VPLP and Verdier have gone their separate ways. Juan Kouyoumdjian is back on the scene for the Vendee Globe 2020. Finot-Conq are in action. The new generation of foilers appears to be opening up the choice of designers. And, as usual, everyone is playing their cards close to their chests, all waiting to see what each other will produce.
Nothing has emerged yet. The first design salvo, any early indication of what we might see as the newest innovations and ideas for Vendee Globe 2020, has yet to be seen. The naval architecture studios have been hard at work for more than a year now, for some, shorter periods for others. But no one really knows what to expect when the first Generation 2020 boats finally emerge from the sheds ready for launching. Previously there might have been an informed guess, a smart deduction, but as the number of designers increases again, even if they are all bound by the IMOCA rule, it will be fascinating to see the new generation of foilers.
