{"id":8598,"date":"2025-05-26T17:19:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T16:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.guillaumeverdier.com\/?p=8598"},"modified":"2025-05-26T17:34:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T16:34:32","slug":"podcast-into-the-wind-guillaume-verdier-the-architect-behind-the-greatest-wins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guillaumeverdier.com\/en\/podcast-into-the-wind-guillaume-verdier-the-architect-behind-the-greatest-wins\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcast. Into the Wind\/ Guillaume Verdier: The Architect Behind the Greatest Wins"},"content":{"rendered":"

He speaks in a calm and quiet voice, yet every intonation reveals deep conviction and a passion for his craft \u2014 which he recounts with remarkable perspective. At 54, Guillaume Verdier is a star of naval architecture. His boats have won almost everything. The Vend\u00e9e Globe winner, Macif Sant\u00e9 Pr\u00e9voyance<\/em>? That was him. The Ocean Race winner, 11th Hour Racing<\/em>? Him again. The Route du Rhum and Ark\u00e9a Ultim Challenge Brest winner, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild<\/em>? Still him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the list goes on \u2014 his designs have crossed the finish line first in the Mini, Class40, Multi50 classes, and beyond. Not to mention the America\u2019s Cup, where he has been part of Team New Zealand<\/em> since 2010. People talk about \u201cVerdier designs,\u201d but he himself only speaks of his team \u2014 a group of about fifteen experts from every corner of naval architecture, whom he\u2019s worked with for many years, and whom he lists with care, anxious not to forget anyone.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It all started in a holiday camp in Logonna-Daoulas, deep in the Bay of Brest, where he discovered sailing. He loved nature, but never developed a passion for racing on the water himself. Originally on track for France\u2019s top engineering schools, he changed direction after preparatory classes and enrolled at the School of Architecture in Southampton, then completed his studies at a neighboring university. A stint at the University of Copenhagen followed, before he joined Finot-Conq in 1997, back when the renowned Jouy-en-Josas-based firm dominated the Vend\u00e9e Globe. He learned the trade there over four years, working on a string of IMOCA projects before striking out on his own.<\/p>\n

Next came the innovative Hydraplaneur<\/em> project with Yves Parlier, where he met many of the collaborators who are still by his side today: Benjamin Muyl, Herv\u00e9 Penfornis, and Romaric Neyhousser\u2026 After a first notable involvement in the America\u2019s Cup with Areva Challenge in 2007, he began a fruitful collaboration with VPLP, who were just entering the IMOCA scene. Their first creation, Safran<\/em>, was a game-changer \u2014 the first of many.<\/p>\n

In 2010, he joined one of the world\u2019s most prestigious teams: Team New Zealand<\/em>, the All Blacks of sailing. With them, he would first lose (in 2013), then win the America\u2019s Cup \u2014 in 2017 and again in 2021. A deeply meaningful experience.<\/p>\n

At the same time, he has continued designing an impressive number of boats: IMOCAs (now without VPLP), but also Minis, Class40s, and Ultims. After Gitana 17<\/em>, a yacht that defined its era, his next major launch is Gitana 18<\/em>.
There\u2019s no doubt that this new creation by Verdier & Co. will once again make waves.<\/p>\n