Michel Desjoyeaux is known for his exceptional achievements  but few knows that this passionate sailor has participated in the first Diam 24odconception. Godfather of the boat and high-flown tester, he has pushed to their limits the prototypes and brought in some of his ideas. Five years after his first tests, he follows with attention the life of this one design sportboat and explains why the formulae Easy Regatta could possibly change the way competitive sailing is practised.

The Diam 24 n°100 will come out in the coming weeks, how can you explain this success ?

At the conception stage of the boat, there was already a pressure to create boats with foils. It was not the explosion which came afterwards but the idea was already there.Vianney was steady about creating a simple design and not getting involved in too complex technical solutions. One of the great success of this boat is that it can be dismounted and set up fast. It’s a simple, rustic boat but very fast, lively and fun. This was what the Tour Voile needed to offer a more ambitous competition programme. We needed more show, more public proximity and the Diam 24 od made it possible.

We can see a diminishing of regatta practice. Have you any idea why?

It’s suprising because people have more and more free time and somehow feel they  have less and less time. There’s also a direct competition with other ascendingleisure activities. It’s a new state of mind we need to adapt to in order to keep  up these small boats because they are just amazing.

The Easy Regatta formulae leaves time for practice. Is it a solution for the future ?

Easy Regatta can fill these expectations. It is similar to  the funtioning of well-to-do owners  who can afford their own technical team, just like professional teams. Here we present to participants a key-in-hand offer which englobes the technical part. It’s a ideal for anyone passionate who wants to practise without getting bothered by material constraints. For someone seeeking pleasurable sailing, it’s the good formulae.

It’s first and foremost a solution to leave more time to navigate, whether during racing or training, with a key-in-hand service. And when you are back on land, you just go for a drink while somebody takes care of the boat.

Is the one-design feature which renders this possible ?

It works with everything but it is really cut for a one-design because there is no need to own the boat. The teams know that whenever they climb on a  Diam 24 od, they will find at the same place the pulley, unmodififed sails and the boat will move in the same manner. Even if we can navigate on different Diams at the Catagolfe or for the Grand Prix en Méditerranée, it will always be the same boat except for the number.

The renting system already exists in other classes but here we are at a different stage. Anyway, it’s an innovative concept carrying a very topical idea.

Could it facilitate the first steps towards the sensations felt on Multihulls ?

It does, yes, because when you are just used to set up the sails and sail away it can really bother you to have to assemble a puzzle. Here, you’ve got a team to assemble and tighten the bolts  and the trampoline for you.

For those who navigate on monohulls and want to discover speed sailing, the still find themselves performing just like on multihulls on these monohull, and all this on their last minute arrival on a boat entirely assembled.

---