The building team

Pierre Tissier, Groupama 4 build manager

"During construction of Groupama 4 we tried to scrupulously respect the plans so that everything was made as the architects and members of the internal design team had decided. Even though the difficulty of the multiple assemblies from the time of the multihulls had disappeared with the construction of a monohull, the details relating to a strict class measurement are numerous... but we did respect the rules to the millimetre!"

"Our goal was to build a boat that would be reliable and high performance for the duration. We even went that little bit further with the construction of certain systems. With a view to the 2014-2015 edition, we're noting everything that can be improved on so we can pass on the feedback to the architects and Groupama sailing team. It's always possible to optimise parts and that's our constant goal. However, during the race, we're not allowed to optimise much so we'll be focused on the upkeep..."