Alain Thébault and his crew have spent the last few weeks re-learning to sail their flying trimaran, l’Hydroptére, in the Mediterranean. The hydrofoiling speed machine spent the winter being re-configured for higher speeds.

The team report that the new ‘speed’ version of l’Hydroptère is an entirely new boat.

For this reason, skipper Alain Thébault and his crew have taken the time to proceed with the necessary adjustments and to take control of the boat. “We’ve had to re-acquaint ourselves with the boat, discover new sensations and, little by little, tame this spirited boat. We must re-discover everything, each gesture, each action”, says Alain.

The newly configured hydrofoiler is so specialized that the crew must spend some time getting to grips with the new machine before they can begin any record attempt. The team report that the training sessions will continue until Alain Thébault and his crew feel they are ready to begin the actual record attempts.

The team is aiming to reach the 50 knot barrier – but, as we reported last month, there are three other teams with the same aim. 

Keep up with the progress of this amazing machine on the l’Hydroptére website