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The Gonet Monofoil: the latest in Swiss innovation
Geneva, 17 May 2018
Designed by Swiss sailor, Eric Monnin, the spectacular foiling monohull will line up for Switzerland’s
spring classics. The pioneering new boat is a hint of what the next America’s Cup will bring…
The Gonet Monofoil, developed in the strictest of secrecy for the last two years, will make its mark on the
sailing world when it lines up on Lake Geneva during the upcoming spring classics. Designed and skippered
by talented sailor, Eric Monnin in collaboration with Damian Weiss, this innovative creation was built at Weiss
Yachts with the support of some major names in naval architecture and marine engineering such as, Simon
Bovay, construction manager, Chris Hill, Clemens Dransfield, structural calculations manager and Jean-
Claude Monnin. In charge of simulation calculations and foil design, Jean-Claude is Eric’s brother and one
of the pillars of the Emirates Team New Zealand design team.
Launched and tested away from prying eyes in the centre of Switzerland, the arrival of the Gonet Monofoil
on Lake Geneva is hotly anticipated. It will undergo some final tests before preparing for the Swiss regatta
season.
Eric Monnin's review at the end of the first tests:
- we have hardly broken anything! The boat is well born and solid!
- the ship's behavior in flight is very healthy. Even at speeds around the 25 knots we never had a feeling of insecurity.
- flight speeds are impressive, our target speed is 16-18 knots and we are easily dépassons the 20 nds. And as soon as the wind exceeds 15 nds we are 25 nds or more.
- the boat is very stable and steep in the canvas, we sailed in 25 nds of wind without any problems.
- the boat is very nice to see in navigation.
- the boat is pleasant to sail.
Photo Credit: © Loris Von Siebenthal. Com
The Gonet Monofoil was imagined and designed before the America’s Cup made its spectacular and
unexpected move to the flying monohull. “For a long time, I’ve been watching the extraordinary performance
of foiling sailing boats,” said designer Eric Monnin. “Several impressive monohull projects have been
developed since the success of the foiling Moth, such as the Quant 23, but it is still an evolving area, and
I’ve always found that there is something missing.”
The Gonet Monofoil is packed full of innovations. The foils are spectacularly pioneering, but the devil is in
the detail and it is the minutiae, designed to simplify sailing and allow for adjustments to the boat at different
speeds, that is the most staggering. “It’s a modest sailing boat size-wise, measuring only eight metres, but it
has the potential to win the Bol d’Or if the weather conditions are favourable,” predicted Monnin.
The first sail trials demonstrated the Gonet Monofoil’s prodigious pedigree: steady on its foils, it quickly
notched up 25 knots (approx. 50km/h). Sailed by four crew, it weighs 850kgs and has a relatively modest
80m2 sail area which makes it easier to handle.
Gonet & Cie SA, located in Geneva and Lausanne on the shores of Lake Geneva, is the title sponsor of this
new sailing adventure. The bank has a long history of success on Lake Geneva and as winners of the 2006
Bol d’Or with a Decision 35 and sponsor of two foiling prototypes from 2009 to 2012, it is returning to the
leading edge of innovation with enthusiasm. “The lake and sailing are part of our DNA. We have always been
passionate about innovation and we are proud of our region,” said Nicolas Gonet, CEO. “We were seduced
by Eric Monnin’s project, which combines precision and daring and gives us the opportunity to support an
exciting sports and technology mission.”
Gonet Group in brief
The Gonet Group has a staff of 120 and is present in Geneva (head office), Lausanne, Nassau and Abu
Dhabi. Founded in 1845, it has always been involved in wealth management for Swiss and international
private clients. It also includes Gonet Conseils Finances SA, a company specialising in providence planning,
insurance, mortgage financing and fiduciary services, as well as the funds distribution company Gonet La
Française Advisors SA.
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