MISTRAL ASSOCIATES ITS NAME WITH CATAMARAN FORMULA 1

The passion for speed by wind and water cannot be pure and strong enough for fashion and sports brand Mistral. Since last month, Mistral International has been the exclusive apparel sponsor for the crew of the Hydroptere, the French Formula 1 among the maxi-catamarans.

The sponsor agreement is another way Mistral demonstrates its absolute and intrinsic commitment to top quality, showing that the brand represents a true winner’s mindset based on pure passion for speed by wind and water. Sailing on this ‘maxi-cat’ is like windsurfing on a giant board, but much faster. The crew’s limits are tested to the extremes. What better forum for surf brand Mistral to show its true colours?

From a distance, the Hydroptere seems like an ordinary large catamaran, but appearances can be deceiving. Developed in the 1990s, the exceptional design allows this hydrofoil catamaran to lift up its outer keels. As a result, these wings allow the vessel to glide smoothly over the waves instead of ploughing through them.

“The Hydroptere is half yacht, half plane,” explains Alain Thebault (47), the successful skipper of the Hydroptere. The French racing team’s vessel constantly tacks slightly to boost its speed even farther. In 2007, the team raised the bar on two records: the Hydroptere set a record of 41.69 knots over a distance of 1 nautical mile (77.20 kmph), as well as a record of 44.81 knots over a distance of 500 metres (82.99 kmph).

Both captain and crew are hailed as true heroes in France. Thebault enjoys comparing the acceleration speed of his racing monster to the pick-up of a Formula 1 car. A breeze of only 12 knots (22.2 kmph) is enough to achieve ‘take-off’: the ship’s keels lift it up out of the water to a height of up to four metres. Only the very tips of the wings remain in contact with the water. The result is that the vessel’s water resistance is reduced to almost nothing. In no time, the Hydroptere skims lightly above the water like a flying carpet.

(Measuring in at nearly 20 metres long, the speed demon crossed the English Channel in just half an hour in 2006. In comparison: the Eurostar high-speed train that runs through the Channel Tunnel barely takes less time. Moreover, the Hydroptere has in any case proven that it was faster that one famous plane from the annals of history. In 1909, Frenchman Louis Bleriot was the first person to cross the Channel by plane, and his crossing took 40 minutes.)

According to Thebault, the ultimate barrier of 50 knots (92.6 kmph) in sailing can be compared to the sound barrier for aircraft. “Once you are through that barrier, anything is possible.” That point was finally reached late last year: the Hydroptere broke through the barrier, achieving a record speed of 56.35 knots (104.25 kmph). The only problem: the crew lost control over the ship, resulting in a spectacular crash. The challenge in the time to come is to smash new records on a super-catamaran that stays stable – with Mistral as close to the crew as their own skin.

Ado Huisman, general director Mistral International: “We are very pleased with this step in the sailing industry because beside windsurfing, Mistral wants to become a full quality player in water sports.”

For more info: www.mistral.com