At the origin of the project is Philippe Markovich, the director of Sicomin, a major chemical and composite products company here in France that’s widely known as a formulator and supplier of epoxy resins. Philippe teamed up with Hugues de Turckheim who actually developed the ACC wingsail. Hugues was formerly a designer with TIGA sailboards, a company that had become the world’s leading manufacturer of windsurfers by the mid-1980s. He is an alumni of Arts et Métiers, France’s top engineering school, and is passionate about fluid mechanics and innovation in general and has collaborated on numerous projects within the marine industry. They are joined in the project by Philippe’s son Sam, an avid watersports enthusiast.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Builder: ACCWing
Wingsail Designer: Hugues de Turckheim
Catamaran architect: Julian Spooner
Length: 33’ (10 m)
Max. beam (with ladders/trampolines): 29’ (8.8 m)
Wingsail area: 645 sq ft (60 m²)
Mast length: 56’ (17 m)
