DryArmour
Super Anarchist
IS there an easy way to search up their location? Please post if you know.
Buying Hydroptere, fastest ocean going trimaran
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PaulK
Super Anarchist
This article (in French) gives a good synopsis of what’s been going on and the people involved: Gabriel Terasse & Chris Welsch:
https://www.bateaux.com/article/32311/j-ai-rachete-l-hydroptere-pour-8500?fbclid=IwAR1K-6h7vUV1AixTHQTALRLGMdxvSRuSuZa9mqqnwStgFjoysvfbzY8zIDM
They had a lot to do to get her ready to sail again.
https://www.bateaux.com/article/32311/j-ai-rachete-l-hydroptere-pour-8500?fbclid=IwAR1K-6h7vUV1AixTHQTALRLGMdxvSRuSuZa9mqqnwStgFjoysvfbzY8zIDM
They had a lot to do to get her ready to sail again.
PaulK
Super Anarchist
Following is the article from Bateaux, written by François-Xavier Ricardou and published the 6 NOV 2019, using Google Translate and some additional clarifications. Can you imagine an article this long in an American sailing magazine? Maybe a WoodenBoat article on Hereshoff or the Pardeys could come close. :
It's a totally crazy story! L'Hydroptère, the flying yacht, has been abandoned since 2012 in a port on an island in Hawaii. Sold at auction, it will be bought by a Franco-American duo: Gabriel Terrasse and Chris Welsh. Here’s the story of this change of ownership and perspectives for the future of this iconic sailboat.
In 1997, Gabriel discovered at the Nautic (Paris) show a photo of the hydrofoil in full flight. He’s starstruck. He then searches the net (which is still in its infancy), but can not find information on the boat. He then decides to make a site about the boat and presents it to Alain Thébault, skipper and driver of the Hydroptère project. It then becomes "official website" for some time, but its place is quickly taken over by the communication service of DCNS, project partner at the time. From then on this young man follows the story of this mythical boat from afar.
Gabriel is not strictly speaking just a boater. He likes to go fast on the water. Cruising bores him rather quickly, which is why he sails a sport catamaran. And the story of l'Hydroptère touches him. And he thinks that this sailboat should not end up in a museum and that it still has potential (despite its 25 years of age). He would like to try to revive the adventure of this world's fastest sailing ship to see her conquer another record.
He learns that for not paying harbor fees to Kewalo on the island of Honolulu (Hawaii), the boat will be auctioned for $ 20,000. Although not having sailed for 3 years, the boat is still 100% operational at this time. But someone informs Alain Thébault of the sale, and the amount due is paid, canceling the auction. The sailboat will leave the port to anchor a few miles away, at Keehi, but it does not really navigate.
Again in default of payment in May 2019, it will be resubmitted to auction. This time the boat is no longer in the same state, because when abandoned it was stripped of its deck hardware and electronics. Starting price: $ 8000. Gabriel goes to Hawaii for this auction. In the United States, he manages to convert enough dollars to apply for the sale, and negotiates with the auction manager to leave the boat for another 1 month if he succeeds in acquiring it (otherwise the boat would have had to leave the port 3 days after the end of the auction).
Incidentally, he learns that the American Chris Welsh will also be present for the auction. Rather than compete with him, he decides to meet him before the auction. There follows a memorable evening where they each explain to the other their interests in the boat. But Gabriel manages to change Welsh’s mind and also understands that an association would be better than a fight. They agree on a 50/50 co-ownership and write a contract to this effect. The next day, June 28, 2019, about 25 people are in the auction room. After the opening of the sale, our duo bid: $ 8,500 ... and no one raises. They were the only 2 to be interested in this boat, mythical in France, but so little known in the USA.
Owners, they will be able to board for the first time. L'Hydroptère is still moored at the buoy. But she is not nice to see. The central hull is full of water, oil and diesel. Indeed, the hydraulic cylinders were dismantled and left draining all the oil inside. The fuel tank was stripped and emptied. And an open porthole allowed water to infiltrate. Otherwise the structure of the boat seems intact. The mast and the boom are in place, as well as a mainsail completely eaten by the UV.
They have a month to get l'Hydroptère out of the harbor. It is only after 2.5 months of work, still moored to the buoy (so without water or electricity ...), that the team will be able to tow it to the nearby port. Before unblocking the rudder they had to find out that the engine was screwed despite the installation of a new tank ...
It is finally at the pier in Kewolo that the boat is restored to sailing condition. But beware, there is no question of flying on foils for now, it's just a matter of repatriating her to California where Chris Welsh has a boatyard. So you have to prepare her for a crossing of 2000 miles, because transport by cargo is much too expensive. For this, a new engine is installed with a huge fuel tank (600 l plus 10 jerrycans), as well as a three-bladed propeller. A jib and a mainsail (much too small) are also suitable. Life raft, basic electronics, berths ... are equipped to allow the crew to make this transpacific trip
To solve the lack of anti-drift plane, the 2 foils will be lowered, as vertically as possible by adjusting the incidence to zero so as not to make the boat want to take off. This is to do a delivery, not a speed run! The crew of 3 is counting on a speed of 7 knots which should make a crossing in about 20 days. The start was made on Saturday, November 3rd, 2019..
