The Vendée Globe will set a new participation record next November, that is already certain. This is because Phil Sharp's campaign, which he is publicising today at boot in Düsseldorf, will see another strong newcomer on the starting line - provided the boat and skipper meet the necessary qualifications.
There is not much time for this. The Sam Manuard design with the characteristic, slightly C-shaped foils will probably not take to the water until the summer and will have to complete the Transat Jacques Vabre and the return race to Lorient in the autumn. However, Sharp has both the toughness and stamina as well as the experience to get his boat over the course and ready for the Vendée.
He impressively demonstrated what he is capable of at the 2016 Transat, when he brought his Class 40 "Imerys" to the finish line off New York. The main torn to shreds, the genoa without the necessary tension on the halyard, the engine out - that's how the then 35-year-old dragged himself across the line in third place. The against-all-odds finish was preceded by a day-long emergency repair workshop. Giving up? Not an option!
Because of his legendary stamina alone, it would be inappropriate to write Sharp off before he has even taken over his boat, simply because he lacks preparation time. But the campaign of the Brit, who has lived in La Rochelle for years, deserves special attention in another respect: Phil Sharp wants to be the first to complete the Vendée Globe without using any fossil fuels. Instead, he is relying on a fuel cell to supply an electric motor with energy.
His project is called OceansLab. He will have to convince the Imoca class, which requires a minimum range and minimum speed under engine so that skippers can help themselves and others in an emergency, for example if a mast breaks. Because conventional power storage systems alone are not sufficient or would be much heavier than a diesel engine and tank, Sharp is relying on a hydrogen-powered fuel cell.
"Technically, that's not a problem at all," he said in an interview with YACHT online. He had already used the first compact fuel cell on his Class 40 in 2020, which delivered around 10 kilowatts of peak power and used it to charge the batteries or directly supply the electric motor. A 15-kW module will be installed on board the Imoca 60. Its Imoca campaign is intended to be a flagship project for this scalable form of propulsion and demonstrate the technology's suitability for use even under the toughest conditions.
The basic funding for his campaign is in place; the launch at the Vendée Globe is secured, says Sharp. However, he is still looking for additional partners from the transport, technology and financial sectors in order to be fully competitive. In the medium term, he is also firmly planning to take part in The Ocean Race, which is particularly attractive for international companies due to its stage stops.
Indirectly, he is already involved in the crew race around the world - at least in the form of his foils, which secured Boris Herrmann's start in the race. Sharp had sold them to the German without further ado because - while he is still waiting for his boat to be completed - he has no use for the already finished profiles.
The Brit is not surprised that they worked so well on stage 1. "Sam Manuard is the only designer in the offshore sector who is also an excellent solo skipper. He knows what's important and that a few per cent more top performance is worth nothing if it can't be called up." That's why he deliberately designed "error-friendly" foils that work very efficiently even without constant adjustment of the angle of attack.
Sharp's next set, the production of which will begin shortly, will therefore be absolutely identical to the one that Boris Herrmann's crew will demand again from tomorrow onwards - on stage 2 from Cape Verde to Cape Town.
