A family project
François and Marine Rouvrais share as brother and sister the passion for sailing, so much so that they studied at ENSTA Bretagne to work in naval architecture. After years of sailing together, in Optimist, J80 or on the family Muscadet, the 23 and 24 year olds are taking on a new maritime challenge. Marine explains: "We wanted to build a boat together, with the goal of it being livable and environmentally responsible." His brother adds: "The idea is to get your hands dirty and understand the constraints behind the plan we've drawn."
Working with bamboo plywood
Behind the boat, the two young engineers are working on a material that is simple to use and durable, and are pioneering the use of bamboo in plywood for pleasure craft. They specify. "The design of the boat was made in 2022, with the idea of a classic manufacturing process to keep it accessible, hence the choice of plywood . Since then, we have been working in research and development on bamboo plywood, characterizing it in the ENSTA laboratory. Bamboo has the advantage of being able to be replanted over 5 years. We have gathered interested technical partners and are testing different products for gluing to see the mechanical performance and cost."
Construction in 2023
A second phase of material testing is underway in March 2023, but François and Marine are already looking ahead to the construction. A partnership has been established with the Atelier du P'tit Morgat in Hennebont. François specifies: "They are marine carpenters with plywood experience. We'll build with them to learn."
The 6.50 m sailboat, transportable, which will be named SoBoo for Sail on Bamboo, has a modern design. With 4 berths and a basic layout, it will allow coastal raids. It is moreover its 1st program, once the campaign of participative financing launched on the platform Kengo will have been a success. The young people conclude: "We're planning a tour of Brittany to show the boat at trade shows and the interest in the material. We are also in contact with a social purpose association to sail the boat."
