21.09.2005

The new TEMENOS is finally unveiled

Le nouveau TEMENOS

On 8th June 2005, TEMENOS, the Geneva based designer of banking software packages and partner to Dominique Wavre for the past 6 years, announced its decision to continue its collaboration with the skipper until 2009.

After stating a few months ago at the finish of the Vendée Globe, "I feel like this isn’t the end of my history with this race", Dominique has a good reason to celebrate today. 

Thanks to TEMENOS, the Swiss skipper will certainly be on the start line of the next Vendée Globe in November 2008, on a new boat with ambition running high.  "We are finally going to be able to work with a view to the long term, taking the time we need to fully develop the boat and make it reliable.  The less we have to question ourselves, outside the boat’s speed factors, and the quicker we go!"

George Koukis, President of TEMENOS, is happy to be accompanying the skipper once again in this new challenge.  "The human and sporting adventure that we have been experiencing alongside Dominique for a number of years perfectly illustrates our group’s outlook.  To take part in such dangerous, testing races as the Vendée Globe, you need gritty determination, a strength of character that is well grounded in all events as well as some formidable human qualities.  To take up this challenge, you need to know how to stretch your limits and those of the boat.”

The new TEMENOS will be equipped with a kanting kell

TEMENOS mirrors such an approach and ethos in its enterprise mission.  This is why we are so enthusiastic and proud at the idea of following Dominique in this new adventure of building TEMENOS II and the dynamic way he takes up the different challenges."

Though we knew that a new Open 60 footer in the colours of the Geneva enterprise would soon see the light of day, numerous points were still pending.  These were fairly major points as the choice of architect firm and construction yard had not yet been entirely settled.

Today, Dominique lifts the veil on his next boat.  The skipper has put his trust in the Owen Clarke Design firm, of which the new TEMENOS will represent the 4th generation Open 60 footer after Kingfisher, Pindar and more recently Ecover.  Such experience was doubtless an influential factor in their being chosen over other architect’s projets.  The quality of the OCD package and the method in which they work proved convincing to Dominique.

Meeting in Boston at the finish of The Transat 2004, when Dominique took 2nd place, there was an immediate connection between Merfyn Owen and the skipper.  "We got to know each other on shore on that occasion.  Merfyn is not only a gifted architect but also a racing sailor.  He’s someone who is highly involved with his boats and their teams, he also takes a stand with the international measurement rules which govern our class.  After the Vendée Globe, I naturally called on him, as well as some other architects, to offer them the chance to design the new TEMENOS."

For nearly three months now the collaboration between the two men has intensified.  "We are sharing our respective experiences and the sum of the data collected over Merfyn’s previous Imoca class boats.  His openness, his desire to innovate and his enthusiasm really correspond with my thinking.  We have the same way of working based on dialogue, exchanges and analysis."

As regards the major technical advances, these will remain confidential even though Dominique highlights the fundamental aspects of the specifications.  "We are putting the emphasis on lightness, reliability and speed factors in all weathers.  TEMENOS I measured in at around 9 tonnes so we had to save several hundred kilos.  The new boat will have a canting keel in contrast to TEMENOS I.

The furure OCD will be built in Tauranga

For the rest of the boat, the sail area and the hull shapes among otherthings, the next hull tank testing should enable us to validate the accuracy of our calculations and the pertinence of the hydrodynamic options chosen.  We will of course take into account the parameters which enabled the success and the reliability of TEMENOS I.  The ergonomics will be particularly sophisticated."

The New Zealand connection has been retained for construction of the new TEMENOS.  Situated in Tauranga, 200 km South of Auckland, the Southern Ocean Marine yard’s most notable builds include Ecover and Hexagon HSBC (becoming Pindar).  Dominique’s recent visit to the Antipodes confirmed the New Zealand yard choice.  "It is one of the major yards in New Zealand.  I met some naval construction and racing enthusiasts there.  The yard is perfectly equipped in terms of a sterile zone for handling pre-preg materials; the quality of the finish is staggering.  Their experience in the construction of Imoca 60 footers also makes things easier.  They have all the techniques well in hand that we’re going to need to produce a light and reliable Open 60 footer.  The most recent boat out of the yard was Ecover, whose finish and quality of speed are exemplary."

The building of the new monohull will represent around 25,000 man hours spread across seven months.  Its launch is planned for May 2006 and will be followed by some trial sails designed to validate all the systems installed.  The boat will then be transported by cargo ship to a European port from where it will make for its La Rochelle base around July.  The skipper will then have three months to prepare himself before his first major event in his racing schedule, the Route du Rhum; the start of which will be on 29th October 2006.

In the meantime, from October 2005, Dominique is set to go to New Zealand to get construction going on his new TEMENOS

TEMENOS should be launched in May 2006

The important meetings:

2006 October - ROUTE DU RHUM

2007 August - FASTNET RACE

2007 November - TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE

2008 May - THE TRANSAT

2008 - 2009 November / February - VENDEE GLOBE