It will be an Ultim Class trimaran, called Maxi Banque Populaire 15, skippered by Armel Le Cléac’h and aiming to win the Route du Rhum in 2030. This is the announcement from the Banque Populaire team which, for the ninth time in its history, is starting the construction of a new vessel, an Ultim trimaran which will take the name of Maxi Banque Populaire 15, with Armel Le Cléac’h, winner of the last edition of the Vendée Globe 2016-2017 with the record of 74 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds.
Launch expected in 2029
The Banque Populaire 15 project has been entrusted to Frenchman Antoine Koch (who, together with Finot-Conq, has designed some of the fastest new-generation IMOCAs, including For People, Paprec Arkéa, and also designed Alla Grande Mapei, the IMOCA of Italian Ambrogio Beccaria), while GSEA Design and Finot-Conq handled the calculations. This is the first time that Antoine Koch’s naval architecture firm AKO has been fully involved in the construction of a 32-meter-long, 23-meter-wide Ultim trimaran, while it is not their first collaboration with the Banque Populaire team. Koch is also designing the IMOCA Banque Populaire 14, which will be launched in 2027. As with the team’s previous boats, the CDK Technologies shipyard, based in Lorient, will be responsible for the construction of the new Ultim. 28 months of work are planned and the launch is scheduled for the first half of 2029 when the Team will celebrate its 40 years of activity.
First objective: the Route du Rhum 2030
“I am very happy and realize how fortunate I am to be part of a team about to embark on this new human, technological, and sporting adventure,” said Armel Le Cléac’h, skipper of Maxi Banque Populaire 15. “The fantastic thing about this project is that it has matured thanks to discussions with the management over the past few years. It is the result of collective reflection and continuous dialogue that allowed this idea to emerge. We were determined to have a cutting-edge boat for the 2030 Route du Rhum, capable of competing with the best. We will draw on our many years of experience, particularly with Banque Populaire XI, and push innovation and performance to the limit. This is a wonderful opportunity, collectively, to build a boat that reflects who we are.”
The Jules Verne Trophy is also in the spotlightThe announcement of the start of construction of Banque Populaire 15 comes a year after Banque Populaire, France’s leading investment bank, confirmed its commitment to sailing until 2029. Banque Populaire 15, in addition to competing in the most prestigious regattas, including the 2032 Arkea Ultim Challenge, will also be used to attempt various records. Starting, of course, with the Jules Verne Trophy. In its 37 years of operation, Team Banque Populaire boats have set 18 records and won the most prestigious ocean races 20 times.
Emilio Martinelli
