Holder of the 2005 Jules Verne Trophy converted into a cruising yacht
Vitalia II is the name given in 2015 to the catamaranOrange IIlaunched in 2003 by Multiplast for Bruno Peyron. Under the Orange flag, it won the 2005 Jules Verne Trophy (50 days 16 hours 20 minutes 04 seconds, 24/01/2005 → 16/03/2005) and set the 24-hour sailing distance record in July 2006 (766.8 nautical miles, 31.95 knots average). François Bich, CEO of Groupe Bic, purchased the boat in February 2014 and commissioned a one-year, 30,000-hour refit by Multiplast to convert it into a round-the-world cruising yacht — the hull was retained, and a central six-cabin habitable nacelle was added.
Design and construction
Design team: Gilles Ollier / Multiplast, in Vannes, with Jack Michal, Franck Martin and Yann Penfornis on the original plans. For the Vitalia II refit (2014–2015), the same architects recalculated the structure to integrate the nacelle without degrading the original carbon structure. Exterior design of the nacelle by Daniel Domergue (Narrative, Montreuil); interior layout by Stéphane Lauro (Domicile Fixe, Vannes). Launched on April 17, 2015.
Specifications
- Length 36.80 m, beam 16.90 m, air draft 48 m
- Sail area: ~800 m² upwind, ~1,000 m² downwind
- Construction: full carbon/epoxy/honeycomb, built by Multiplast (Vannes)
- Six cabins total after refit (three double guest cabins, three crew cabins)
- Top speed ~30 knots in Vitalia II configuration (vs ~40 knots in Orange II racing config; +20 t added by the nacelle)
Boat achievements
- 2005 Jules Verne Trophy, skipper Bruno Peyron, 50d 16h 20min 04s — record held until March 2010
- World record for 24-hour sailing distance in crewed configuration, 766.8 nautical miles at 31.95 knots average, July 4, 2006
- Round-the-world cruise under the Vitalia II flag, November 2015 → May 2018 (Canary Islands, Panama, Tahiti, Cape Horn, New Zealand)
