We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. Guillaume Verdier nominates Olympus Photo\u201cThe late Mike Birch\u2019s Olympus Photo, designed and built by Walter Greene, sits at the root of all modern multis,\u201d says Verdier. \u201cMike and his boat began the legend of the Route du Rhum and made offshore racing so popular. With his 12m-long yellow trimaran he beat Michel Malinovsky on his 21m (69ft) monohull Kriter in 1978, by less than two minutes \u2013 extraordinary considering they didn\u2019t know each other\u2019s position at the time.
\n\u201cGreene\u2019s design was a cold moulded wooden-epoxy coated boat with small longitudinal stringers. At the time it was a very original way to build boats, developed by the Gougeon brothers.\u201d
\n\u201cI remember watching it on television (probably not live since we had no television at home then) when I was eight years old and had just completed my first sailing camp in the Rade de Brest.\u201d
\nIn this year\u2019s Route du Rhum, 44 years later, the Verdier-designed 100ft Gitana 17 won with a new record time of 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes.
\nPhoto: Jack Garofalo\/Paris Match\/Getty
\nOlympus Photo stats rating
\nTop speed: 20 knots
\nLOA: 12m\/39ft 4in
\nLaunched: 1978
\nBerths: 2
\nPrice: $40,000
\nAdrenalin factor: 90%
\nGuillaume Verdier
\nGuillaume Verdier is one of the most talented and successful naval architects of the modern era. He has drawn many of the most competitive IMOCA 60s, both collaborating with VPLP and working alone, including the Ultime Gitana 17, Comanche, and many others. As designer for Emirates Team New Zealand he also created the AC75 foiling monohull.<\/p>\n
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We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. Guillaume Verdier nominates Olympus Photo\u201cThe late Mike Birch\u2019s Olympus Photo, designed and built by Walter Greene, sits at the root of … <\/p>\n