Kwindibano yeklasi ye-IMOCA ngo-2012 kuye kwavotelwa ukuba imast kunye ne-keel ibonise i-monotype yezikhephe ezitsha ukususela ngoko, ngenjongo ezimbini zokulawula iindleko kunye nokungangeni kugqatso lobugcisa oluxabisa kakhulu noluntsokothileyo lwesakhiwo seqela.
Ikhontrakthi yobubodwa yatyikitywa nenkampani yaseFransi iLorima, eyaba ngumniki okhethekileyo weemasti kwinqanawa ye-IMOCA. Isicwangciso semveliso yayikukuvelisa imasti rhoqo kwiiveki ezisibhozo, oko kukuthi 6-7 ngonyaka. Ukongeza, i-Lorima kwafuneka ibe ne-mast esecaleni kwisitokhwe ukwenzela ukuba kunokwenzeka ukuba kutshitshiswe iinqanawa ezikhoyo.
Ngexesha le-2016-2020, iyonke i-19 yemasti phakathi kwe
iinqanawa ezitsha ezisibhozo eziza kwakhiwa kunye nokuthengwa kweemasti zokutshintsha. Zonke zenziwe nge-mold ekhoyo kuphela ngaphandle kweengxaki malunga nokuhanjiswa. Kodwa ukusukela ekuqaleni kuka-2021 izinto bezintsokothile ngenxa ye-boom yeVendée Globe yokugqibela. Ngokunjalo, abathengi bethu bendawo yeenqanawa zaseLorima nabo bayonyuse imfuno yeemveliso kakhulu.
Kwelinye icala, ishumi elinesithathu liyakhiwa!! izikhephe kunye nabanye abathathu bawa kwiTransat Jaques Vabre yakutsha nje, ukongeza kumaqela afuna ukubuyisela eli langoku. Imihla ebekiweyo inde kakhulu kwaye ii-alam ziyakhala. Ukongeza, uLorima akasenayo iyunithi ekufuneka ibenayo esitokhweni ngesivumelwano sokutshintsha iimasti ezaphukileyo. Oku kucebise umenzi ukuba akhe isikhunta sesibini sokwandisa imveliso, ngaphandle kweengxaki zokuqesha abasebenzi ngenxa yokungabikho kweengcali kwii-composites ngenxa yokubuyiselwa kwecandelo le-nautical.
Ukuphucula imveliso, kuye kwagqitywa ukuba i-Lorima inkontileka yokusetyenziswa kwe-mold yesibini kunye nenye inkampani ekhethekileyo kwi-carbon fibers kunye ne-composites. Amalungu eklasi ye-IMOCA, oomatiloshe, bayakwamkela oku kunokwenzeka. I-Laminated kwi-mold efanayo, kunye neenkcukacha ezicacileyo zokwakhiwa kunye nolawulo olunzima lwezonyango njengoko lungeniswe kwiklasi, kuqwalaselwa ukuba iyantlukwano enokwenzeka ayinanto, kwaye kusenokubakho iimasti ezivela kwi-mold efanayo ngasemva.
Ngaphandle kokuthetha ngokuphandle, amaqela azicuphile iintsuku zawo zoqeqesho. Akukho mntu ufuna ukubona ikhefu libabeka kuluhlu lokulinda iinyanga ezininzi. Umzekelo ngulowo kaFabrice Amedo, owathi ngoDisemba uphelileyo wenza ngokusesikweni umyalelo noLorima wokuba kubekho imasti yokutshintsha xa kunokwenzeka ukuba le yangoku yophuka... kodwa kuya kufuneka alinde de kube nguJuni ka-2023!
Kubonakala ngathi i-paradox ukuba i-euro ye-200.000 exabisa i-mast, kwisikhephe esitsha apho malunga ne-6 yezigidi ezihlawulwayo, inemikhankaso yezemidlalo ehambelana nezivumelwano zenkxaso yezigidi zeedola. Ngethamsanqa, kunyaka onesiqingatha kuba oko kuya kusonjululwa.
