The first IMOCA with foils, winner of the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe
Maître CoQ IV is an IMOCA 60 launched on March 5, 2015 under the name Safran II for Morgan Lagravière. Design VPLP design / Guillaume Verdier, built by CDK Technologies in Port-la-Forêt. It was the first IMOCA with foils — appendages known as "Dali’s mustaches" designed to lighten the hull when sailing downwind in strong breeze.
Design 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’s sponsorship ended, the boat was taken over by Kaïros (Roland Jourdain) and sailed under the name Des Voiles et Vous!.
- January 2019 — purchased by Yannick Bestaven (€300,000, knowledge transfer with the Kaïros team). Renamed Maître CoQ IV.
- Late 2021 — purchased by Damien Seguin after Bestaven’s victory. Sailed since under the colors of Groupe APICIL.
2019-2020 preparation for the Vendée Globe
Before the 2020 Vendée Globe start, 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 IMOCA rule’s 180° recovery test — enhanced skipper protection.
- Revised interior layout (bucket seat, chart table).
- Exposed carbon structure to compensate for added structural weight.
Boat achievements
- 2015 Transat Jacques-Vabre (Lagravière / Lunven) — retired due to water ingress via foil well.
- 2016-2017 Vendée Globe (Lagravière) — retired after 17 days.
- 2017 Transat Jacques-Vabre — 3rd in IMOCA class.
- 2020-2021 Vendée Globe (Bestaven) — winner in 80 days 3 hours 44 minutes 46 seconds (official time after 10 hours 15 minutes compensation for Kevin Escoffier rescue; actual time 80 days 13 hours 59 minutes 46 seconds).
