maxi trimaran brest

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Caudrelier wins first ever solo round the world race in foiling Ultim

• Helen Fretter
• February 27, 2024

Charles Caudrelier has won the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest, the first ever solo around the world race for 100ft foiling trimarans, on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild Ultim

Solo skipper Charles Caudrelier has won the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest, the first ever solo around the world race in multihulls, on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild giant foiling trimaran.

Caudrelier crossed the finish line off Brest, northern France this morning, Tuesday 27 February, at 0837 after 50 days and 19 hours of racing.

The Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest is the first time giant multihulls have ever been raced solo around the world head-to-head. Caudrelier is the first person ever to sail a foiling Ultim around the world solo, and in fact only the eighth ever to complete a solo circumnavigation on a multihull .

Charles Cauderlier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild win the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest solo round the world race. Photo: Vincent Olivaud/Arkea Ultim Challenge

Though the race is ‘non-stop’, in the sense it has no scheduled stopovers, by the North Atlantic Caudrelier was the only skipper not to have made a technical stop for repairs. But with potentially ‘impassable’ conditions in the Bay of Biscay forecast of 7-10m waves and 50 knot winds due to Storm Louis, Caudrelier took a four-day pause in the Azores before cautiously sailing the remaining 1,200 miles to Brest to take the race win.

Caudrelier was able to stop in the Azores having built up an unassailable lead since his nearest rival Tom Laperche on SVR Lazartigue had to retire into Cape Town after a collision with an underwater object. Caudrelier and his Gitana-backed Ultim consolidated their position as front runners since January 17, at one point extending his lead to over 2,500 miles from second placed Thomas Coville on Sodebo .

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in Faial, Horta -t he damaged front starboard beam is visible. Photo: M. Le Roux/Polaryse/Gitana SA

Throughout the race Caudrelier revealed little about any technical problems he had experienced on the ground-breaking, and highly complex 100ft foiling trimaran. However, when he put into Faial in the Azores it became obvious that his boat had incurred damage early on, after a front section of one crossbeam had been ripped off by a wave. The solo skipper had cut a spare mainsail batten in order to rig a repair, tying it together with straps.

Cauderlier’s first round the world

Remarkably, this is Caudrelier’s first ever solo around the world race. Though Caudrelier – who turned 50 yesterday – had early ambitions to compete in a Vendée Globe , he instead began working with many top offshore teams, including joining Franck Cammas’s winning Volvo Ocean Race entry Groupama 4 as a navigator and helmsman. He then stepped up to skipper his own entry in back to back races for the Chinese Dongfeng team, winning – by the race’s closest ever margin – in 2018 .

Photo: Vincent Olivaud/Arkea Ultim Challenge

In 2019 he joined the Gitana stable as co-skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothchild trimaran with Franck Cammas, with a long-term plan that he would skipper the enormous machine solo for each single-handed event.

With one of the longest running Ultim campaigns, a well-resourced team encompassing some of the best in the business, and a focus on banking as much sailing time as possible, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has long been the boat to beat. Cauderlier skippered or co-skippered the Ultim to major wins in the Brest Atlantiques , back to back Rolex Fastnet Races , Transat Jacques Vabre , and an emotional 2022 win in the Route du Rhum . 

Though he did not set a solo round the world record on this race, he did set a new benchmark for a solo Indian Ocean crossing, covering the 6,113 miles between Cape Agulhas (South Africa) and the Cape Leeuwin (Australia) in 8 days 8 hours 20 minutes and 36 seconds, at an incredible average speed of 30.7 knots.

We’ll have a full report, with the skippers’ first-hand tales from this incredible race, in the May issue of Yachting World .

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Caudrelier Wins Round-the-World Solo Sprint

• By Dave Reed
• February 26, 2024

UPDATE: French solo racer Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line off the coast of Brest, this Tuesday morning at 8h 37mn 42s local time (UTC+1hrs) to win the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest , the first ever solo multihull race around the world, sailed in giant 32m long ULTIM class trimarans.

