The Development of the V2 of the Pogo 40S4

Tip & Shaft Article:

A historic builder in the Class40 fleet, Structures has been involved since the class was created in 2005, when it launched the Pogo 40S (a Finot-Conq design). Structures has never stopped being present in the 40-foot fleet since then. Eleven boats were on the start line of the 2006 Route du Rhum one year later – including the top two finishers, skippered by Phil Sharp and Gildas Morvan.

Following the Pogo 40S came the Pogo 40 S2 in 2010, then the S3 three years later. The first example of the S4, with a scow bow, was launched in summer 2021 for Jean Galfione. In the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre, this Verdier design, known for its highly efficient VMG downwind hull, impressed, enabling the duo Cédric Chateau / Jérémie Mion to finish third on the podium.

A year later, five units lined up at the start of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, a much tougher race than previous editions, which revealed some weaknesses at the front of the boat. “This Route du Rhum was very violent for the scows. We weren’t the only ones to realize that the structural loads on these new hull shapes had generally been underestimated,” explains Tanguy Bouroullec, co-director – with his brother Paul – of the Combrit Sainte-Marine yard, founded by their father Christian. “Everything that had previously been established in terms of lamination and bulkhead spacing reached its limits.”

“The Route du Rhum served as a crash test, with eight days upwind, four depressions – two with over 35 knots of wind and 5 to 6 meters of waves,” confirms Xavier Macaire, skipper of Groupe SNEF, the first of the five Pogo S4s to reach Pointe-à-Pitre (sixth overall) – who also experienced structural issues, forcing him to carry out repairs at sea and ease off. Summing up his first season, the former Figaro sailor highlighted the qualities of a boat that “has an impressive ability to surf, it’s incredible how easily it reaches stable speeds of 20 knots on a reach or downwind”, while also noting “a lack of grip upwind.”

This feedback proved invaluable for the yard, which began work on a V2 of the Pogo 40 S4, structurally reinforced and optimized with a new keel. “To make the boat more versatile and performant on all points of sail, we decided to move the center of lateral resistance forward for better balance upwind, and to develop a new keel profile. With more surface area and greater finesse, it should improve upwind performance without compromising other points of sail,” explains Tanguy Bouroullec.

These upgrades are also being offered to the skippers of the seven boats already launched. That’s the case for Xavier Macaire, who is currently working with his team in the Finistère workshops to install the reinforcement kit provided by the yard, including a bulkhead and structural parts. He will also receive the new keel. “For future boats built from the same mold, we plan to reinforce the hull bottom, add an extra bulkhead, and consequently modify the geometry of the structural reinforcements. This applies to roughly one-third of the forward section of the boat,” adds Tanguy Bouroullec, who guarantees that these new Class40s will still meet the minimum class weight of 4,580 kg. 

After the eighth Pogo S4, expected in mid-June for Bertrand Guillonneau, the first example of this V2 will be launched in September, to be sailed by the duo Stéphane Bodin / Alexandre Ozon in the Transat Jacques Vabre. In 2024, the tenth unit, ordered by Vincent Riou, will follow. “This V2 will offer skippers a stronger and more optimized boat for the coming seasons,” adds the former Mini sailor. “We hope to secure more orders soon – slots are still available for hulls #11 and #12, for delivery in January and then April 2024.”