{"id":723,"date":"2026-04-16T14:42:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=723"},"modified":"2026-04-16T14:42:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:42:39","slug":"how-sam-manuard-is-reimagining-the-50ft-offshore-racer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=723","title":{"rendered":"How Sam Manuard is reimagining the 50ft offshore racer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is it a boat or a revolution? Palanad 4 scales the scow-bow concept to 50ft, defying IRC norms with a blunt nose and raw power. Louay Habib reports<\/strong><\/p>\n

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At first glance, the Mach 50 Palanad 4 looks as if it has arrived from a different discipline entirely when compared to her rivals in recent offshore races. The bow is wide and blunt, the sections powerful and unapologetic, the design is reminiscent of a Mini Transat rather than a conventional 50-footer built to race under IRC.<\/p>\n

Yet this is no conceptual flight of fancy. Palanad 4 is designed to sail at high consistent average speeds across long distances \u2013 including the demanding miles of a transatlantic crossing \u2013 and to win under IRC.<\/p>\n

The project is the latest evolution in a design journey shared by French skipper Antoine Magre and designer Sam Manuard, a collaboration rooted over multiple seasons of Class 40 racing and a growing conviction that the scow-bow concept could scale far beyond its origins.<\/p>\n

Designer Manuard has long been acclaimed for his innovative blunt-nosed designs, which have been hugely influential in everything from the Mini 6.50 to IMOCA 60<\/a> class. In the Class 40 fleet his boats have dominated for many seasons. Among them was Palanad 3, which Magre sailed to win the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race<\/a> overall \u2013 the first Class 40<\/a> to do so \u2013 as well as class in the Rolex Fastnet Race<\/a> the same year.<\/p>\n

Palanad 4 is the next step. An idea made real: a custom offshore racer conceived with an unusually open design brief, freed from strict class constraints, and driven by a desire to explore where performance gains might still be found without resorting to foils.<\/p>\n

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Palanad 4 averaged 17.68 knots over the 3,500-mile\u00a0Transatlantic race. Photo: Roddy AcquaFilms\/RORC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Scaling up<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe concept of Palanad 4 is basically a 50ft Mini Transat prototype,\u201d explains Manuard. \u201cA true scow-bow, twin daggerboards and a canting keel \u2013 but applied at a scale and under an IRC rule that allows much more freedom than a Class 40.\u201d<\/p>\n

That freedom is key. Unlike Palanad 3, which was shaped tightly around the Class 40 rule, Palanad 4 was drawn with much greater design freedom. The hull form is a pure scow, without the compromises sometimes imposed by box rules. Meanwhile the appendage package \u2013 a canting keel combined with twin daggerboards \u2013 is central to the boat\u2019s power and control.<\/p>\n

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Unlike Class 40s, the rudders are not transom hung. Mainsail track across the transom and transverse jib tracks next to the mast base. Photo: Roddy AcquaFilms\/RORC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Where compromises do exist, they are largely driven by the IRC handicap rule. \u201cMost of the IRC tweaks are within the rig design and sail wardrobe,\u201d says Manuard. \u201cWithout IRC we would probably have done a different rig, but the hull and appendages are exactly where we wanted them to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

For skipper Magre, the idea of scaling up the scow concept had been simmering since the launch of Palanad 3. \u201cEven back in 2020, when we launched the Class 40, we were already thinking about what a bigger boat could look like,\u201d he recalls. \u201cA full-scale scow, no restrictions, where you can really play the game without class rule limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo: James Mitchell\/RORC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

That opportunity came when his father, Olivier Magre, committed to the project alongside Manuard. For Antoine, the transition from a Class 40 to a 50-footer was both familiar and entirely new. \u201cSome of the sensations are similar,\u201d he says, \u201cbut then you add the canting keel, the extra power upwind, and everything changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bow is characteristically beamy and full. \u201cYou could almost roller-skate on the foredeck,\u201d jokes Manuard. But unlike the Class 40s, the Mach 50 carries a canting keel and twin daggerboards.<\/p>\n

Downwind, the boat is notably dry. \u201cAt 20-25 knots of boat speed there is barely any water on deck,\u201d Manuard notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not just performance \u2013 it\u2019s comfort\u2026 and comfort is performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

But one of the biggest surprises has been just how effective the boat is to windward thanks to the effects of the chines when heeled. While scow-bows are often associated with reaching and downwind dominance, Palanad 4 has shown impressive upwind ability, delivering speed without the slamming traditionally associated with fuller forward sections, and without water ballast. Manuard noted: \u201cThe boat needs to sail above a minimum heel angle of around 18-20\u00b0 in order to improve its hull drag as well as reducing the slamming impact through the waves.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo: Arthur Daniel\/RORC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Micro-movements<\/h2>\n