On arrival in San Francisco, the flying yacht will enter the boatyard to carry out a structural check and replace her hydraulic equipment. The goal will be to put her in the same condition as before she was abandoned in order for her to be able to really sail. After this phase 1 of the renovation, the boat should fly again in San Francisco Bay. Her new owner hopes that this stage will be reached in the spring of 2020 (or maybe in the summer ...).
Phase 2, which is expected to see improvements to the sailboat, is planned later, with notably the hope of a return to France of this flying sailboat. But everything will depend on the funding that will have to be found ...
Fascinating. They should be a bit more than half way across by now. Sounds like they have enough fuel to power most of the way if they had to.
It's a totally crazy story! L'Hydroptère, the flying yacht, has been abandoned since 2012 in a port on an island in Hawaii. Sold at auction, it will be bought by a Franco-American duo: Gabriel Terrasse and Chris Welsh. Here’s the story of this change of ownership and perspectives for the future of this iconic sailboat.
In 1997, Gabriel discovered at the Nautic (Paris) show a photo of the hydrofoil in full flight. He’s starstruck. He then searches the net (which is still in its infancy), but can not find information on the boat. He then decides to make a site about the boat and presents it to Alain Thébault, skipper and driver of the Hydroptère project. It then becomes "official website" for some time, but its place is quickly taken over by the communication service of DCNS, project partner at the time. From then on this young man follows the story of this mythical boat from afar.
Gabriel is not strictly speaking just a boater. He likes to go fast on the water. Cruising bores him rather quickly, which is why he sails a sport catamaran. And the story of l'Hydroptère touches him. And he thinks that this sailboat should not end up in a museum and that it still has potential (despite its 25 years of age). He would like to try to revive the adventure of this world's fastest sailing ship to see her conquer another record.
He learns that for not paying harbor fees to Kewalo on the island of Honolulu (Hawaii), the boat will be auctioned for $ 20,000. Although not having sailed for 3 years, the boat is still 100% operational at this time. But someone informs Alain Thébault of the sale, and the amount due is paid, canceling the auction. The sailboat will leave the port to anchor a few miles away, at Keehi, but it does not really navigate.
Again in default of payment in May 2019, it will be resubmitted to auction. This time the boat is no longer in the same state, because when abandoned it was stripped of its deck hardware and electronics. Starting price: $ 8000. Gabriel goes to Hawaii for this auction. In the United States, he manages to convert enough dollars to apply for the sale, and negotiates with the auction manager to leave the boat for another 1 month if he succeeds in acquiring it (otherwise the boat would have had to leave the port 3 days after the end of the auction).
Incidentally, he learns that the American Chris Welsh will also be present for the auction. Rather than compete with him, he decides to meet him before the auction. There follows a memorable evening where they each explain to the other their interests in the boat. But Gabriel manages to change Welsh’s mind and also understands that an association would be better than a fight. They agree on a 50/50 co-ownership and write a contract to this effect. The next day, June 28, 2019, about 25 people are in the auction room. After the opening of the sale, our duo bid: $ 8,500 ... and no one raises. They were the only 2 to be interested in this boat, mythical in France, but so little known in the USA.
Owners, they will be able to board for the first time. L'Hydroptère is still moored at the buoy. But she is not nice to see. The central hull is full of water, oil and diesel. Indeed, the hydraulic cylinders were dismantled and left draining all the oil inside. The fuel tank was stripped and emptied. And an open porthole allowed water to infiltrate. Otherwise the structure of the boat seems intact. The mast and the boom are in place, as well as a mainsail completely eaten by the UV.
They have a month to get l'Hydroptère out of the harbor. It is only after 2.5 months of work, still moored to the buoy (so without water or electricity ...), that the team will be able to tow it to the nearby port. Before unblocking the rudder they had to find out that the engine was screwed despite the installation of a new tank ...
It is finally at the pier in Kewolo that the boat is restored to sailing condition. But beware, there is no question of flying on foils for now, it's just a matter of repatriating her to California where Chris Welsh has a boatyard. So you have to prepare her for a crossing of 2000 miles, because transport by cargo is much too expensive. For this, a new engine is installed with a huge fuel tank (600 l plus 10 jerrycans), as well as a three-bladed propeller. A jib and a mainsail (much too small) are also suitable. Life raft, basic electronics, berths ... are equipped to allow the crew to make this transpacific trip
To solve the lack of anti-drift plane, the 2 foils will be lowered, as vertically as possible by adjusting the incidence to zero so as not to make the boat want to take off. This is to do a delivery, not a speed run! The crew of 3 is counting on a speed of 7 knots which should make a crossing in about 20 days. The start was made on Saturday, November 3rd, 2019..
