PRYSMIAN GROUP

Country IT

ITA 34

Baptismal nameABSOLUTE DREAMER 5
ArchitectVPLP/ Verdier
Construction2015, Vannes
Launch date9/11/15
Former namesSt-Michel - Virbac, Ucar-St-Michel

Presentation

In 2015, the trend was to build boats that were increasingly powerful and light. Saint-Michel-Paprec is part of this new generation equipped with a pair of foils.

Tweaking her is even less evident as the boat hits the water just two months before the start of a rather boisterous Transat Jacques Vabre. Jean-Pierre Dick and Fabien Delahaye retire when the forward stringers become detached. Five other IMOCAs of the same vintage also throw in the towel. After reinforcement work, the sailor from Nice gets in some training in Portugal before linking onto The Transat (3rd) and the New York-Vendée-Les Sables d’Olonne (10th), where he hits a UFO and makes a technical pit stop in Newport. Unfortunately, during his preparation for the Vendée Globe 2016-2017, he collides with a fishing boat offshore of Ile de Groix. Some new foils are fitted for the solo round the world, the skipper finishing fourth. With a record number of victories in the Transat Jacques Vabre in IMOCA (three!), Jean-Pierre Dick teams up with Yann Eliès for the 2017 edition, which they win. Yann Eliès then takes the helm for the Route du Rhum 2018, finishing second on Ucar Saint-Michel, a little over two hours behind Paul Meilhat, before Giancarlo Pedote purchases the Verdier design. Teamed up with Anthony Marchand, the Italian takes the W’ly option, which proves to be a dead end in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2019 (17th), the boat undergoing no major developments since her launch. In 2019, Giancarlo Pedote begins his preparation for the Vendée Globe 2020-2021, his first singlehanded round the world with Prysmian Group and Electriciens sans Frontières. For 80 days, Giancarlo manages to preserve his boat while hanging onto the leading group. He finishes 8th, just 19 hours after the event winner. In 2021, the Italian skipper and Prysmian Group enjoy a great season, rounding off with a 6th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Martin Le Pape. The winter is then put to good use by the team, which carries out a major refit including grafting on a new rounded bow to modernise the hull on the Verdier design!

Length18,28 m
Beam5,80 m
Draught4,50 m
Weight8 tonnes
Mast height29 m
Mast typeMat Aile
FoilsYes
Sail area max.
Upwind300 m2
Downwind600 m2

Sailing Highlights

2023 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 11th
2023 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 19th
2023 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 14th
2022 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - 16th
2022 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 10th
2022 : Vendée Arctique - 12th
2022 : Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 8th
2021 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 6th
2021 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 8th
2020-2021 : Vendée Globe - 8th
2020 : Vendée Arctique - 8th
2019 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 17th
2019 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 13th
2019 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 9th
2019 : ArMen Race - Abandon
2019 : Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 3rd
2018 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - 2nd
2018 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 3rd
2018 : Drheam-Cup 700 - 3rd
2017 : Transat Jacques Vabre - Winner
2017 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 4th
2017 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 4th
2016-2017 : Vendée Globe - 4th
2016 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 9th
2016 : New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne - 10th
2016 : The Transat CIC - 3rd
2015 : Transat Jacques Vabre - Abandon le 01/11
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© Digital use only
© Digital use only
© Digital use only
© François Van Malleghem
© François Van Malleghem | Prysmian
© François Van Malleghem / Imoca