An excerpt from the exciting report on the l'Hydroptère project by Alain Thébault and his team, written by Sabine Lunghamer with further background informationfrom the May/June 2010 issue of the SEGEL JOURNAL:
Alain Thébault was born in Dijon, France, in 1962. His father, a Breton, was an aircraft mechanic. In 1983, the press took notice when he and Eric Tabarly built trimarans with hydrofoils using remote-controlled models. In 1990, he sailed singlehanded on a smaller version of "l'Hydroptère." In 1991, he presented his boat to the president of the Dassault aerospace company.
First averages In 1993, he signed contracts with Serge Dassault and Research Minister Francois Fillon. In the fall of 1994, "l'Hydroptère" launched with crew for the first time in Saint-Nazaire in its current dimensions. In 1995, he also sailed with Eric Tabarly in Quiberon. First accidents showed the limits at almost 40 knots. In 1998, the booms were redesigned by the aviation industry. First 3D simulation tests were realized at Dassault. The new shock absorbers decisively completed the design in 2004.
Hunting for ocean records With Thierry and Adrien Lombard, he founded the company L'Hydroptère. In 2006, the projects l'Hydroptère.ch and l'Hydroptère Maxi (intended in the future for the hunt for ocean records) got underway. In April 2007, Alain Thebault broke the speed records in all categories of the WSSRC with 41.69 knots over one mile. Record after record followed until he broke the fabled 50-knot barrier in 2009. Research, passion and adventure L'Hydroptère must withstand extreme hydrodynamic forces. The high speed on the hard water causes pressures on the wings and rudder that are many times higher than those of fighter planes. It is no wonder that such craft disintegrate from time to time. Effects such as pronounced flutter are phenomena that are nothing new in aircraft technology either. The vice president of the Federal Polytechnic Institute in Lausanne, Pascal Vuilliomenet comments: "L'Hydroptère combines research, passion and adventure. This complex project brings together a wide variety of engineering disciplines. It plays a unique role in training a new generation of scientists."
