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KARVER 2024-2025 VENDEE GLOBE REPORT

Karver Service

This 2024-2025 Vendée Globe has been incredible.
What a race! What a human and technical challenge!

We have the privilege of being at the heart of the teams throughout the year, and we must acknowledge the immense amount of work and commitment required to embark on this adventure and to even make it to the starting line. Congratulations and thank you to all the teams.

We had promised to take the time to review the technical performance of our products, which means covering several topics in an article that is probably a bit too long…

1 – Karver Equipment on an IMOCA

We have gathered all the equipment we supply for IMOCA yachts in this “Karverized IMOCA” visual. The most significant product families are:
  • The furler and its structural swivel, called J2 (only one per boat)
  • Furler drums (typically 3 to 4 per boat)
  • External furling lock for headsails (4 to 5 per boat)
  • Reefing hooks (3 per boat)
  • High-load jammers for tack lines, running backstays, and foils
  • Blocks
  • Locking headboard car (One Design for the new masts)

 

Several of the Top 15 yachts were equipped with the latest versions of our products.
Our Imoca range is validated, proven at sea and ready to be installed.
Karverized Imoca 2025

2 – Karver Teams and Communication

Many of you ask us who uses Karver equipment and who does not. Here is a clear overview on this topic, allowing us to proudly announce that we are present on 100% of the boats, with a presence ranging from 50% to 70% depending on the product families.
During this Vendée Globe, you may have heard about issues with hooks, sails falling or being lost, or even broken deck hardware. It is rare for skippers or teams to explain why a piece of equipment has failed because, in reality, the causes are often multiple. This is what we will detail.
We deliberately do not publish a list of the issues encountered by different teams (across all brands). This information is exclusively shared with our IMOCA clients. However, when a technical issue is reported, it is essential to consider four key factors:
  1. Some skippers experience issues but choose not to communicate about them to avoid giving a psychological advantage to their competitors.
  2. Conversely, some problems may be exaggerated for strategic reasons.
  3. Very generic terms are often used to avoid giving too many details. For example, a “hook issue” does not necessarily mean the hook itself is damaged—many external factors can prevent it from functioning properly.
  4. Without a detailed debriefing once the boat returns, it is often very difficult to precisely determine the root cause of a problem.

3 – Design and Competitiveness

Faster and Stiffer Boats
Like all other components on a racing yacht, deck hardware is designed based on specifications set by architects, design offices, and teams. In most cases, these specifications focus primarily on working load requirements:
  • 12T for the J2 (the only permanently rigged headsail, integrating the structural forestay).
  • 8T for headsail furling locks.
Most teams aim for podium finishes. This means we must provide products that are not only reliable and capable of handling high loads but also help improve performance—offering lightweight, compact, and easy-to-use solutions.
Karver has been equipping racing yachts and Super Yachts for over 20 years, earning a reputation for delivering the perfect balance between reliability and performance.
However, in recent years, IMOCA yachts have evolved drastically with the development of foils, the introduction of scow bows and the continuous increase in top and average speeds (+20% to 25%)
Boats are also becoming increasingly stiff. The mast, sails, and rigging are reinforced, absorbing less of the forces applied to them. The loads on deck hardware have grown significantly.
We actively push back against the misconception that hooks act as rigging fuses. The term “fuse” implies that the product is designed to fail first—which is not the case.
 
