOCA launched in the colours of Safran is more than a trailblazer, she’s a benchmark. The first monohull to be designed by Vincent Lauriot-Prévost and Guillaume Verdier, and built by Thierry Eluère, a composites expert at the Larros yard, she has not only given rise to further iterations, she’s also continuing on with her exceptional career.

Light yet powerful, just a few months after her launch in August 2007, Safran finished 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier. Third in the Vendée Globe 2008-2009, this time Marc Guillemot went on to win the Transat Jacques Vabre 2009, again with Charles Caudrelier, then finished 3rd in the Route du Rhum 2010. The boat sailed another Transat Jacques Vabre (with Yann Eliès), then retired from the Vendée Globe 2012-2013 in the opening miles after losing her keel. With Pascal Bidégorry, Marc Guillemot completed his 4th Transat Jacques Vabre (2nd), before concluding with another 3rd place in the Route du Rhum 2014. Yann Eliès then purchased the boat, carried out an impressive refit so that the boat was able to compete against the latest generation boats and, flying the flag of Quéguiner-Leucémie Espoir, finished 3rd in the Transat Jacques Vabre in Itajaì with Charlie Dalin, before bagging 5th place in the Vendée Globe 2016-2017. Alain Gautier made the IMOCA part of his company Sensations in 2017, before entrusting the monohull to the Franco-German sailor Isabelle Joschke, who secured 8th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Pierre Brasseur in the colours of Generali. Rechristened Monin, the boat dismasted during the Route du Rhum 2018. A year later, the boat came out of refit with the new name of MACSF and took the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre. Unfortunately, Isabelle Joschke and Morgan Lagravière scraped the bottom of the boat in Étretat just after the start. MACSF undergoes a major transformation and update: addition of foils, new mast, roof cuddy, electronics… Isabelle Joschke takes the start of the Vendée Globe in 2020. She’s a key protagonist in the race’s top ten as far as the coast of Argentina where the boat suffers damage to her keel ram, forcing her to retire from the race. The sailor nonetheless makes it up to Salvador de Bahia to affect the necessary repairs before setting sail once more and completing her round the world singlehanded via the sea. At the end of 2021, with Fabien Delahaye, she finished 12th in the Transat Jacques Vabre, then took a magnificent 5th place in the Guyader Bermuda 1000 Race 2022, ahead of a number of much newer boats. A few weeks later, she had to retire from the Vendée Arctique after suffering damage to her mainsail in a storm. In 2023, she was joined by Pierre Brasseur for the double-handed season. After a lacklustre Transat Jacques Vabre due to damage to her mainsail at the start of the race, the skipper set off single-handed on the return transatlantic race, more than motivated. She hung in there and managed to finish in 9th place, a very fine performance and a promising one for 2024.

Length18,28 m
Beam5,70 m
Draught4,50 m
Weight8 tonnes
Mast height29 m
Mast typeWing mast
FoilsYes
Sail area max.
Upwind300 m2
Downwind650 m2

Sailing Highlights

2023 : Retour à La Base - 9th
2023 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 29th
2023 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 12th
2023 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 11th
2022 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - 9th
2022 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 14th
2022 : Vendée Arctique - ABD
2022 : Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 5th
2021 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 12th
2021 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 8th
2021 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 9th
2020-2021 : Vendée Globe - Abandon le 09/01/2021 - Vérin de quille - Termine hors course en 107 jours
2020 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 3rd
2020 : Vendée Arctique - 13th
2019 : Transat Jacques Vabre - Abandon
2019 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 8th
2018 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - Abandon le 10/11
2018 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 11th
2018 : Drheam-Cup 700 - 2nd
2018 : Monaco Globe Series - 2nd
2017 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 8th
2017 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 3rd
2017 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 3rd
2016-2017 : Vendée Globe - 5th
2016 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 7th
2016 : New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne - 11th
2015 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 3rd
2015 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 2nd
2014 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - 3rd
2014 : New York - Barcelone - Abandon le 12/06
2013 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 2nd
2013 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 7th
2012-2013 : Vendée Globe - Abandon le 11/11/2012
2011 : Transat B to B - 5th
2011 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 6th
2011 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 4th
2010 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - 3rd
2009 : Transat Jacques Vabre - Winner
2008-2009 : Vendée Globe - 3rd