The architect who made the IMOCA fly and won the 2024 Vendée Globe
Guillaume Verdier (born in 1970) founded his firm in 2001 after five years at Finot-Conq. Since 2006, he has worked in close partnership withVPLP Design (Van Peteghem / Lauriot-Prévost) on most IMOCA and maxi-multihulls in the French fleet. This duo introduced foils to the IMOCA class for the 2016–2017 Vendée Globe, then refined them up to the latest generation.
Trajectory
Trained at Southampton Solent then at the University of Southampton and the University of Copenhagen, Verdier worked at Finot-Conq from 1996 to 2001 before opening his own office. From 2010 to 2013 he joined the design team of Emirates Team New Zealand for the AC72, and remained a key contributor on subsequent AC75 generations.
IMOCA: the Charlie Dalin lineage
In 2019 Verdier designedApivia for Charlie Dalin, launched in Lorient and built by CDK Technologies. In the 2020–2021 Vendée Globe, Dalin crossed the finish line first (he narrowly missed the title after time compensation for Kevin Escoffier’s rescue).
In 2023 the successor arrived:MACIF Santé Prévoyance, the only latest-generation Verdier-designed IMOCA at the start of the 2024 Vendée Globe. On January 14, 2025, Charlie Dalin crossed the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne after64 days 19 hours 22 minutes — solo round-the-world record beaten by 9 days over Armel Le Cléac’h’s 2017 performance.
America’s Cup with Emirates Team New Zealand
Verdier contributed to the Kiwi design team across three winning generations:
- AC72 (2013) — AC34 catamaran in San Francisco
- Te Rehutai (AC75, 2021) — won the 36th Cup in Auckland against Luna Rossa (7–3)
- Taihoro (AC75, 2024) — won the 37th Cup in Barcelona, defender en route to Naples 2027
Maxis and multihulls
- Comanche (2014, 100-foot) — co-designed maxi-monohull with VPLP for Jim Clark, launched at Hodgdon Yachts (Newport RI), five wins in the Sydney–Hobart (2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2025)
- Gitana 17 / Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (2017, Ultim 32 m) — first maxi-trimaran with flying foils, skippered by Charles Caudrelier (winner of the Arkéa Ultim Challenge 2024)
- Gitana 18 (launch 2026) — successor to the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, optimized for offshore flying
- Ferrari Hypersail (launch 2026) — 100-foot foil-assisted monohull for the Italian manufacturer
- Art Explorer (2024, 47 m aluminum catamaran)
Class 40 and Mini: the Pogo S4 scow
In 2022 Verdier designed thePogo S4 for Pogo Structures (Combrit): wide scow bow, pronounced chine, torpedo-shaped keel bulb. Hull optimized by CFD for downwind angles — 3rd place in the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre on a precursor prototype.
Team and collaborations
The office comprises about a dozen designers (Romain Garo, Véronique Soulé, Morgane Schlumberger, Hervé Penfornis, Romaric Neyhousser among others) and regularly collaborates with Benjamin Muyl. The methodology relies on proprietary CFD and VPP, with validation via telemetry during races.