The boat\u2019s early racing programme underlined both its potential and the scale of the learning curve ahead. After being launched in July last summer, the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race was only its third proper outing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were learning how to sail the boat while racing,\u201d admits Antoine. \u201cThere were moments when we realised, just hours too late, that a small adjustment like lifting a daggerboard by just a few centimetres, unlocked another gear.\u201d That early experience shaped a far more structured training programme through the autumn of 2025, focusing on polars, trim modes, and the subtle decisions that define offshore success.<\/p>\n

\u201cVMG angles are the hardest to master,\u201d says Manuard. \u201cDo you go higher and faster, or lower and slower? Small choices make huge differences, and we\u2019re still learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

One key decision was whether to choose a wheel or tiller \u2013 they opted for a tiller. \u201cThe good thing about the tiller is that you really get a feel for the boat, and especially downwind, it is micro-movements sometimes to go nicely through the waves,\u201d explains Manuard.<\/p>\n

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The scow-bow creates early planing, with the flat bottom generating lift and the wide bow power. The chine assists upwind performance when the boat is heeled. Photo: James Mitchell\/RORC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cHaving a scow-bow means there\u2019s a lot less resistance at the tiller, which means helming is easier,\u201d adds Magre. The main compromise he notes is that the tiller position has the helmsman sitting laterally, rather than standing up with a clear view forwards. \u201cSo it\u2019s still within debate. But in terms of feeling, you really feel like you\u2019re steering your Laser.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Manuard and Magre stand by the daggerboard for scale. The cockpit has a central tunnel with all lines led through it \u2013 as per many Class 40s. Photo: James Mitchell\/RORC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

At night the helming experience steps up a gear. \u201cAt night, in the surfs, when the boat just takes off, you feel like you\u2019re driving a dinghy but you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going, so you\u2019re just watching the numbers, following your angles. \u201cThe boat just keeps riding the waves and going and going!\u201d<\/p>\n

Transat ready<\/h2>\n

The 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race provided the first true test of the boat\u2019s offshore credentials. Over thousands of miles \u2013 on what was very much a VMG race \u2013 Palanad 4 was sailed at a high intensity, and delivered what Magre describes as \u201ca very strong first proof of concept\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving the right boat is not enough,\u201d he says. \u201cPreparation and teamwork are everything. For this race we had time to train properly, and the difference was clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Two-spreader rig with aero-optimised spreaders. Multiple deflectors assist in gybing the mainsail. Photo: James Mitchell\/RORC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

On a human level, the campaign has its own distinctive dynamic. Olivier Magre races aboard as owner and crew, but the hierarchy is clear. \u201cI am always the father,\u201d he laughs, \u201cbut on board Antoine is the boss. He makes the decisions, and the crew follows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Designer Manuard also points to the advantage of a smaller crew: \u201cPalanad 4 does not require a huge number of crew onboard since the hull form stability is huge. So compared to a more traditional slender hull, we sail with maybe 30-50% less crew. This is cutting down the sailing weight and the owner\u2019s nightmares!\u201d<\/p>\n

The blend of family, friendship and high-level competition is part of what gives the project its energy and its pressure. Expectations are high, not least because the design is already being measured against some of the fastest offshore monohulls afloat (in the Transatlantic, Palanad 4 finished less than a day and a half behind the 111ft foil-assisted superyacht Raven).<\/p>\n

With a 2026 season of major offshore races ahead, including courses that will test the boat across a wider range of angles, the team remains focused on experimentation. \u201cWe have to sail our own race,\u201d says Magre. \u201cWe\u2019re so different from the other boats that trying to match them doesn\u2019t make sense. We\u2019re still finding gears.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Manuard, success is not defined solely by results. \u201cWe come out of the RORC Transatlantic with a better understanding of VMG sailing, of how to unlock performance in these shapes, that\u2019s a big win on top of the overall trophy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Palanad 4 is not trying to be a universal solution. But it does ask an important question: how much untapped potential still exists in offshore monohull design, if you are willing to challenge assumptions?<\/p>\n

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The post How Sam Manuard is reimagining the 50ft offshore racer<\/a> appeared first on Yachting World<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is it a boat or a revolution? Palanad 4 scales the scow-bow concept to 50ft, defying IRC norms with a blunt nose and raw power. Louay Habib reports At first glance, the Mach 50 Palanad 4 looks as if it has arrived from a different discipline entirely when compared to her rivals in recent offshore…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}