Architect at VPLP Design since 2010, specializing in the design of monohull hulls (Imoca, Figaro Beneteau 3, Comanche , etc.), Daniele Capua deciphers the bias of the Malizia hull .
Following the difficulties encountered by skippers in heavy seas during the 2020 Vendée Globe, many Imoca bows have been planed and some 2022 generation boats have opted for less stretched shapes. “ Working only on the bow is not enough ,” explains Daniele Capua. It does not really modify the trim of the boat dynamically. And anyway, if you force a generation 2020-type boat to pitch up, the drag induced, in particular by the rear shapes, becomes very detrimental to performance.”
It is therefore on the overall distribution of volumes that it is necessary to intervene , a task which is not always easy to decipher from the outside: “Many observers think thatMalizia has a lot of volume in the front. It is, however, the less typical Imoca scow , with a narrower deck width in the first meters and a bow slope that creates a form of slenderness to make penetration into the water very gradual .” Added to this characteristic is a more banana keel line, a marked rocker and finer sections on the transom to be able to sink the stern .
In short, a less tense hull which has advantages, but also disadvantages: “ We have never spent as many hours of CFD on a project as on Malizia , continues Daniele Capua. The advantages of this hull at strong downwind in heavy seas appear very clearly on the dynamic simulations. The boat pitches up, the bow no longer pivots when planted, the speed is more linear. But on flat seas on a reach, it’s a less efficient hull than that of the former Hugo Boss , which was our reference boat in the analysis. It is a philosophical choice that Boris has completely assumed.”
A choice that can also pay off in light airsbecause these hulls have less drag at low angles than the very taut Imoca. Which, according to the architect, “remains a relative asset on the assessment of the paces of a Vendée Globe, where there is not a lot of light airs.”
