Alain Thébault
Encyclopedia
Alain Thébault is a French yachtsman and skipper of l'Hydroptère
.
With Éric Tabarly
, he participated in the conception of a multihull
on hydrofoil
s, named l'Hydroptère
, with a team of engineers, many of them from the aeronautics industry.
The project started in 1975 and a model on a one-third scale was expermented between 1987 and 1992. L'hydroptère
was launched in 1994 and reaches 35 knots the same year. Since 2005, with the support of Swiss banker, Thierry Lombard of Geneva
, he modified his yacht for an attempt to reach the speed of 50 knots.
In September 2009, in Hyères, France, Alain Thébault and his crew managed to break the outright speed record on 500m
with 51.36 knots.
Hydroptère
The Hydroptère is an experimental sailing hydrofoil designed by French yachtsman Alain Thébault. Her multihull hydrofoil design allows the sail-powered vessel to reach high speeds on water. The design is based on experience from a range of hydrofoil sailcraft that Thébault built in cooperation with...
.
With Éric Tabarly
Éric Tabarly
Éric Tabarly was a notable French yachtsman.A former officer in the French navy who is often considered the father of French yachting....
, he participated in the conception of a multihull
Multihull
A multihull is a ship, vessel, craft or boat with more than one hull.-Description:Multihulls include: Proas, which have two differently shaped or sized hulls with lateral symmetry; catamarans, which have two hulls with longitudinal symmetry; and trimarans, which have a main hull in the center and...
on hydrofoil
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
s, named l'Hydroptère
Hydroptère
The Hydroptère is an experimental sailing hydrofoil designed by French yachtsman Alain Thébault. Her multihull hydrofoil design allows the sail-powered vessel to reach high speeds on water. The design is based on experience from a range of hydrofoil sailcraft that Thébault built in cooperation with...
, with a team of engineers, many of them from the aeronautics industry.
The project started in 1975 and a model on a one-third scale was expermented between 1987 and 1992. L'hydroptère
Hydroptère
The Hydroptère is an experimental sailing hydrofoil designed by French yachtsman Alain Thébault. Her multihull hydrofoil design allows the sail-powered vessel to reach high speeds on water. The design is based on experience from a range of hydrofoil sailcraft that Thébault built in cooperation with...
was launched in 1994 and reaches 35 knots the same year. Since 2005, with the support of Swiss banker, Thierry Lombard of Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, he modified his yacht for an attempt to reach the speed of 50 knots.
In September 2009, in Hyères, France, Alain Thébault and his crew managed to break the outright speed record on 500m
Speed sailing record
Speed sailing records are sanctioned, since 1972, by the World Sailing Speed Record Council . Records are measured either by average speed over a specified distance or by total distance traveled during a specified time interval...
with 51.36 knots.