VPLP Design (Van Peteghem Lauriot-Prévost) is a French-based naval architectural firm founded by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost, responsible for designing some of the world's most innovative racing boats. Their designs presently hold many of the World Speed Sailing records.
History VPLP Design is a French-based naval architecture firm founded by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost. These two French nationals first met at Southampton College of Higher Education both having enrolled to study Yacht and Powercraft Design.
During their years at college Marc and Vincent forged a friendship that was later to be the catalyst for VPLP. The company was formed in 1983 and first opened its doors in Marseille with a focus on developing racing trimarans, which was a burgeoning niche market in the early 80's.
VPLP's initial project was to design a racing trimaran commissioned by skipper Vincent Levy for the 1984 OSTAR, (otherwise known as the English Transat). This foiler baptized Gerard Lambert was the first in a long line of racing trimarans that created a name for the firm and established the young designers as innovators in the field of naval architecture.
This led to Yvon Fauconnier commissioning them to work with Phil Morrison in designing him a new 26 mtr trimaran. Fauconnier had just won the 1984 OSTAR in Umupro Jardin V designed by Morrison and built as Exmouth Challenge.Exmouth Challenge histoiredeshalfs.com and its more recent history here.
Morrison worked for several months in Marseille with the two French designers at Fauconnier's request and they credit him with creating the idea that they successfully developed, using large volume floats (amas), as long as the main hull on a trimaran, instead of the smaller floats aided by foils that they had used before. This innovative design concept underlies all modern trimaran design because the much larger floats were more efficient.
VPLP designed their first cruising catamaran in 1984 for Lagoon, which was then a division of Jeanneau Techniques Avancées. The Lagoon 55 was the first in more than 240 cruising catamarans designed by VPLP. Lagoon is now part of the CNB division of Groupe Bénéteau and has produced more than 2000 catamarans with worldwide distribution. VPLP are the principal designers for the Lagoon fleet of sailing catamarans.
In 2018, VPLP Design created Ayro to develop and market rigid wings, allowing cargo ships and yachts to reduce CO2 emissions.'
In February 2021, Simon Watin, who had been with the agency since 2008, was appointed president, while Mathias Maurios, Quentin Lucet, and Xavier Guisnel joined the new executive committee.'
In November 2021, VPLP Design partnered with Alwena Shipping and MerConcept, François Gabart’s racing team, to develop a 30-meter foil-equipped catamaran designed to carry 200 passengers. The project was named "Fast Foiling Ferry".
Evolution The offices moved to Paris, Bastille in 1985 to be closer their network of international clients.
In subsequent years, VPLP have structured the organization into three divisions to focus on separate sectors of the yacht market: monohull and multihull racing yachts series production sailing catamarans luxury custom sailing catamarans
In 1996, VPLP opened a Racing Division in Vannes for proximity to many offshore racing teams. In 2008 VPLP opened a Refit and Brokerage Division in La Ciotat, which is a large service center with many shipyards catering for superyachts operating in the western Mediterranean sea.
In 2007 VPLP cooperated with French yacht designer Guillaume Verdier to penetrate the competitive IMOCA racing circuit. The performance of their first interactions Safran and Groupe Bel earned the VPLP-Verdier consortium a growing orderbook for racing monohulls.
Racing prototypes Significant race results
PosYearRaceClassBoat nameCrewTimeNotesRefRound the world races 1 2021 2020-2021 Vendee Globe IMOCA 60 Maître Coq IV Yannick Bestaven (FRA) 80d 13h 59m 46s with Verdier 1 2016 2016-2017 Vendee Globe IMOCA 60 Banque populaire VIII 74d 03h 35m 46s with Verdier 1 / 2012 2012–2013 Vendée Globe IMOCA 60 MACIF 78d 2h 16m 40s with Verdier
Custom raceboat significant boats
YearLaunchedClassLaunch nameBuilderNotesRef 2021 IMOCA 60 Maître Coq IV Yannick Bestaven (FRA) Became Maître Coq IV
Custom racing Since 1990, All of the VPLP boats are still undefeated at the Route du Rhum.
