The first IMOCA with foils, winner of the Vendée Globe 2020-2021
Maître CoQ IV is an IMOCA 60 launched onMarch 5, 2015 under the name ofSafran II for Morgan Lagravière. Design byVPLP design / Guillaume Verdier, built byCDK Technologies in Port-la-Forêt. It was thefirst IMOCA with foils — appendages known as "Dali’s mustaches" designed to lighten the hull when sailing downwind in strong breeze.
Architecture and specifications
- Length: 18.28 m — beam: 5.80 m — draft: 4.50 m.
- Air draft: 29 m, rotating wing mast.
- Displacement: 6.5 t — target speed > 30 knots.
- First-generation "Dali’s mustache" foils (not replaced during Bestaven’s campaign).
Successive owners
- 2015–2017 — Safran II, skipper Morgan Lagravière.
- June 2017 — after Safran withdrew sponsorship, the boat was taken over byKaïros (Roland Jourdain) and sailed under the nameDes Voiles et Vous!.
- January 2019 — purchased byYannick Bestaven (€300,000, knowledge transfer with the Kaïros team). RenamedMaître CoQ IV.
- Late 2021 — purchased byDamien Seguin after Bestaven’s victory. Sailed since under the colors ofGroupe APICIL.
2019–2020 preparation for the Vendée Globe
Before the start of the 2020 Vendée Globe, the Maître CoQ team did not modify the original foils and focused preparation on reliability and compliance:
- Added volume to the coachroof to meet the 180° recovery test required by the new IMOCA rule — enhanced skipper protection.
- Reworked interior layout (bucket seat, chart table).
- Stripped down to bare carbon to compensate for structural additions.
Boat achievements
- Transat Jacques-Vabre 2015 (Lagravière / Lunven) — retired due to water ingress via foil well.
- Vendée Globe 2016–2017 (Lagravière) — retired after 17 days.
- Transat Jacques-Vabre 2017 — 3rd in IMOCA class.
- Vendée Globe 2020–2021 (Bestaven) — winner in 80 days 3 hours 44 minutes 46 seconds (official time after 10 hours 15 minutes compensation for Kevin Escoffier search; actual time 80 days 13 hours 59 minutes 46 seconds).