The race leader who has been unchallenged at the front of the race since the night of January 17, Caudrelier– triumphs on the first edition of this unprecedented race. Before he had to slow to avoid a huge storm at Cape Horn, at one point in the Pacific Ocean Caudrelier was ahead of the time needed to set a new all-time record for sailing solo around the world.

His elapsed time is 50 days 19 hours 07 minutes 47 seconds since leaving Brest in the six-boat fleet on Sunday 7th January.

After a thrilling head to head duel with 26-year-old Tom Laperche down the South Atlantic, Caudrelier, who turned 50 years old on Monday, widened the gap to over 2500 miles ahead of his nearest rival after Laperche had to retire into Cape Town with damage caused by a collision.

Along his route, Caudrelier set a new record for the Indian Ocean and then proved he knew how to moderate his pace to look after his high tech flying ULTIM and give himself and the emblematic Gitana team the best chance of completing the 24,260 nautical miles course.

With a substantial lead Caudrelier put his race on hold – sailing at very slow speeds for more than 36 hours in the eastern Pacific – to avoid a storm at Cape Horn and latterly sat out storm Louis, stopped in the safety of the Azores last week to avoid any additional risk which might have jeopardized his win.

This success rewards more than ten years of endeavour by the Edmond de Rothschild Gitana team. They worked initially from 2011 with a MOD70 on which they developed the multihull foiling program before they launched the innovative Verdier designed Ultim in 2017.

Arriving two years later along with co-skipper Franck Cammas,  Caudrlier, double winner of The Ocean Race -once as skipper, contributed to the boat’s continued evolution and optimisation and the boat built up the most extensive track record of the class with some great victories with Caudrelier  including the Brest Atlantique (2019), Fastnet (2019 and 2021), Transat Jacques Vabre (2021), Finistère Atlantique (2022) and blue riband solo Route du Rhum (2022).

After a frustrating Transat Jacques Vabre last autumn which was marked by numerous damages including problems with the steering system and a foil, finishing in third place, the Gitana team worked hard to repair to be ready for this race and to move forward.

“I’ve had my struggles but I know that things are turning round,” said Caudrelier before the start of the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest.

From the early days on this race he had to deal with small problems too including a break in his forward fairing. Although he succeeded in capturing a dream ride on a low pressure from the South Atlantic until the south of Australia, the second half of his race was much more problematic, including his pause before Cape Horn and his strategic halt into the Azores last week.

A popular, highly respected racer and leader among his peers, this is Caudrelier’s biggest solo success and finally fulfils his youthful dreams of winning a singlehanded race around the world. Added to his Ocean Race wins he further establishes himself as one of the best skippers among the French greats.

Charles Caudrelier’s victory in figures

• Finish time : 8 h 37 min 42 sec
• Race time : 50 days 19 hours 7 min 42 sec
• Miles traveled : 28 938,03 miles
• Actual average speed : 23,74 knots
• Average speed on the great circle: 19,93 knots
• More: Racing , Sailboat Racing , Ultim
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Published on March 13th, 2024 | by Editor

Ultim Challenge done with final finish

Published on March 13th, 2024 by Editor -->

Éric Péron sailing ULTIM ADAGIO was the final finisher of the 2024 Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest, completing the solo, non-stop round-the-world race for Ultim Class trimarans which began on January 7. All but Tom Laperche on Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue of the six entrants completed the course back to Brest, France.

Finishing Order: 1. Charles Caudrelier (FRA), Maxi Edmond de Rothschild – Feb. 27, 50:19:07:42 2. Thomas Coville (FRA), Sodebo Ultim 3 – Feb. 29, 53:01:12:40 3. Armel Le Cléac’h (FRA), Maxi Banque Populaire XI – March 3, 56:08:01:31 4. Anthony Marchand (FRA), Actual Ultim 3 -March 11, 64:01:38:21 5. Éric Péron (FRA), Trimaran Adagio – March 13, 66:01:14:27

Finishing the course was a major triumph for Péron who worked very hard to pull together the resources to build a small team and compete with the only non-foiler of the six which started the race. A former Olympic classes campaigner turned Figaro racer, the 42 year old who also counts The Ocean Race, Ocean Fifty, and IMOCA on his extensive CV, wanted to test himself and set a new high level challenge.

