WHAT's IN THE NEWS

March 16th, 2024 A night in Cascais

Between Lisbon and Gibraltar, there are about 300 nautical miles. on the south side of the path, there is the main shipping route from the Mediterranean Sea to Western Europe. Between this major shipping route and the coast is a body of water attracting tuna and all sort of fish. Behind those schools of fishes are the Orcas. These very large and gorgeous marin mammals have been causing a lot of concerns to sail boats like Avel Vaez as they tend to come and bite the rudders and appendices of the boats they find on their way. 

We have on board two anti-depredation pingers. These will be set in the water in case these animals come close, and we hope this will have a repulsive effect. They emit on 40kHz at 175 db.

The marin mammals have attacked four boats these past few days. The attacks were along the coast near Cape Saint Vincente. The strategy is either to sail very close to the shore, less than 20m water depth. Or sail near the main traffic lines away from the fishing zones. With so many encounters near shore the past days, it was decided to set sail toward the main sailing route and stay offshore until Gibraltar.

Good luck...!  

February 29th, 2024 Avel Vaez delivery

Delivery and handover took place between Feb 26th and 29th 2024 in Lorient. The yard team worked hard to make the boat ready for delivery.

We also had the visit of the ANFR surveyor. The ANFR is the french organization who is responsible for the survey and licencing of radio installation. Avel Vaez is outfitted with the latest technology and complies with GMDSS requirements. ANFR surveyor measured the output/input of all our equipment and delivered his report. On the ANFR web site, we have registered all our communication equipment and emergency kit: SARS, EPIRB, etc.

With the ANFR visit done, we had the final visit from the french navy "coast guards". After a thorough survey, we received the navigation permit. This is a very significant milestone in our project and confirms the level of professionalism we have reached on board. Not many sailboats this size have managed to get this level of certification.

The navigation permit allowed us to request the certificate of registration from the commercial french flag "RIF" (Registre International Français").

With the navigation permit and the registration certificate, we could now register Avel Vaez on the ship owner web site. We have to submit the ship emergency HSE plan. It includes the basic operating rules on board as well as the emergency response plan and the ship risk assessment: Each activity is risk assessed and mitigation measures are put in place when needed. The role of the crew and the guests are also detailed in the document. We also needed to provide the working hours for the crew. After reviewing these documents, the flag delivered the arming permit. This permit allows the owner to recruit the crew.

French administration in its full splendor!

October 22nd, 2023 construction update and navigation program for 2024-2025

In September 2023, the commercial court decided to award the takeover of the Marsaudon Composites shipyard to the Grand Large Yachting group and committed to keep all of the workforce. This group has experience of high-performance catamarans and takeovers of shipyards in difficulty. Founded by Xavier Desmarest and Stéphane Constance, GLY began in 2003 with the creation of the Allure Yachting shipyard, a new specialist in blue water shallow draft aluminum sailing vessels. In 2007, Outremer Catamaran, pioneer of blue water catamarans, joined the group. In 2010, Garcia Yachting, the historic specialist in aluminum exploration sailboats, was joining the group. In 2016, GLY took over the American shipyard specializing in high-performance, luxury, all-carbon catamarans Gunboat. In 2020, RM Yachts, a specialist in fast cruising sailboats made of plywood and epoxy, joined GLY.

With the acquisition of Marsaudon Composites in 2023, GLY adds the ORC catamaran range to its catalog. GLY's objective in this acquisition seems twofold. First of all, the development of the group is such that the historic production workshops in La Grande Motte are no longer sufficient to meet commercial success. Outremer will therefore relocate the production of the Outremer 45 to Lorient and free up space at La Grande Motte to produce the new Outremer 52, which seem poised for exceptional commercial success.

The other objective is to develop the Catamaran ORC range. The ORC 42 will no longer be part of the catalog. It seems that the very radical concept of this very simple model can no longer be offered at a price low enough to attract the customers who made it successful in the past. Concerning the ORC 50, it is probable that the four unfortunate incidents of the ORC 50 (1), (2), (3), (4) contributed to the emergence of doubt among customers and consequently to the shipyard financial difficulties. The communication from the yard CEO sheds light on these problems. Having sailed for a few days on Addictive Sailing, it is this racing-cruising boat which has given us the most pleasant and entertaining sail, without comparison... It seems that GLY will keep the ORC 50 in the catalog, likely with a more reasonnable rig. A lot of thought will be needed to position this extraordinary series model in a market with no real competition in this size. For the ORC 57, the model is very recent and with the shipyard difficulties in 2023, it has yet to find its customers. GLY will therefore have a unique opportunity to position these two models in the niche of high-performance, customizable boats with very attractive prices.

During the site visit in October 2023, we were able to see that construction had resumed. The composite part is completed and the electrical cable networks and piping were being installed. The engines are installed, the winches and the windlass as well. The purchasing department has integrated the GLY system and procurement is underway again.

Avel Vaez is scheduled for the next launch at the shipyard at the end of November 2023 and delivery at the end of January 2024...

Given the delay in manufacturing the boat, the season will begin directly in the Mediterranean Sea.

Most likely, Avel Vaez will be present at the multihull show in La Grande Motte from April 4th to 7th, 2024.

Then there will be a cruise to Lavrio proposed. An extraordinary first cruise with on the program: Corsica, Capri, the Aeolian Islands, the Strait of Messina, Taormina, Ithaca, Galaxidi, Corinth Canal...

Once in Greece, our partner Fast Sailing will offer Avel Vaez for until the end of October 2024, departing from Olympic Marina in Lavrio. This is the ideal opportunity to discover the Cyclades. These islands are exceptional. They offer multiple possibilities for anchoring, navigation and discovering extraordinary sites.

A crossing from Lavrio to Las Palmas is planned for early November 2024. It will be possible to embark or disembark in Malta, Alicante or Gibraltar.

Avel Vaez is registered for the ARC 2024. It will be the first ORC 57 to participate in this famous rally. Departure on November 24, 2024 from Las Palmas!

From the end of December, the boat will discover the Caribbeans... Departing from Le Marin in Martinique or from another island depending on your needs, you will be able to discover the ORC 57 and the fabulous anchorages of this exceptional navigation area...

Atlantic crossing return from the Caribbeans, via Horta, departure March 29, 2025.