A Foiling IMOCA Born of Collaboration and Experience

This Thursday, 19 June 2026, in Lorient, the curtain rose on the latest addition to the IMOCA foiling fleet: Thomas Ruyant’s new boat, the result of an unprecedented collaboration between the finest experts in offshore racing. Around the drawing board were Antoine Koch and his naval architecture firm, AKO, the TR Racing design office, GSea Design and Finot-Conq (for structural and hydrodynamic calculations), as well as CDK Technologies, the builder. This synergy was further strengthened by a pooling of resources with the teams of Boris Herrmann (Malizia) and Loïs Berrehar (Banque Populaire), who are currently constructing the same design.

This project builds on the experience accumulated by Thomas Ruyant and his Lorient-based team: two IMOCA designs, two Vendée Globe participations, two victories in the Transat Jacques Vabre, and a win in the Route du Rhum. Each of these challenges has fed into the thinking behind this ultra-high-performance monohull, designed to dominate the oceans.

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A “Next-Generation” IMOCA: Versatility, Comfort, and Performance

1. A Human-Centric Design

Unlike its predecessors, this new IMOCA has been designed to perform equally well in solo, double-handed, and fully crewed configurations—without compromise. The on-board ergonomics have been completely rethought to make life easier for sailors, who often face extreme conditions on these boats. Antoine Koch, the project’s architect, explains:

“We started with Thomas’s previous boat, Advens 2, which delivered strong performance in certain conditions but had limitations upwind and in light winds. The goal was to create a more versatile boat, with a particular focus on the human element.”

Key innovations include:

• Helm stations facing forward, for more natural and less fatiguing steering.
• Omnipresent portholes in the cockpit, providing better visibility of settings and surroundings.
• Improved flow between the interior and cockpit, reducing unnecessary movement and the risk of injury.

By the numbers:

• Hull construction at CDK: ~40,000 hours of work, 30 people involved
• Mast and outriggers at CDK: ~2,500 hours, 10 people
• Foils, rudders, and keel at C3 Technologies: ~3,500 hours, 8 people

2. Redesigned Rudders for Optimal Stability

The rudders, larger and closer to the boat’s centreline, play a key role in longitudinal stability and drag reduction. Antoine Koch clarifies:

“A foiling boat needs to stay in contact with the water to move forward. In our case, the windward rudder will remain in the water, ensuring greater stability and more effective foiling.”

3. An Innovative Hull: Sleekness and Power

The double-chine hull design combines:

• A fine hull downwind to maximise speed.
• Reserve power upwind and reaching for optimal versatility.
• Less water on deck, improving ergonomics and handling.
• A concave section between the two chines, generating additional dynamic lift.

A Boat Ready to Break Records

This new IMOCA is set to be one of the fastest monohulls in the world. Backed by Alexandre Fayeulle (President of Advens), it is currently seeking a title partner to compete in:

• Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2026 (Thomas Ruyant is the defending champion).
• The Ocean Race 2027 (crewed round-the-world race with stopovers, departing Alicante in January 2027).
• Vendée Globe 2028 (the ultimate goal).

Thomas Ruyant, visibly moved during the launch, shares his enthusiasm:

“This is the third new IMOCA I’ve launched. It’s always an emotional moment. It represents two years of energy, thought, and discussions with so many people. This boat has won everyone over! We’re now entering a phase of testing and fine-tuning. A boat this beautiful can only be fast.”

François Pernelle, head of TR Racing’s design office, adds:

“This boat is an evolution of the previous one. It will foil earlier, be easier to adjust, and its cockpit has been designed for solo, double-handed, and crewed racing.”

A Project Driven by a United Team

The relationship between Thomas Ruyant and Antoine Koch is built on mutual trust and long-standing collaboration. Koch notes:

“Thomas is a long-time client of AKO. We’ve evolved together for a long time, and I wish him every success in finding partners quickly to fully exploit this boat’s potential.”

Alexandre Fayeulle, the boat’s owner, reaffirms his commitment:

“I’ve been by Thomas’s side since 2016. This new IMOCA is a success worthy of his talent and that of the entire TR Racing team. Advens remains on board as a technological partner.”

What’s Next?

The coming months will focus on sea trials, fine-tuning, and securing partners to finalise the budget and enable this technological marvel to take on the world’s greatest ocean races.

One thing is certain: this boat has everything it takes to write a new chapter in the history of offshore racing.