{"id":62146,"date":"2024-11-15T10:41:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T15:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/?p=62146"},"modified":"2026-03-26T06:52:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:52:51","slug":"foils-foils-and-more-foils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/foils-foils-and-more-foils\/","title":{"rendered":"Foils, foils and more foils"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the Vend\u00e9e Globe sailing race<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

45,000 km or 24,300 nautical miles. Every four years. Around-the-world. Many flying on foils to the most remote corners of the oceans. Solo-sailing, non-stop, no-assistance in an 18.288m or 60-foot IMOCA-class boat. This is the Vend\u00e9e Globe.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a sailing or foiler fan, the Vend\u00e9e Globe is the equivalent of the Masters, Roland Garros, an IRONMAN world championship\u2026well, you get my point. It is a big-deal, global sailing event that focuses on all-around technical savvy of the skipper and prep crew as well as, honestly, pure grit if you happen to be one of the 40 men and women who casted off from Les Sables d’Olonne on November 10th, 2024. (Les Sables d\u2019Olonne is a seaside resort and sailing port located on the Atlantic coast in westeren France. It\u2019s slightly below Nantes if that helps you geo-localize.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A different flavor of event than the America\u2019s Cup<\/a>*, which, in my opinion, has a more F1 atmosphere, the Vend\u00e9e Globe brings the sailor out in everyone. This is why nobody was surprised that over 1.3 million people visited the Vend\u00e9e Globe village to see the boats up close this year.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Over
There are a lot of reasons why the Vend\u00e9e Globe is so popular and worth the wait.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Heroes and personalities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike other events, the Vend\u00e9e Globe happens every four years. And it is worth the wait \u2013 it is filled with nail-biting excitement, terrifying waves and rough seas, cracking masts, tears of exhaustion, daring rescues, sustainable initiatives and a save-the-planet vibe, been-on-the-boat-by-myself-for-too-long-humor and a serious, serious amount of sheer determination to get to the finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"One<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Vend\u00e9e Globe has its rock stars from the quirky Jean Le Cam — the oldest skipper, who is sailing his 6th<\/sup> Vend\u00e9e Globe at the age of 65 in a new boat equipped with daggerboards and not foils, btw — and the Japanese sailor Kojiro Shiraishi, the first Asian to complete the around-the-world race in 2020, to French sailing legends like Lo\u00eeck Peyron\u2026.and Armel Le Cleac\u2019h.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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High-speed, high-tech foils<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And speaking of Armel Le Cleac\u2019h, his is still the record to beat. This edition, all eyes (and foils) are on breaking the record set by Le Cleac\u2019h in 2016 of 74 days and 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vend\u00e9e<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Which is probably why the village was filled with foils. Practically everywhere you looked, you saw them in some shape or form. Logically so, foils are one of the most obvious ways to achieve speed and top performances. And unlike other IMOCA rules, foil design is still one of the areas where there is a bit of wiggle room for naval architects. You are allowed to have a maximum 8m3 volume and the retractable foil can move up and down and forward and backward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the main challenges for naval architects, CFD engineers, structural experts and aerodynamic specialists, who all work on these IMOCA boats and other foilers, is how to optimize the foil installation and functionality to reduce drag and maximize speed and overall performance while maintaining structural safety.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But refitting an existing boat or designing a new boat with foils is not a walk in the park. One of the main challenges for naval architects, CFD engineers, structural experts and aerodynamic specialists, who all work on these IMOCA boats and other foilers, is how to optimize the foil installation and functionality to reduce drag and maximize speed and overall performance while maintaining structural safety, especially during a risky race like the Vend\u00e9e Globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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