Emhlanganweni wekilasi le-IMOCA ngo-2012 kwavotelwa ukuthi insika yensika ne-keel ibonise uhlobo olulodwa lwezikebhe ezintsha kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, ngenhloso ekabili yokulawula izindleko nokungangeni emjahweni wobuchwepheshe obizayo noyinkimbinkimbi wesakhiwo seqembu.
Inkontileka yokukhethekile yasayinwa nenkampani yaseFrance i-Lorima, eyaba ngumnikezeli okhethekile wezinsika zemikhumbi ye-IMOCA. Uhlelo lokukhiqiza bekuwukwenza insika njalo emavikini ayisishiyagalombili, okungukuthi 6-7 ngonyaka. Ukwengeza, i-Lorima kwadingeka ibe nesipele sensika esitokweni ukuze kuhlakazwe imikhumbi ekhona.
Esikhathini sika-2016-2020, inani lama-mass angu-19 phakathi kwe-
kuzokwakhiwa imikhumbi emisha eyisishiyagalombili kanye nokuthengwa kwezinsika ezishintshayo. Zonke zenziwe ngesikhunta esikhona kuphela ngaphandle kwezinkinga mayelana nokulethwa. Kepha kusukela ekuqaleni kuka-2021 izinto bezinzima ngenxa ye-boom ye-Vendée Globe yokugcina. Ngokunjalo, amaklayenti ethu e-Lorima shipyard nawo asenyuse kakhulu isidingo semikhiqizo.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, eziyishumi nantathu ziyakhiwa!! izikebhe kanye nabanye abathathu bawile kuTransat Jaques Vabre yakamuva, ngaphezu kwamaqembu afuna ukuvala indawo yawo yamanje. Iminqamulajuqu yinde kakhulu futhi nama-alamu ayakhala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Lorima ayisenalo iyunithi okufanele ibe nayo esitokweni ngenkontileka yokushintsha izigxobo eziphukile. Lokhu kweluleke umkhiqizi ukuthi akhe isikhunta sesibili sokwandisa ukukhiqizwa, ngaphandle kwezinkinga zokuqasha abasebenzi ngenxa yokuntuleka kochwepheshe kuma-composites ngenxa yokubuyiselwa komkhakha we-nautical.
Ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukukhiqizwa, kunqunywe ukuthi i-Lorima inkontileka yokusetshenziswa kwesikhunta sesibili nenye inkampani egxile kuma-carbon fibers nezinhlanganisela. Amalungu ekilasi le-IMOCA, amatilosi, ayakwamukela lokhu okungenzeka. Ifakwe isikhunta esifanayo, enemininingwane eningiliziwe yokwakhiwa kanye nezilawuli ezinzima zezokwelapha njengoba zithunyelwe ekilasini, kubhekwa ukuthi umehluko ongase ube khona awunaki, futhi kungase kube nama-mass avela kusikhunta esifanayo ngemuva.
Ngaphandle kokukusho ngokusobala, amaqembu anciphise izinsuku zawo zokuqeqesha. Akekho ofuna ukubona ikhefu libabeka ohlwini lwabalindile izinyanga eziningi. Isibonelo esika-Fabrice Amedo, owathi ngoDisemba odlule wenza ngokusemthethweni umyalo no-Lorima wokuba kube nensika yokufaka esikhundleni uma kwenzeka kuphuka eyakhe yamanje... kodwa kuzodingeka alinde kuze kube uJuni 2023!
Kubonakala kuyindida ukuthi ama-euro angu-200.000 abiza insika, ngesikebhe esisha okukhokhelwa ngaso izigidi eziyisi-6, inemikhankaso yezemidlalo ehambisana nezinkontileka zoxhaso lwezigidi zamarandi. Ngenhlanhla, ngonyaka nesigamu ngoba lokho kuzoxazululeka.