On arrival in San Francisco, the flying yacht will enter the boatyard to carry out a structural check and replace her hydraulic equipment. The goal will be to put her in the same condition as before she was abandoned in order for her to be able to really sail. After this phase 1 of the renovation, the boat should fly again in San Francisco Bay. Her new owner hopes that this stage will be reached in the spring of 2020 (or maybe in the summer ...).
Phase 2, which is expected to see improvements to the sailboat, is planned later, with notably the hope of a return to France of this flying sailboat. But everything will depend on the funding that will have to be found ...
Fascinating. They should be a bit more than half way across by now. Sounds like they have enough fuel to power most of the way if they had to.
PaulK
Super Anarchist
Position update rcvd this evening. The fishing seems to be good, too.
L'Hydroptere 2.0
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 12, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]4:21:15 PM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]Got a big mahi mahi on board this morning love you guys [/SIZE]
Speed: 7.56 mph
Course: ENE
Elevation: -5.58 ft.
Lat: 34.933711
Lon: -134.937108
Link showing position on map is here: inr.ch/VLKD4AB
L'Hydroptere 2.0
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 12, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]4:21:15 PM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]Got a big mahi mahi on board this morning love you guys [/SIZE]
Speed: 7.56 mph
Course: ENE
Elevation: -5.58 ft.
Lat: 34.933711
Lon: -134.937108
Link showing position on map is here: inr.ch/VLKD4AB
ryley
Super Anarchist
PaulK
Super Anarchist
A bit faster today:
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 13, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]12:08:30 PM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]More than 3 quarter now [/SIZE]
Speed: 8.86 mph
Course: ENE
Elevation: -12.24 ft.
Lat: 35.766731
Lon: -132.293973
Link for map: inr.ch/5526HUZ
Wish we could get pictures, but the budget isn’t as big as it is for Brest Atlantiques.
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 13, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]12:08:30 PM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]More than 3 quarter now [/SIZE]
Speed: 8.86 mph
Course: ENE
Elevation: -12.24 ft.
Lat: 35.766731
Lon: -132.293973
Link for map: inr.ch/5526HUZ
Wish we could get pictures, but the budget isn’t as big as it is for Brest Atlantiques.
SailingTips.Ca
Feigns Knowledge
Thanks for the updates!
PaulK
Super Anarchist
Still a ways to go...
They don’t seem to be speeding up for now:
Hydroptere 2.0
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 14, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]7:38:30 PM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]We are making good progress just north of the pacific high pressure system. 350 nm outside of the gate
[/SIZE]
Speed: 3.74 mph
Course: ESE
Elevation: 7.68 ft.
Lat: 36.141993
Lon: -129.562926
link for map: inr.ch/JZ7RDIZ
They don’t seem to be speeding up for now:
Hydroptere 2.0
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 14, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]7:38:30 PM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]We are making good progress just north of the pacific high pressure system. 350 nm outside of the gate
[/SIZE] Speed: 3.74 mph
Course: ESE
Elevation: 7.68 ft.
Lat: 36.141993
Lon: -129.562926
link for map: inr.ch/JZ7RDIZ
Shoot I tried that link but is just gives a Nov. 14 position ( 2 days ago.)Still a ways to go...
They don’t seem to be speeding up for now:
Hydroptere 2.0
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 14, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]7:38:30 PM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]We are making good progress just north of the pacific high pressure system. 350 nm outside of the gate
Speed: 3.74 mph
Course: ESE
Elevation: 7.68 ft.
Lat: 36.141993
Lon: -129.562926
link for map: inr.ch/JZ7RDIZ
If they come through Sunday I can go down and get the pics.
Gimme a good LIVE link?
PaulK
Super Anarchist
That was not them.
Hydroptere 2.0
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 18, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]5:29:45 AM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]Good morning we are about 50 miles out from golden gate should be able to text tomorrow [/SIZE]
Speed: 4.37 mph
Course: NNE
Elevation: -38.85 ft.
Lat: 37.035641
Lon: -123.114810
link for map position: inr.ch/TA6OX3Z
Almost in!
Hydroptere 2.0
[SIZE=.75rem]Nov 18, 2019[/SIZE][SIZE=.75rem]5:29:45 AM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=.75rem]Good morning we are about 50 miles out from golden gate should be able to text tomorrow
[/SIZE] Speed: 4.37 mph
Course: NNE
Elevation: -38.85 ft.
Lat: 37.035641
Lon: -123.114810
link for map position: inr.ch/TA6OX3Z
Almost in!
ryley
Super Anarchist
Man, their boat speed has really dropped off. it's gotta be frustrating to be doing 4 knots when you're so close to your goal.
PaulK
Super Anarchist
Windy shows NW winds building today; should help. Will they want to time their arrival for tide/daylight?
PaulK
Super Anarchist
30 miles to go as of 16h15 eastern time. Problems with the jib slowing them down.
apophenia
Anarchist
Does anyone know where in SF they intend to dock?
