A different kind of kit..., rowing the Atlantic

The third and last article in my Grand Pavois series where we discover a mono-type transoceanic rowing boat 8 metres long and destined to race across the Atlantic in the Rames Guyane 2006 from Senegal to French Guyana.
A brief description taken from the site linked further down:

The Race

RAMES GUYANE 2006 is a transatlantic rowing race connecting Senegal to Guyana and competed single-handed, non-stop and without assistance, by around ten rowers on board one-design boats of 8.00 metres long.

Prologue in September 2006 on the Ile de Ré (western coast of France) ;

• Start November 2006 from Saint Louis du Senegal ;
• Between 35 and 50 days to cover the 2,600 nautical miles (4,700 km) of the Atlantic crossing ;
• Finish in January 2007 at the Maroni river mouth, French Guyana (54°W) ;
• Welcome of competitors in the harbour of Saint Laurent du Maron

• Length : 8.00 m
• Beam : 1.60 m
• Weight unladen : 300 kg
• Hull material : solid laminate glass-polyester
• Deck material : balsa glass-polyester sandwich
• Unsinkable and self-righting boat :
  - either delivered in set containing the whole elements for building hull, deck, cockpit, hull stiffeners and structural accommodations ,
  - either delivered assembled with the elements of complete set ;
  - or delivered "ready to go" with outfits and painted.

It is of course the kit version that is of interest to us in these pages. I like the fool proof assembly that does away with cable ties, replacing them with through panel plots that are sawn off after the epoxy dries. The kit sells for 5,000€ without epoxy or glass. It shouldn''t take too many hours to put the boat together despite the length.

Without going the whole hog and crossing the Atlantic (she would never permit that!) I like the idea of rowing down the coast, say from here to northern Spain. Or from the Costa del Sol to Ibiza, Nice to Corsica... Long rows but less extreme. Maybe we could convince Mr. Viant to sell plans for a non mono-type variant? Something a little lighter without the restrictions of the racing version. His and hers front and back cabins and two rowing stations!

The boat is an attractive package sporting both a rudder and a "centreboard" right up at the bow. Concept III oarlocks for those in the know, the beam being exactly the width of a rowing shell, there are no outriggers and standards carbon fibre oars are used. I did not like the sliding seat nor the foot rests. Both seemed to come from a training shell and were not of high quality (this is the prototype but still...). On a boat like this the sliding seat is one of the most important bits of equipment. During a race you are going to spend 10-12 hours a day there after all.

Visit the site - French version.
www.ramesguyane.com

Tony Grant
La Rochelle, September 2005