Following her historic performance in the last Vendée Globe, where she became the fastest woman ever to complete the legendary solo round-the-world race, Justine Mettraux is no longer hiding her ambitions.

True to her reputation as a meticulous and determined sailor, she has assembled a team of leading experts to develop a brand-new IMOCA.

Designed to compete at the very front of the IMOCA fleet, the new monohull is scheduled to be launched in spring 2027. This will give Justine nearly six months to prepare for the Transat Café L'Or, her main objective for the 2027 season.

A closer look at the boat that could take her to new heights.

As one of the leading figures in women's sailing, Justine Mettraux leaves nothing to chance. Her ambition is to line up at the start of the 2028 Vendée Globe aboard one of the most innovative and competitive boats on the circuit.

Construction began in March, with the design entrusted to renowned naval architect Guillaume Verdier, whose expertise has contributed to the winners of the last four editions of the Vendée Globe. Under the technical leadership of Simone Gaeta, every key design decision—from hull shape to onboard systems—is carefully aligned with Justine's vision. The objective is clear: to build a well-balanced, high-performance yacht tailored to the skipper's exacting standards.

The TeamWork – Team Snef design office, led by Nicolas Andrieu, currently consists of five engineers, including two women.

At the CDK Technologies shipyard, more than 3,780 hours of work have already gone into transforming carbon fibre into what is set to become a world-class racing yacht. A single dedicated hull mould was chosen for the project, while the meticulous first composite layups have required teams of eight to ten specialists working continuously. The final curing phase is already on the horizon.

The success of the project also relies on the long-standing commitment and active involvement of TeamWork and Groupe Snef. Far more than sponsors, both partners play a key role in the project's engineering and safety, bringing their industrial expertise to maximise the yacht's reliability. Their support enables the technical team to work under optimal conditions as they tackle the technological challenges of tomorrow.

TeamWork, a specialist in consulting, technology integration and innovation, and Groupe Snef, an engineering, systems integration and digital services group, are closely involved in project management throughout every stage of the boat's construction.

Drawing on its expertise in energy management, Groupe Snef is also working alongside the design office to develop sustainable onboard solutions aimed at reducing energy consumption and optimising the management of the yacht's hybrid energy systems, including hydrogenerators, solar panels and wind generators.

Justine Mettraux – Skipper, TeamWork – Team Snef
"Earning the continued trust of my long-standing partners for another campaign and having the opportunity to design a boat from the ground up is a rare privilege in a sailor's career.

It's an exciting team effort where every detail matters for future performance. The 2024 Vendée Globe taught me a tremendous amount. The next chapter is being built with humility, hard work and the determination to come back even stronger in 2028 with an ultra-competitive boat."

Building Towards the Future
With no racing commitments in the immediate calendar, Justine is making the most of this period to further develop her physical and mental preparation. Rather than staying away from the water, she continues to broaden her experience by sailing a wide variety of boats.

After spending time in the Mediterranean last month aboard the maxi trimaran Banque Populaire XI, she competed the following weekend aboard a traditional yacht at the Porquerolle's Classic.

Her programme will soon continue aboard Team Malizia's new IMOCA, with which she will cross the Atlantic this autumn during The Ocean Race Atlantic (New York to Lorient, starting on 1 September). This versatility will further enrich her experience before taking the helm of her own next-generation IMOCA.