As the interest for the multihull is confirmed with the announcement of the new format of the America’s Cup, the first MOD 70' is being assembled and the launch is planned in February 2011. Multi One Design S.A. goes on with its large-scale eco-responsible programme, without compromise, combining high-level sport, high technology and eco-responsibility… A true industrial and sport innovative challenge in the sports world. With this in mind, Multi One Design SA proposes in collaboration with the Swiss company Quantis S.A., an analysis of the MOD 70’ lifecycle: a serious, scientific, public study, with no compromise. Multi One Design S.A. is committing to….
Multi One Design fights for the preservation of the water on the planet and takes action in favour of important challenges as drinking water resources preservation and the protection of the oceans.
Multi One Design has chosen to analyze the impacts on the environment of the MOD 70’ lifecycle. A consulting company specialized in the analysis of the lifecycle and in the impacts on the environment, Quantis International, has been commissioned to provide a complete study.
Multi One Design is building eco-responsible race villages and is developing an international circuit with partners committed in the host cities. Multi One Design wants to create, in collaboration with the host cities, an environmentally respectful event which has a meaning for the largest number of people.
Multi One Design supports the “Multi One Attitude Foundation”, a foundation that goes and meets the public in the heart of the cities, to act, to inform and to convince, without preaching. This is a concrete approach which relies on a pavilion that is dedicated to water preservation. The pavilion will be based in the center of all the race villages of the Multi One Championship.
Lifecycle analysis: what’s that?
The lifecycle analysis is a methodology commonly used to assess the environmental impact of products or companies. This method is governed by an international standard, the ISO 14'040 and 14'044. The life cycle of a product generally refers to the entire life of a product, from the extraction of the raw materials until the elimination of the product (recycling, incineration, etc), through the phases of manufacturing, logistics and utilisation.
The study has been focussing on the analysis of the MOD 70' environmental impact, concentrating on the following impact categories: global warming, associated to the greenhouse gas emissions, the resources, this indicator taking into account the consumption of non-renewable primary energy (or grey energy) and ores extraction, and in particular the water footprint (indicator which includes the direct and indirect use of fresh water consumption necessary to produce goods or services).
The results of the study
The results of the study have shown that it is the construction of the boat and all the related logistics which represent the highest impact at all levels, namely at the global warming level and at the level of the water footprint. The materials used for the construction have an important impact on the environment, in particular the carbon fibre. However, today carbon fibre is the only material which makes it possible to design multihulls of such a size and such a performance. It is however interesting to note that the MOD 70’ water footprint, which represents 859 litres per kilo of built boat, is much lower that the water footprint of many agricultural products, namely 15'500 litres of water to produce one kilo of beef or 3'400 litres for one kilo of rice (source : Water Footprint Network) !
If one refers to the three considered impact indicators, the use of an MOD 70' during one year is equivalent to:
In terms of global warming: a round trip Geneva - Berlin by plane
In terms of resources: 308 barrels of oil
In terms of water footprint: the water necessary to produce 1 ton of wheat
Thanks to the one-design concept and to the long-life circuit (10 years programme), the impact of the construction, the most harmful category for the environment, is limited and relatively reduced compared to other racing boats. This is due to the fact that the tooling (equipment), which counts for an important consumption of composite material is re-used for the construction of the entire series of the 12 MOD 70’ multihulls (and not rebuilt for each boat). Then, only one sailing boat is used for high level competition during 10 years (unlike the majority of the other competition boats). Stated otherwise, the impact on water footprint by use of an MOD 70’ in competition is about three times less than that of the old generation of oceanic multihulls, the ORMA 60’.
Marco Simeoni, Multi One Design SA CEO and President of the Multi One Attitude Foundation explains: “Any eco-responsible project should be supported by an impact study. Indeed, if we want to preserve the planet, it is a necessity to know the consequences of our actions on the environment and to make up for them.” He continues: “The construction of the MOD 70' racing boats has an important impact on the global warming, on the non-renewable primary energies and on the water footprint. A way to limit these impacts is to extend the lifespan of the boats (MOD 70' = 10 years), to minimize the transport of the various structural boat components, and to find solutions for the recycling of the materials at the end of their lifetime. Beyond those actions, it is also necessary to compensate for our impacts. One of the Multi One Attitude Foundation missions is to build a positive global balance. »
Dates to remember : 2011 / 2012
February 2011: Launch of the MOD nr 1 (Lorient)
May to October 2011: Delivery of the MOD nr 2 to nr 4
October or November 2011: Test-Match (exhibition race with 4 MOD 70’)
January to May 2012: Delivery of the MOD nr 5 and nr 6
Race Programme: 2012 / 2014
July 2012: Ocean Race
September 2012 : European Tour
June 2013 : European Tour
November 2013 – April 2014: Ocean World Tour (6 stopovers, 5 oceans, 12 racing teams)
July or September 2014: Ocean Race
From Multi One Design
