Records ahead for the Mirabaud LX 2010
by Vincent Gillioz 31 May 2010 10:33 BST
Thomas Jundt's Mirabaud LX during the first trials in May © Pierre-Alain Folliet / Mirabaud LX
The Mirabaud LX sailboat, version 2010, undertook its first trials during the month of May. Sponsored by Mirabaud & Cie, private bankers, Thomas Jundt’s foiler has impressed the international sailing community since its first launch in 2008. The video of the now famous flying hull-less boat, posted on YouTube, has been viewed nearly 30,000 times. Today, the sailboat’s latest innovations for 2010 are unveiled.
First of all, the float has been modified in order to improve stability by light wind. In principle, the flying boat doesn’t need a hull; however a float is necessary under eight knots of breeze. The volume has thus been increased from 800 to 1200 liters, while the stern now measures 1.2 meters, the same width as an Australian 18-footer.
A new system for adjusting the forward foil has also been developed to improve sailing in choppy conditions. Indeed, the previous mechanical system was unable to anticipate the waves. A crewmember now observes the waves and can manually adjust the foils’ incidence whilst sailing at high speed.
A centerboard that allows a rapid change of foils has also been developed. The current foils limit the boat’s speed to about 23 knots. Smaller foils, which have been designed to attain speeds of up to 28 knots, will be installed during the summer.
Thomas Jundt, the engineer who conceived the Mirabaud LX and crewmember, said after the first trials: “When I look at the Mirabaud LX today and compare it with the first version from 2008, I have to say that I am very pleased. Starting with a conceptual prototype that had room for lots of improvement, we have ended up with today’s nearly perfect foiler. Everything we have done makes sense, and the boat now looks like a fully realized concept. The hardest thing to manage in this adventure, since we all have other professional commitments, is to find the time to do the fine-tuning.”
The Mirabaud LX’s goals for 2010 are to set new records on Lake Geneva, namely for the kilometre, the hour and the Ruban Violet (which uses the same route as the Bol d’Or Mirabaud). The crew will also participate in the famous Weymouth Speed Week in October. Other regattas are also on the agenda, such as the Geneva-Rolle-Geneva regatta, which the team won last year ahead of Jo Richards’ famous Full Pelt.