Last summer, he took over the Ultim which was previously Actual and started its life in 2001 as Oliver de Kersauson’s Geromino. It was substantially updated by Thomas Coville in 2014, and from there he worked tirelessly to find the funding, finally landing headline sponsorship from French aparthotel chain Adagio.

Aboard his non-foiling, more traditional boat, he knew his passage round the world would be so very different from that of other skippers. But he finds his rhythm, albeit losing miles steadily to the boats in a front by Madeira and the Canaries.

But then he suffered an impact on his starboard rudder. Like Laperche and Marchand, he makes a technical stop into Cape Town of just over 24 hours.

He passes Cape Leeuwin after 32 days at sea and has a great passage of the Pacific Ocean – a good chunk of which is achieved ahead of a warm front which he describes as a “great boost”. When he reached Cape Horn, he set the time as the fastest competitor in the Pacific Ocean, 1 hour and 14 minutes quicker than Caudrelier.

Because of his fast passage of the Pacific, he catches hundreds of miles on fourth placed Marchand and the former Figaro class rivals tussle on the ascent of the South Atlantic. But ‘Marchand is positioned closer to the coast and manages to escape first. Péron holds on patiently in the light airs, but his escape from the doldrums was met by strong trade winds and slamming seas.

A few days before his finish, he was “proud to be one of those who dared.” Throughout his race, it was not only his abilities as a sailor that were impressive, but also his vivid stories that captured race fans.

“I am going off to experience my love of the sea and that will allow me to appreciate my love of the land even more.”

Details: https://arkeaultimchallengebrest.com/en

The Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest is a solo, non-stop round-the-world race for Ultim Class trimarans which have a maximum length of 32 meters and a maximum width of 23 meters.

The solo speed record around the world was set in 2017 by François Gabart (FRA) on the 30m Macif trimaran in a time of 42d 14h 40m 15s for an average speed of 21.08 knots. This yacht has been rebranded and will be raced by Marchand.

Entrants: • Charles Caudrelier (FRA), Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (2017 Verdier 32/23) • Thomas Coville (FRA), Sodebo Ultim 3 (2019 VPLP/others 32/23) • Tom Laperche (FRA), Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue (2021 VPLP 32/23) • Armel Le Cléac’h (FRA), Maxi Banque Populaire XI (2021 VPLP 32/23) • Anthony Marchand (FRA), Actual Ultim 3 (2015 VPLP 30/22) • Éric Péron (FRA), Trimaran Adagio (2014 VPLP 31/21)* * Only entrant without foiling appendages

Attrition: January 29 : Tom Laperche on Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue and his team realized they don’t have the facilities or the means to complete the complex, difficult repair needed, and they have no option but to retire and get their boat back to Concarneau. Laperche incurred damage on January 18 when his daggerboard in the main hull collided with an UFO (unidentified floating object). He had arrived in Cape Town on January 22 in hopes to repair the damage.

Five rules from the Sailing Instructions: • The start is January 7 from Brest, France. The start line is kept open for 168 hours and the finish line is closed after an elapsed time of 100 days after the start time, that is to say April 16, 2024.

• The skippers can communicate and exchange with their teams on shore, so they have the freedom to get weather information and be routed by their team on shore and get technical help and advice to help with technical problems.

• The solo skippers can stop but there are two distinct operations. A technical stop is unassisted and requires the sailor to drop anchor, take a mooring, or tie up alongside an anchored or moored boat with no external help. There is no time penalty for a technical stop. But for a technical stopover (escale technique) where one or more crew or technical team come on board to help, there is a mandatory 24 hours minimum. This does not apply to the start port of Brest where all means are authorized to reach or leave the port within a radius of 50 miles.

• For the first time in ocean racing, zones where there are known to be a high concentration of whales and sea mammals are determined. Establishing these zones should both protect the marine wildlife and reduce the chance of a collision. These zones are around the Azores, the Canaries, south of South Africa, the Kerguelens, and parts of the Antarctic.

• There are ice exclusion zones to protect the skippers and their boats.

