SYWoC 2011

The Student yachting World Cup is an annual event with the ISAF ranking of World Cup. It takes place in France every year to provide excellent sailing conditions and a central location for most competitors. The 32^nd edition or the World Cup which we have qualified to participate in will be taking place in La Trinité-sur-Mer between the 21st and the 28th October and as ever is organised by students at the École Polytechnique. Crews for more than fifteen universities spanning the globe have already registered, and the organisers are expecting still more! See  http://www.sywoc.com for more details.

The Boat

The boat used for the competition is the Grand Surprise. With its sleek waterline and slim deep bow and stern, the Grand Surprise is designed for fast sailing. It tends to seek an upright position due to a lead counter weight in the keel and this helps it to be both powerful and efficient when sailing close to the wind. With a following wind or even with little wind, it accelerates easily thanks to the surface area of the mainsail, designed with a ratio of 7:8 and the power of an assymetric spinnaker.

For more information, take a look at the website of the Grand Surprise (in french)

•  Hull length : 9.54 m 
• Overall beam: 2.98m
• Weight: 2650 kg
• Keel: 1050 kg
• Mainsail: 33.3 m2
• Jib: 22.8 m2
• Spinnaker: 87 m2
• Waterline : 8.93 m