During the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, a stunning visual captured the world’s attention: a silver horse galloping across the Seine. This breathtaking display was made possible by an almost invisible trimaran, meticulously engineered in Quiberon, Brittany. One of the creators of this trimaran, Morgane Surquart, was given the unique honor of riding the mechanical horse and piloting the vessel during the ceremony. “It was a truly magical moment,” she reflects.
The Challenge: Guiding a Mechanical Horse Across the Seine
The task was no small feat: transporting a one-ton mechanical horse over a distance of 6 kilometers at a speed of 24 km/h, all while navigating under several bridges and avoiding their foundations anchored in the Seine. The company MMProcess, known for its expertise in foils and racing boats, took on this challenge with dedication. Over the course of a year, they developed a trimaran capable of meeting these complex demands.
Morgane Surquart, a 34-year-old co-founder of the startup, found herself at the heart of this poetic spectacle. Typically, she tests her nautical creations in the waters of Brittany, but for the Olympic ceremony, she was tasked with riding the silver horse along the Seine. Together with her business partner, naval engineer Madeg Ciret-Le-Cosquer, Morgane worked tirelessly to perfect the trimaran for this unique mission.
Steering the Steed: Navigating the Seine
To maneuver the horse and avoid obstacles under the bridges, Morgane relied on two ropes—actually control lines used on boats. “To pass under the bridges and steer, I held two ropes, which are really just steering lines from a boat,” explains Morgane, who is a former merchant navy officer. She adds that the support of the audience was palpable. “I felt guided by the crowd, following the applause to steer, while also receiving directions through an earpiece.”
The trimaran itself was a marvel of engineering: a 14-meter-long, 5-meter-wide structure weighing over 2.5 tons, made entirely from recycled carbon. To ensure it remained almost invisible in the night, the vessel’s buoyancy was precisely calibrated so that only 15 centimeters of the boat remained above water. Powered by a 123-horsepower electric motor, fed by 18 batteries, the trimaran smoothly carried the mechanical horse upstream at the desired speed.
A Well-Kept Secret
Throughout the development of the trimaran, the true purpose of the project was kept under wraps. Even the team members working on the design weren’t initially informed about the final destination of their creation. As they worked, many began to suspect that this wasn’t just another offshore racing boat. “I wasn’t allowed to tell them what the trimaran was for, but I hinted they would find out soon enough,” Morgane recalls with a smile.
Now that the secret is out, the project stands as a proud achievement on the resumes of the naval engineers who contributed to this extraordinary endeavor. The silver horse galloping on the Seine during the Paris 2024 opening ceremony is more than just a memorable image—it’s a testament to the innovation, precision, and creativity that brought this vision to life.
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Ethan Reynolds is a culinary expert and recipe creator for Lady and The Track. With a degree in culinary arts and over a decade of experience as a professional chef, Ethan brings his love for cooking to the site’s recipe section. He specializes in creating easy-to-follow, delicious recipes for home cooks, from weeknight meals to gourmet dishes. Outside the kitchen, Ethan enjoys teaching cooking classes and experimenting with new flavors.