Source: AUCB

Tags: ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE – Brest , Éric Péron , Ultim Class

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Coville finishes second in Arkea Ultim Challenge →

Caudrelier wins Arkea Ultim Challenge →

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Around the world record attempt : the Maxi-trimaran Sails of Change arrives in Brest and remains on stand-by

The Maxi-trimaran Sails of Change, on stand-by since October 24, 2022, for a new attempt on the round the world sailing race, the Jules Verne Trophy, arrived in Brest today. The delivery trip from La Trinité-sur-Mer went smoothly in a moderate southerly wind. Now based near Ushant, the boat and crew are waiting for a favourable weather window that will allow them to reach the Cape of Good Hope in around twelve days.

Yann Guichard and his crew have attempted this record three times: in 2015 (47 days, 10 hours, and 59 minutes) with Dona Bertarelli, who became the fastest woman around the world, in 2018, and in 2019 when they were forced to retire due to rudder damage just past the Kerguelen archipelago. The Jules Verne Trophy record was further reduced in  2017 when IDEC Sport completed the circumnavigation of the globe in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds. The round-the-world record has become increasingly difficult to improve on with each successive attempt (over thirty in less than thirty years!): Early attempts started in the North Atlantic in a storm. Nowadays, it is thought to be better to ride on the back of a high-pressure system. Back in 2010, the aim was to reach the equator in less than a week, whereas today, the objective is to reach the Cape of Good  Hope in around twelve days!

A LAP OF THE PLANET IN STAGES

The course is made up of stages, the shortest possible direct route is a minimum of 21,600 nautical miles, but no sailing boat can follow this because of the prevailing winds. First you must cross the Atlantic from North to South across the equator, the first milestone of the Around the World (Jules Verne Trophy). To reach the Cape of Good Hope in less than twelve days means setting off in a Northerly wind, linking up with the Portuguese trade winds, and crossing the dividing line between the two hemispheres in less than five and a half day. Following that you need to round the St. Helena High and transition from a South Easterly to a North Easterly before reaching the Roaring Forties in the Southern Ocean. Then you head into the Indian Ocean. An optimal Atlantic passage is key to breaking the record. Sails of Change (ex-Spindrift 2) already holds the best time between Ushant and the equator achieved on the third attempt at the beginning of 2019 (4 days, 20 hours, and 07 minutes). But it is the sequence of events in the South Atlantic that will determine whether the reference time at the Cape of Good Hope can be achieved to enter the Indian Ocean ahead of the record. It will then take around six days to reach southern Tasmania, and another eight days to reach Cape Horn.

Once there, it’s far from over! The team must then sail north up the Atlantic Ocean, preferably along the Argentinean coast (which can take at least a week), and across the equator for a final sprint to Ushant (around six days). If you add up the various best times achieved per stage, it totals 38 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes. Therefore, the decision of when to start is pivotal.

A SPECIAL KIND OF LOGIC

“IDEC had some pretty brilliant conditions in the Indian Ocean and on the way up the Atlantic. So, we must have a lead when we reach the Cape of Good Hope because it will be hard to make up time elsewhere. There is a way to gain time on the southbound Atlantic stage and during the Pacific crossing, but that’s it. So, we must improve on the times that have been set by going down to South Africa and the Pacific faster. For the rest, to achieve the same times as the record holder would be quite good. For the moment and for the next few days until mid-November, there is no weather window for a start, because the trade winds are weak or non-existent and the Southerly wind is set over Western Europe”; said Jean-Yves Bernot, shore-based router for Sails of Change.

“There are no openings for now in the North Atlantic because the trade winds are not really settled : we have to be patient. Remember that IDEC left quite late! And it’s preferable to be on stand-by in Brest because we gain about half a day of weather forecasting”; added Benjamin Schwartz, navigator on Sails of Change.

This round-the-world record, which has decreased from 79 days, 06 hours, 15 mins, and 56 secs (Commodore Explorer in 1993) to just 40 days, 23 hours, 30 mins, and 30 secs in a quarter of a century, has for the most part required two or more attempts to break.