Year Boat's name Description History 1984 Gerard Lambert 50' foiler trimaran For the Ostar 1985 La Santa Maria 45' catamaran For the Route de la découverte 1986 Poulain 75' trimaran Skipped by Olivier de Kersauson Biscuits Cantreau 1 Formula 40 trimaran Skipped by Jean Le Cam 1987 Biscuits Cantreau 2 Formula 40 trimaran Skipped by Jean Le Cam -World Champion 1987 1988 Biscuits Cantreau 3 Formula 40 trimaran Skipped by Jean Le Cam -World Champion 1988
-World Champion 1989 Hitachi ↓Bottin 60' trimaran Skipped by Lionel Péan in 1988 (Hitachi) Skipped by Eric Tabarly in 1989 (Bottin) 1989 Nord Pas de Calais 3 Formula 40 trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Alain Comyn Groupe Pierre 1er ↓ Lakota 60' ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Florence Arthaud (Groupe Pierre 1er)
-1st in the Route Du Rhum in 1990
Skipped by Steve Fosset (Lakota)1990RMO ↓Primagaz↓ Foncia↓ Bayer↓ Rexona↓ RegionGuadeloupe 60' ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Laurent Bourgnon (RMO): -1st in the Open-UAP in 1991http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-89-187_en.htm Open-UAP
-1st in the Baule-Dakar in 1991
-Mediterranean Record in 1991, 2921 miles - 22h 10min
Skipped by Laurent Bourgnon (Primagaz):
-1st in the Quebec-Saint Malo in 1992 -1st in the Route Du Rhum in 1994 -1st in the Fastnet in 1997 -1st in the Route Du Rhum in 1998 -Record of Atlantique Crossing in 1999, 7d 2h 34min
Skipped by Yvan Bourgnon (Foncia, Bayer, Rexona)
Skipped by Claude Thélier (RegionGuadeloupe) Ylliam Formula 40, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Pierre-Yves Firmenich 1991 Alibi Mini 6,5 m Monohull Mini-transat Skipped by Dominic Bourgeois -1991: 3rd in the Mini-Transat1992 Fleury-Michon XI 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Philippe Poupon Charal 90' trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Olivier de Kersauson Lege Cap Ferret Formula 28' trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Jean-Louis Miquel 1993 Lyonnaise des eaux Dumez 90' trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Olivier de Kersauson YG 25 One design racing catamarans, for the Clairefontaine Trophy 1997 Broceliande ↓ Foncia ↓ Technomarine ↓ Banque Covefi 2 ↓ Stena Sovcomflot ↓ Orange 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Alain Gautier (Broceliande, Foncia)
Skipped by Steve Ravussin (Technomarine, Banque Covefi 2)
Skipped by Bruno Peyron & Stève Ravussin (Stena Sovcomflot)
Skipped by Stève Ravussin (Orange):
-Winner of Nokia Oops Cup in 2005 Sport-Elec 90' trimaran ex-Lyonnaise des Eaux-Dumez, Composite Carbon nomex Skipped by Olivier de Kersauson:
-Jules Verne Trophy record in 1997, 71d 14h 18min 1998 Groupama I ↓ HiQ 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Franck Cammas (Groupama I):
-Winner of Transat Quebec-Saint Malo in 2000
-Winner of Transat Jacques Vabre in 2001 2000 Bonduelle ↓ Gitana XII 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle)2001 Fila ↓ Tim 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Giovanni Soldini (Fila) Belgacom II ↓ Gitana XI 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Jean Luc Nelias (Belgacom II) Skipped by Lionel Lemonchois (Gitana XI):
-Winner of the Route Du Rhum in 2006 Geronimo 110' trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Olivier de Kersauson:
-Winner of Jules Verne Trophy 20042002 Foncia 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite Skipped by Alain Gautier Geant ↓ Vodafone (NZ) 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Michel Desjoyeaux (Geant):
-Winner of the Route Du Rhum in 2002
-Winner of the Transat in 2004 Sodebo 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite Skipped by Thomas Coville2004 Idec 90' trimaran ex-Sport-Elec, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Francis Joyon:
-Solo round the world record in 2004, 72d 22h 54min 22sec
