Groupe Dubreuil 2: a new-generation IMOCA hits the water

After fifteen months of design and construction, Groupe Dubreuil 2 touched the water for the first time in Southampton on 13 August, marking a major milestone for Sébastien Simon, his team and everyone involved in the development of this new-generation IMOCA.

Designed by Guillaume Verdier and his team and built by Carrington Boats, Groupe Dubreuil 2 is the result of an intensely collaborative process involving more than 150 people across naval architecture, structural engineering, construction, systems and performance.

From the outset, the project has been driven by a clear objective: to create an IMOCA specifically conceived around solo sailing, combining power and lightness with reliability, protection and control. The design process brought together the Verdier team, Groupe Dubreuil Sailing Team, PURE Design & Engineering and Carrington Boats, with design and construction progressing closely alongside one another.

The launch opened a new chapter. Following initial measurement and stability tests, including the IMOCA 90-degree test used to determine the boat’s centre of gravity, the team began a series of technical sea trials in the Solent. These first miles are the beginning of a new development phase — moving from design assumptions and simulations to observation, testing and refinement on the water.

At the end of August, Groupe Dubreuil 2 left Southampton for her first offshore passage to Les Sables d’Olonne. After three days at sea, she entered the iconic Vendée Globe channel for the first time before being officially christened on 3 September, with Guillaume Verdier among those gathered to celebrate the milestone.

For the design team, the moment represents both an achievement and a beginning. The boat is now where the next stage of the design process takes place: at sea.

With the first trials underway, attention now turns to learning, testing and refining Groupe Dubreuil 2 ahead of her first major racing objectives — the Route du Rhum 2026 and, ultimately, the Vendée Globe 2028.

Photo @pola.RYSE