MerConcept Cooperation - Fora Marine
The offshore skipper's company François Gabart, MerConcept and the shipyard Fora Marine, manufacturer of RM sailboats, have announced the signing of a cooperation agreement. Already a distributor of the brand in Scandinavia and owner of a boat, the navigator is familiar with the rocky nautical company. "We will work quickly together on issues related to performance and autonomy, and ultimately on sustainable development issues in which François (Editor's note: Gabart) is already very active in his offshore racing team," says Olivier Gainon, CEO of Fora Marine. "These are ideas that come from the strategic committee we set up and of which François is a member."
"The idea is to bring our composite and engineering skills to RM," says Antoine Le Ster, in charge of partnerships at MerConcept. "This is part of the diversification and development of MerConcept."
1st hull of RM1180 in water
A limited edition "RM1180 by MerConcept-François Gabart"
The first translation of the partnership will be the planned release in 2020 of a limited edition of 5 boats of the RM1180 model: "We will form a joint working group with representatives of Mer Concept and the Fora Marine design office, even if it means involving other suppliers. It is an integrative approach. The idea is a limited series with innovations that are ahead of the rest of the range. Starting with the RM1180, the most recent, where there is still work to be done, seemed logical to think about these themes," explains Olivier Gainon, "It's an interesting way to test concepts."
While the details of the planned innovations remain confidential, the boat's orientation is clearly performance-oriented. "We're going to work with RM on a racing boat" confirms Antoine Le Ster.
A first step in yachting for MerConcept
In an interview with BoatIndustry, François Gabart did not hide his desire to see the innovations of ocean racing reach a wider range of boats. This partnership is a first step. "There was this opportunity with RM because of François' proximity to the site. We don't have any other specific plans, but we don't close any doors," concludes Antoine Le Ster.