Sails of Change Crew :

• Yann Guichard (skipper)
• Dona Bertarelli (on board reporter)
• Benjamin Schwartz (navigator)
• Xavier Revil (watch leader)
• Jacques Guichard (watch leader)
• Thierry Chabagny (helmsman / trimmer)
• Grégory Gendron (helmsman / trimmer)
• Julien Villion (helmsman / trimmer)
• Pierre Leboucher (bowman)
• Christopher Pratt (helmsman / trimmer)
• Clément Giraud (bowman)
• Jean-Yves Bernot (shore-based router)

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Brest-Atlantiques: All Set For An Express Crossing Of The Bay Of Biscay

After ten days in Brest, the four maxi-trimarans of the Ultim Class 32/23 are all set for the start of the double handed Brest Atlantiques race, leaving tomorrow at 11am. The 14,000-mile non-stop loop, or the equivalent of sailing halfway around the globe, will see the trimarans round an island off Rio de Janeiro and then Cape Town before returning to Brest.

Depending on how the teams tackle the strong wind and sea conditions, the descent into the Bay of Biscay could be extremely fast, with the first boats expected to reach Cape Finisterre in just ten hours.

When the sailors arrived at the final skippers briefing on the eve of the start of the race, their faces were a picture of concentration; more serious than they have been over the course of the past ten days in Brest. The four maxi trimarans are expected to complete the race in around thirty days.

On board, the four teams made up of two top sailors (each accompanied by a media man in charge of sharing the day-to-day life on board), have between them achieved 21 round-the-world races, world records, and victories in all the greatest sailing races, ranging from the Vendée Globe and the Route du Rhum, to the Volvo Ocean Race and the Transat.

These extremely experienced sailors are ready, and once they’ve set off will work to find the right balance between the desire to go fast and the need to protect the boats, as the conditions for the first day look set to be tough, explains Race Director Jacques Caraës: “ On the starting line, located between the western cardinal of Sein Island and the committee boat Le Rhône, the forecasts give an average wind speed of 24-25 knots in a north to north-westerly direction, with gusts up to 35-39 knots. It’s important to note that the direction of the sea will be at a 120-degree angle. The conditions will be testing but we know that the sailors are strong seafaring competitors, who will have to keep alert for the first eight to ten hours to get through the initial part of the race safely. ” 

They obviously intend to play it safe, based on what they said on the eve of the start: “ We’re not going to do anything stupid. We must not forget that we are leaving for a marathon, the Bay of Biscay is only a small 10-hour sprint, ” sums up Charles Caudrelier, who teams up with Franck Cammas on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. “ It requires us to be at the top right away, that’s what makes the exercise complex, but also very interesting, and that’s why we’ve been training for years, ” adds Thomas Coville, who has the latest maxi-trimaran launched with Sodebo Ultim 3 on March 18th (his co-skipper is Jean-Luc Nélias). 

This crossing of the Bay of Biscay to Cape Finisterre, in a sea that will gradually become more manageable, should take around ten hours. The rest is likely to be fast surfing, since the four maxi-trimarans should then benefit from ideal conditions to go fast, or even very fast. The current route takes them to the equator in just four and a half days! “ Once we get out of the Bay, it’s party time! “, smiles Yves Le Blévec, skipper of Actual Leader (he teams up with the Spaniard Alex Pella). François Gabart, teamed with Gwénolé Gahinet on the Trimaran Macif, reminds us however that: “The conditions will certainly be easier, but it is far from gentle to sail at over 40 knots..we will also have to be careful. ”

1936. Voyage around Cape Horn by schooner Wanderbird

Cantiere del pardo once again alongside luna rossa prada pirelli team as official supplier for the 37th america’s cup, the 7 most beautiful bays in the mediterranean sea, top 15 places sailing around mediterranean sea this summer, live your passion, subscribe to our mailing list.

Bientôt sur le site A l’image de la « Carte de l’Océan » dressée par un grand cartographe français du 18 ième  siècle et représentant les routes des navigateurs autour du monde sur la carte papier, la cartographie numérique du Jules Verne offrira la possibilité de dérouler et comparer les différents records successifs autour du monde réalisés suivant le règlement du « Trohée Jules Verne » . Mais le point remarquable de cette cartographie sera de pouvoir suivre tout nouveau défi, le comparer en temps réel par rapport aux records précédents tout en respectant les contraintes imposées par le défi en cours.