Increasing Loads and Impacts
Looking at footage of the boats sailing, it’s clear that the forces on deck hardware have evolved.
  • The latest IMOCA yachts fly 3 to 4 meters above the water before crashing down hard.
  • Skippers now wear noise-canceling helmets and use shock-absorbing cushions to withstand vibrations and impacts.
  • The level of competition is intense, leading to race behaviors previously seen only in short-course racing, such as:Delaying reefing maneuvers, using sails beyond their intended wind range
Skippers now maneuver from better-protected cockpits, resulting in: reduced sensory feedback—they see, hear, and feel less of what’s happening on deck. Flying stays (removable forestays) used for both mast security and quicker furling/unfurling. These stays endure violent shocks at every wave impact at 25-30 knots. Limited sail changes on the foredeck, as reducing exposure to dangerous conditions takes priority.
Working Loads, Breaking Loads, and Reel Loads
The latest Vendée Globe featured boats launched between 2008 and 2023, with significant variations in power. Yet, the same models of furlers and hooks are used across nearly all boats!
New IMOCA yachts are now equipped with load sensors, and peak loads rarely exceed the working load of our products. If older boats had been fitted with the same sensors, they would likely have recorded only 50% to 75% of today’s loads.
Our safety factor between working load and breaking load has remained stable (x2), but the gap between real loads and working loads has decreased.
If these components had a graduated effort gauge, older boats would have been operating in the green zone, whereas today’s boats are now in the orange zone.
Peak load Imoca
Fatigue and Lifespan
At this pace, it’s easy to understand that an identical piece of hardware will not have the same lifespan on a 2008 IMOCA as it does on a 2023 IMOCA.
This is why we have been raising awareness and, over the past few months, implementing lifespan recommendations based on each boat’s characteristics. We are also offering products with higher working loads to better withstand these new fatigue challenges.
For a long time, deck hardware was considered resistant to fatigue—or at least, fatigue was not significant enough to lead to failure. As designers, we can increase the size of our components, but as suppliers for a high-performance racing sport, we must also ensure ultra-efficient products.
Ultimately, each team must balance weight and durability—just like in Formula 1, where faster tires wear out more quickly. Each team must adapt its strategy accordingly.
A chain of components
We also emphasize a simple principle: Our products are part of a larger chain (masts, loops, stays, sails, etc.), and their installation, usage, and maintenance directly impact their lifespan. By paying attention to these three aspects, teams can help keep hardware sizes reasonable.
For example: We advise teams to carefully size their soft attachments (diameter and length). With stronger and more frequent impacts, it is crucial that our products remain aligned with load forces. If a soft attachment is oversized and forcefully inserted into our hardware’s eye, it will restrict movement and increase stress. 
To maintain articulation, two options exist: Increase the size of our eye or reduce the diameter of the soft attachment.
Since soft attachments have much higher working loads than their fixation points on the mast or our hardware, reducing the attachment size should be considered before increasing hardware dimensions.
Additionally, another key point: furled sails left in place with insufficient cable tension cause strong shocks on the hardware. By being more aware of this issue, skippers can significantly reduce hardware fatigue.
The new challenge is material fatigue.
With the rapid evolution of IMOCA yachts, both teams and suppliers must now factor in an entirely new variable: material fatigue!

5 – Explanation of Technical Issues

Beyond the choice of models, technical issues often stem from installation, usage, and maintenance. Below are some examples, using swivel hooks to illustrate this point.
Installation Issues
  • Fixation loops too short → misalignment issues → stress on the eye.
  • Fixation loop too tight in the eye → lack of articulation.
  • Spliced halyard diameter too large → obstructs and damages the mechanism.
  • Lack of articulation along the boat’s axis (VG24-25).
  • Protective cover interfering with operation or its fixation system interfering with the lock (VG20-21 & VG24-25).
  • Use of tape to secure the splice (VG20-21).
  • Mixing incompatible parts from different generations (VG20-21 & VG24-25).
  • Missing lock positioning marks on halyards, causing excessive strain beyond the maximum lock position, potentially leading to halyard failure.
Usage Issues
  • Not respecting lock positioning marks (VG24-25).
  • Secondary halyard wrapped around the lock, preventing release (VG24-25).
  • Sail left in place too long without tension (slack state).
  • Tack line tension not released enough.
  • Halyard clutch left engaged → hook could release if the mast “pumps” too much in a shock.
Maintenance Issues
  • Failure to follow maintenance schedule (VG24-25).
  • Jaws installed upside down (VG20-21).
  • Incorrect lubrication (too much or too little).
  • Use of excessively aggressive degreasers or penetrating oils.
Manufacturing Issues
We cannot discuss technical issues without addressing our own responsibility. Design flaws, machining errors, material defects, or assembly mistakes can happen. Despite our constant attention to quality, these issues have occurred in the past and could potentially happen again. For every issue reported by teams, we assess our responsibility and continuously improve our products based on their feedback.

