Thales Develops Experimental Sonar to Help Racing Trimaran Avoid Whale Collisions

By Public Technologies
  • Thales developed a sonar system with MerConcept for the SVR-Lazartigue trimaran to help prevent collisions with marine mammals.
  • The system autonomously detects marine mammals and unidentified floating objects in real time, alerting the skipper early enough to change course.
  • Tests were promising, but the technology remains experimental and needs further work to establish reliability in real-world conditions.
  • Tom Laperche will test the system during the 2026 Route du Rhum in what the partners describe as a world first.
  • Kresk Développement committed several million euros to the project, deciding in 2024 to fund development.


Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. THALES SA published the original content used to generate this news brief on October 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.

Capital.com is an execution-only brokerage platform and the content provided on the Capital.com website is intended for informational purposes only and should not be regarded as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the products or securities to which it applies. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice nor take into account the individual financial circumstances or objectives of any investor. Any information that may be provided relating to past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results or performance.

To the extent permitted by law, in no event shall Capital.com (or any affiliate or employee) have any liability for any loss arising from the use of the information provided. Any person acting on the information does so entirely at their own risk.

Any information which could be construed as “investment research” has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication.