The Ultim trimaran Banque Populaire XI exited the yard in Lorient, Brittany this Tuesday 27 April 2021. In attendance to witness the moment were all the teams involved in the project – Team Banque Populaire and the teams from the CDK Technologies yard – a single, united group, which has worked in perfect harmony for almost 24 months behind closed doors at the CDK Technologies yard.
This maxi-trimaran is the third craft to be built and developed by Team Banque Populaire with CDK Technologies completely taking charge of the project management.
CDK Technologies geared up for large-scale manufacturing
With this latest launch, CDK Technologies is delivering its fourth giant: Ultim Banque Populaire XI skippered by Armel Le Cléac’h, preceded by Banque Populaire V, now known as Spindrift 2 skippered by Yann Guichard in 2007, François Gabart’s Macif in 2015, and Armel Le Cléac’h’s previous Banque Populaire IX in 2017.
Project manager of the Maxi Banque Populaire XI build process, CDK Technologies subcontracted the central hull and the floats to its partners Multiplast in Vannes, Brittany and Fibre Mechanics in Lymington in the UK.
Long-haul construction began in May 2019
The new maxi trimaran, created by the VPLP architectural firm and GSea Design (structural calculations), is breaking new ground with elements such as her lifting surfaces and her foils, which measure twice the size of those from previous generations. This latest iteration will be even more robust to better integrate the constraints of flight.
A combination of high technology and skilled craftsmanship, nearly 100 people in all have worked on everything remotely connected to the future Maxi Banque Populaire XI since April 2019.
It has required 24 months and 150,000 man-hours to bring this construction to a successful conclusion, around 100,000 hours of which have been at the CDK Technologies yard alone. The finesse of the forms is striking and the helming station is especially innovative. Indeed, every detail has been studied in depth between the designers, Team Banque Populaire and the CDK Technologies design office.
CDK Technologies and Banque Populaire, an historic collaboration
A real synergy has been created between the CDK Technologies yard and Team Banque Populaire. In fact, the yard has built the majority of the team’s boats, including the IMOCA Banque Populaire VII for Armel Le Cléac’h, winner of the Vendée Globe 2016/2017. So much more than a service, there is a genuine collaboration between the teams of CDK Technologies and Team Banque Populaire. There is a constant exchange between the team’s design office and that of CDK Technologies and thanks to Stéphane Digard and Romain Cachia, Armel Le Cléac’h now boasts an optimised boat ready to set off on her first test flight.
A foiling solution in the forefront of innovation
CDK Technologies successfully launched into the manufacture of large foils by taking advantage of its large-scale autoclave (4m in diameter and 25m long, 200°C, 10 bars), the only one of its kind in Europe. In this way, CDK Technologies has fine-tuned a particularly innovative manufacturing technique, enabling the design of the section and the various manufacturing phases to be optimised.
Objective: The Transat Jacques Vabre
Upon her launch on 27 April 2021, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI will embark on a lengthy setting-up period. It is sure to be another intense phase for the teams from CDK Technologies, whose greatest reward will be seeing this jewel of technology, which the yard has devoted all its energy to over the past 24 months, getting airborne.
Bertrand Magnin, Head of Development Banque Populaire: “We’re very proud of the launch of this boat, which testifies to our trust in entrepreneurship, in collaboration as well as in the passing on of knowledge. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the 150 firms and their associates, together with Team Banque Populaire, who have enabled the construction of this fabulous trimaran.“
Armel Le Cléac’h, skipper of the Maxi Banque Populaire XI: “I would like to thank all the CDK Technologies teams for their commitment, their ability to listen and their professionalism during the construction of Banque Populaire XI. I know the extent to which they have rallied together, stepped up and surpassed themselves for this project. I’ve greatly appreciated the synergies and the mutual trust between Team Banque Populaire and CDK Technologies throughout the past two years of working together. They’ve managed to pull off this massive challenge and they can be proud of the outcome. The boat is ready to go and is very well-designed technically, which is ideal for taking on the major challenges that await us.”
Stéphane Digard, Manufacturing Director of CDK Technologies: “Working with a leading team like Team Banque Populaire encourages us to constantly improve our build standards. Our success is based on a very high level of mutual trust and projects are always carried out with a constructive mindset at the service of performance.“
