Sponsored Content : les dernières infos Tip & Shaft

Launched in 2009 in Avigliana, west of Turin, on the initiative of Giovanni Soldini and physicist Marco Bianucci, Italian solar panel manufacturer Solbian immediately specialized in the world of yachting and competitive sailing. The aim was to produce lightweight, flexible photovoltaic modules equipped with MPPT charge controllers – a system that didn’t exist at the time.

Following the success of the SL 180, Plastimo launched its successor, the SLR 196 (for “Super Light Racing”), at the beginning of 2022, the result of 18 months of development. The brand’s top-of-the-range lifejacket has been rapidly and massively adopted by racers. “Most of the fleet in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 is equipped with it, in each of the classes: Imoca, Ultim, Ocean Fifty, Class40,” points out Frédéric Blaudeau, Plastimo’s marketing and communication director. “In addition, 80% of the crews in the Ocean Globe Race are equipped with the SLR 196 and Plastimo safety equipment.”

Created in November 2021, Sangiorgio Marine was put on the map by the impressive second place in Class40 on the Route du Rhum by Italian Ambrogio Beccaria’s innovative Alla Grande Pirelli, designed by Gianluca Guelfi. Since then, the company which was founded and is run by Edoardo Bianchi has gone from strength to strength.

Plastimo, the Lorient-based company which specializes in maritime safety in particular continues its long held strategy of collaborating with top professional sailors, particularly offshore racers. “Listening of users is part of our DNA, most specifically the experience and feedback of the elite racers definitely represent extra inspiration and exciting technical challenges for our R & D and marketing team”, explains Marketing Director, Frédéric Blaudeau.

With more than 25,000 boats built since 1977 the First marque celebrates its 45th anniversary this year. It remains one of the main global benchmars for racer-cruisers. Throughout the summer, Tip & Shaft has told the First story through some flagship models from the Beneteau yard. Finally this week a look through the current range which is adapted to the upswinging market.

With more than 25,000 boats built since 1977, the First line this year celebrates its 45th anniversary and remains a benchmark in racer-cruisers. It is first and foremost a story that starts with a visionary. In 1976, François Chalain, who had just arrived in the Beneteau group, proposed to the company’s young president Annette Roux to buy the moulds of Impensable, winner of the 1973 Half Ton Cup. The Vendée yard made its switch from wood to polyester in the 1970s, but it only produced leisure fishing boats. Annette Roux readily admits: “Nobody was really waiting for us to go there…”

Use it Again!, sailed by project founder Romain Pilliard and Spanish ace Alex Pella will soon set off in pursuit of a round-the-world ‘the wrong way’ circumnavigation record. Whilst completing their preparation the pair of co-skippers made sure they took on board ample cartridges of adhesives and resins supplied by Araldite who are the technical partner of the project.

GlobeSailor, the agency specializing in the charter of cruising yachts, has chosen to use offshore racers in their marketing strategy, especially after noting that several of them had been was among its customer base…

Known all over the world for their glues, the Araldite brand is well known to all DIY enthusiasts. But in the field of ocean racing, it is still a little more difficult to know which products are best for boatyards and sailors.

With Persico standing behind the 69F boats, these carefully tested one design foilers and Santi Lange standing behind training up their young crews, grand prix foiling really did just get much more accessible.