-Solo transatlantic world record in 2005, 6d 4h 1min 37sec Groupama 2 60'ORMA trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Franck Cammas:
-Winner of Transat Jacques Vabre in 2007 2005 Crepes Whaou! 2 ↓ Maitre Jacques-Loic Fecquet 50' trimaran, built by CDK Industrie Skipped by Franck Yves Escoffier (Crepes Whaou ! 2)
-1st in Transat Jacques Vabre Multi50 in 2005
-1st in the Route Du Rhum Multi50 in 2006
-1st in Transat Jacques Vabre Multi50 in 2007 2006 Groupama 3 ↓ Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII ↓ Lending Club 2 ↓ IDEC Sport 105' trimaran, Composite Carbon nomex Skipped by Franck Cammas (Groupama 3):
-Transatlantic Record in 2008
-Jules Verne Trophy, Circumnavigation record in 2010, 48d 7h 44min 52s
-Winner of the Route Du Rhum in 2010
Skipped by Armel Le Cleac'h (Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII):
-Record Solo Trans-Mediterranean, 30/09/2013, 18h 58min 13sec
-New Record Solo distance in 24 hours, 27/01/2014, 682 miles
-Record Solo Route de la découverte Cadix-San Salvador, 30/01/2014, 6d 23h 42min
-Jules Verne Trophy record circumnavigation in 2016, 40d 23h 30min 30sec Lightspeed 32 One design racing/picnic catamaran, Carbon fibre and composite construction in USA 60' IMOCA Monohull, Composite carbon nomex, designed with Guillaume Verdier Skipped by Marc Guillemot: -Winner of Transat Jacques Vabre in 2009 -Solo North Atlantic Record in July 2013, 8d 5h 20min 20sec 2007 Groupe Bel 60' IMOCA Monohull, Composite carbon nomex, designed with Skipped by Kito de Pavant 2008 Maxi Banque Populaire V ↓ Sprindrift 2 40m Custom racing trimaran, Composite carbon nomex Skipped by Pascal Bidegorry & Loïc Peyron (Maxi Banque Populaire V):
-Transatlantic record in 2009, 3d 15h 25min 48sec
-24 Hour World Speed Sailing record in 2009, 908 miles, Avg 37.8kn
-Trans-Mediterranean record, 15/05/2010, 14h 20min 34sec
-Jules Verne Trophy record circumnavigation in 2012, 45d 13h 42min 53sec
Skipped by Dona Bertarelli & Yann Guichard (Spindrift 2):
-Record Route de la Découverte Cadix-San Salvador, 06/11/2013, 6d 13h 42min 53sec"|- |rowspan="2" | 2009 || BMW Oracle Racing 90x90 USA 17 || 90' full carbon trimaran, Composite carbon nomex || Skipped by Oracle Team USA:-Winner 33rd America's Cup in 2010 Crepes Whaou ! 3 ↓ Fenetrea 50' trimaran Skipped by Franck Yves Escoffier(Crepes Whaou ! 3):
-Winner of Transat Jacques Vabre in 2009
Skipped by Erwan Le Roux & Yann Elies (Fenetrea):
-Winner of Transat Jacques Vabre in 2013 2010 Vibrac Paprec 3 60' IMOCA Monohull, Composite carbon nomex, designed with Skipped by Jean Pierre Dick:
-Winner of Barcelona world race in 2010-2011
-Winner of Transat Jacques Vabre in 2011 PRB 4 60' IMOCA Monohull, Composite carbon nomex, designed with Guillaume Verdier Skipped by Vincent Riou:
-Winner of Transat Jacques Vabre in 2013" Foncia II ↓ Banque Populaire VI ↓ Maitre Coq 60' IMOCAMonohull, Composite carbon nomex, designed with Guillaume Verdier
Skipped by Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia II)
Skipped by Armel Le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire VI):
-Finished 2nd in the Vendee Globe in 2012
Skipped by (Maitre Coq) 2011 Race For Water MOD 70' one design multihull, Carbon composite nomex Skipped by Stève Ravussin Veolia Environment ↓ Orion Racing MOD 70' one design multihull, Carbon composite nomex Skipped by Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environment) Foncia MOD 70' one multihull, Carbon composite nomex Skipped by Michel Desjoyeaux:
-Winner of the European Tour in 2012
-Record of the Tour of Isle of Wight in 2012, 2h 21min 25sec Spindrift Racing MOD 70' one design multihull, Carbon composite nomex Skipped by Yann Guichard:
-Winner of Multi One Championship in 2010
-Winner of Krys Ocean Race in 2012 Macif 60' IMOCA Monohull, Composite carbon nomex, designed with Guillaume Verdier Skipped by Francois Gabart: