A recycled IMOCA for a dual mission
The IMOCA 60 Newrest-Matmut perfectly embodies the philosophy of intelligent recycling in offshore racing. Designed in 2007 by Bruce Farr Yacht Design and built by Southern Ocean Marine in New Zealand for Loïck Peyron under the name Gitana 80, this monohull has already completed several around-the-world voyages under different colors (Gitana, then Synerciel with Jean Le Cam) before being acquired by Fabrice Amedeo in 2015 for his first Vendée Globe.
A complete electronic overhaul
The boat’s acquisition for the Vendée Globe 2016–2017 required a complete overhaul of its embedded electronic and electrical architecture. Beyond standard navigation and communication systems, the project included the integration of scientific measurement equipment: CO2 sensors, salinity, temperature, microplastics, and environmental DNA — a pioneering approach in racing sailing.
This dual use — sporting competition and scientific mission — imposed specific constraints in terms of reliability, energy management, and satellite data transmission. Skysat supported Fabrice Amedeo in this technical and human dual challenge, which concluded with an 11th place in the Vendée Globe 2016–2017.
A platform prefiguring data-driven sailing
Long before ocean data collection became a standard on IMOCA boats, the Newrest-Matmut project demonstrated that a racing sailboat could become a mobile scientific platform, capable of covering rarely sampled areas such as the extreme latitudes of the Southern Ocean.
