For all monohulls up to 16 meters
As is often the case, an innovative idea is the answer to a problem in everyday life. And when you own a sailboat like Philippe Vallée, the question of careening comes up periodically. You have to take the boat out, clean the hull of fouling, the bio-organisms that attach to it and serve as a base for algae, mussels and other oysters. Putting on antifouling will give you a smooth hull, optimal speed and lower fuel consumption. However, applying antifouling takes time, depending on how dirty the hull is, and requires the use of biocides. The idea of Philippe Vallée and Smart Fouling euros, which has been operating for years in Northern Europe and the United States, is to offer a fast, environmentally friendly afloat refit.
Real time saving
Afloat. Here, on the Vendée Globe pontoon in Les Sables d'Olonne, the boat remains in the water and enters a specially equipped basin. Moored, it is cleaned by brushes adjusted to the size of the boat. It comes out, smooth almost like when it was purchased. As there is no need to go out and put it back in the water, the operation takes between 20 and 40 minutes only. This is a remarkable time saving. The operation works for any sailing or motor monohull, from 6 meters to 16 meters maximum.
The big plus: an eco-friendly fairing
Environmentally friendly. The brushes do the work without any detergent. The detritus falls into the closed basin and is sucked up and treated. Antifouling paint, disastrous for the environment, is no longer necessary. And we know that "the best fight against pollution is the one we don't produce" as explained by Philippe Vallée, former head of nautical activities in Les Sables d'Olonne and first race director of the Vendée Va'a. For him, "Smart Fouling is the future solution for boaters who want to find the optimal speed, whether they go out to sea rarely or regularly".
No cost savings
As for costs, Philippe Vallée offers single interventions or subscriptions. Prices vary according to the size of the boat (from 6 meters to 16 meters maximum). For a single brushing, count from 40 to 210 euros TTC. For a "cruise subscription" (3 brushings), it is from 90 to 525 euros TTC. For a "Smart Fouling subscription" (unlimited during 12 months), you have to pay between 300 and 1750 euros TTC. It is finally less expensive than if you have the fairing done by a professional. With a very regular brushing, which has a cost, you do not need to buy antifouling anymore. It is therefore a zero cost operation. This reasonable price policy is already convincing in Les Sables d'Olonne since, as Philippe Vallée says, "since the launch in August 2021, every day I have at least one sailboat or motorboat to clean."
Of course, with this solution, boaters will no longer have the opportunity to have a good aperitif after a hard day's work scraping, sanding and painting. But they will be able to meet on board to celebrate an ecological refit!