6 – Reliability & Performance Criteria

Unmatched Reliability
Karver was the first deck hardware manufacturer to introduce  external furling lock (KFH). Over the past six Vendée Globe editions, we estimate that 450 of our locks have been used on IMOCA yachts, accumulating over 6 million nautical miles (11 million km).
In 20+ years, we have recorded only a handful of failures, making us, factually, the most reliable IMOCA furling lock supplier in the world.
For the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe, and pending further analysis, our direct responsibility is engaged on two boats. Considering our 130 locks in the fleet, this represents less than 2% of reported issues.
We are happy to provide detailed statistics to teams that request them.
Understanding Performance Criteria
Deck hardware, sails, and electronics manufacturers have often been criticized on social media following certain race communications.
This article is not about blame or excuses—our goal is to provide clarity. These are complex topics that require discussing performance criteria.
As we’ve explained, each team must carefully assess how to manage these strategic aspects. A single hardware failure can end an IMOCA campaign—whether or not we are directly responsible. What’s certain is that skippers’ confidence in their equipment is essential for pushing their boats to the limit (and sometimes beyond).
Thus, reliability, durability, and trust are the three key pillars.
 
To achieve this, we believe there are two main factors:
1. The Product
Key product characteristics:
  • Technical specifications: size, weight, friction, functionality.
  • Reliability: failure rate, track record, durability.
  • Price: balancing performance and cost-effectiveness.
  • Innovation & adaptability. We hold multiple patents and have pioneered many groundbreaking innovations, including furling locks, anti-rotation locks, ergonomic shock-resistant protections, rounded lashing zones, carbon/Kevlar furlers, three-jaw clutches, quick-release locking pins, fast-access dross entry slots, carbon winch handles, 3:1 sheaves, high-load blocks, and more.
We’ve heard teams claim that weight is no longer a key performance factor. This may be true for deck hardware. However, for mast components (swivel hooks, swivels, etc.), weight remains critical. On an IMOCA, 1 kg in the mast must be compensated by 10 kg in the keel.
At Karver, we combine reliability and performance. Every kilogram in the mast affects overall boat speed.
For several months, we have been using fatigue modules in our design software to measure the differences in longevity between two designs. We also use external design offices equipped with greater calculation capacities that use our customers’ load logs. These studies are correlated with several bench failure tests to validate our hypotheses.
 
2. The Service Behind the Product
Service is as important as the product itself. Our support includes:
  • Guidance and consulting on model selection based on performance goals, budget, maintenance program
  • Support during product integration, from design to installation and early test sails.
  • Clear explanations of our technical choices and our ability to quickly design custom solutions.
  • On-site presence at race starts and finishes. For example, we identified two major installation issues just days before the last Vendée Globe start.
  • Availability of rental replacement products.
  • Ongoing support throughout the product’s lifespan, including maintenance training, product evolution, transparent pricing for upgrades.
  • We have significantly improved the quality of our service to racing teams by implementing detailed inventories, precise pricing, and integrating new tools such as in-house dye penetrant testing baths.
  • Geographical proximity.Our Lorient facility, established five years ago, was designed specifically to be closer to the teams—offering better responsiveness and stronger collaboration.
Karver Lorient

7 – CONCLUSIONS

We will wait for the last boats still racing and the completion of all technical debriefings before finalizing the Karver 2024-2025 Vendée Globe report. However, we can already draw several key conclusions:
  • Failures did occur with our products during this Vendée Globe. Regardless of whether we have explanations or whether we are responsible, this means we did not support our clients well enough. This is not acceptable to us. There are still too many issues related to installation, usage, and maintenance. It is our responsibility to educate, support, and adapt our products accordingly.
  • Most failures were not related to our products, which further reinforces our reputation for reliability.
  • The general public lacks technical information and often judges all brands’ reliability too harshly. We hope this article helps clarify the realities of offshore racing hardware.
  • IMOCA yachts have evolved significantly, and teams must integrate the concepts of material fatigue and lifespan if they wish to continue using optimized, lightweight products.
  • Offshore racing is a highly technical and ever-evolving mechanical sport. Deck hardware choices must be taken seriously. 
  • Guidance, support, and proximity are just as important as the product itself.
 
If you are curious to understand what is a lock, you can also read this KarverPedia article: What is a lock and why to use it on board?
 
Article by Tanguy de LARMINAT – Managing Director & Sales Director of Karver
📩 You can respond to this article by contacting us at contact@karver-systems.com

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