Geronimo and the Jules Verne Trophy 2003

It has taken nearly 30,000 sea miles and 15 months of testing to refine and tune Geronimo to her current level of mature development.

How has it been possible to have developed Geronimo, a 34-metre long carbon fibre/Nomex prototype, 25 metres in the beam and with a rig over 40 metres high, to the point of reliability in such a short space of time? She is, after all, the world’s largest and most sophisticated racing trimaran.

- Firstly, the decision to go for a trimaran design was dictated by the experience her crew and designers have with this type of boat. The project’s crew and engineers have worked together for over 15 years on this type of multihull and their new programme is the logical outcome of this unique body of knowledge. The trimaran was launched in July 2001 and handed over to her owners in September that year as part of a schedule to have her racing by winter 2001/2002. Built by the Multiplast yard in Vannes, with floats by JMV of Cherbourg and new mast (the one supplied in February 2002) by Espace Composite of Lunel and Lorient, the boat has undergone an intense programme of trials this year in preparation for an attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy during winter 2002/2003.

- Secondly, the design specification for the new boat set three clear objectives:

Performance
This is a record-breaking boat, designed to dominate today’s competition and any competitors emerging in the foreseeable future.

Reliability
This is a boat for the most experienced of crews: realistic and reliable. Every new feature is tested on the old Jules Verne Trophy boat and approved by the entire crew.

Evolutionary potential
The new boat must be able to respond to developments in technology and the progress made by her competitors. She must also be able to draw on the new features developed by other smaller (60-foot) trimarans.

Created out of several years of intense work and experimentation by top designers and highly experienced crew, Geronimo is designed for the purpose of winning the Jules Verne Trophy and breaking the world’s greatest sailing records, whilst holding off increasingly aggressive competitors using proven and reliable smaller boats.