Cet outil se voudra simple d’utilisation mais moderne et doté de fonctionnalités permettant de voyager autour du monde. Nous espérons vous voir très nombreux et prendre beaucoup de plaisir.

René Boulaire

Around the world record attempt : the Maxi-trimaran Sails of Change arrives in Brest and remains on stand-by

The Maxi-trimaran Sails of Change, on stand-by since October 24, 2022, for a new attempt on the round the world sailing race, the Jules Verne Trophy, arrived in Brest today. The delivery trip from La Trinité-sur-Mer went smoothly in a moderate southerly wind. Now based near Ushant, the boat and crew are waiting for a favourable weather window that will allow them to reach the Cape of Good Hope in around twelve days.

Yann Guichard and his crew have attempted this record three times: in 2015 (47 days, 10 hours, and 59 minutes) with Dona Bertarelli, who became the fastest woman around the world, in 2018, and in 2019 when they were forced to retire due to rudder damage just past the Kerguelen archipelago. The Jules Verne Trophy record was further reduced in  2017 when IDEC Sport completed the circumnavigation of the globe in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds. The round-the-world record has become increasingly difficult to improve on with each successive attempt (over thirty in less than thirty years!): Early attempts started in the North Atlantic in a storm. Nowadays, it is thought to be better to ride on the back of a high-pressure system. Back in 2010, the aim was to reach the equator in less than a week, whereas today, the objective is to reach the Cape of Good  Hope in around twelve days!

A LAP OF THE PLANET IN STAGES

The course is made up of stages, the shortest possible direct route is a minimum of 21,600 nautical miles, but no sailing boat can follow this because of the prevailing winds. First you must cross the Atlantic from North to South across the equator, the first milestone of the Around the World (Jules Verne Trophy). To reach the Cape of Good Hope in less than twelve days means setting off in a Northerly wind, linking up with the Portuguese trade winds, and crossing the dividing line between the two hemispheres in less than five and a half day. Following that you need to round the St. Helena High and transition from a South Easterly to a North Easterly before reaching the Roaring Forties in the Southern Ocean. Then you head into the Indian Ocean. An optimal Atlantic passage is key to breaking the record. Sails of Change (ex-Spindrift 2) already holds the best time between Ushant and the equator achieved on the third attempt at the beginning of 2019 (4 days, 20 hours, and 07 minutes). But it is the sequence of events in the South Atlantic that will determine whether the reference time at the Cape of Good Hope can be achieved to enter the Indian Ocean ahead of the record. It will then take around six days to reach southern Tasmania, and another eight days to reach Cape Horn.

Once there, it’s far from over! The team must then sail north up the Atlantic Ocean, preferably along the Argentinean coast (which can take at least a week), and across the equator for a final sprint to Ushant (around six days). If you add up the various best times achieved per stage, it totals 38 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes. Therefore, the decision of when to start is pivotal.

A SPECIAL KIND OF LOGIC

“IDEC had some pretty brilliant conditions in the Indian Ocean and on the way up the Atlantic. So, we must have a lead when we reach the Cape of Good Hope because it will be hard to make up time elsewhere. There is a way to gain time on the southbound Atlantic stage and during the Pacific crossing, but that’s it. So, we must improve on the times that have been set by going down to South Africa and the Pacific faster. For the rest, to achieve the same times as the record holder would be quite good. For the moment and for the next few days until mid-November, there is no weather window for a start, because the trade winds are weak or non-existent and the Southerly wind is set over Western Europe”; said Jean-Yves Bernot, shore-based router for Sails of Change.

“There are no openings for now in the North Atlantic because the trade winds are not really settled : we have to be patient. Remember that IDEC left quite late! And it’s preferable to be on stand-by in Brest because we gain about half a day of weather forecasting”; added Benjamin Schwartz, navigator on Sails of Change.

This round-the-world record, which has decreased from 79 days, 06 hours, 15 mins, and 56 secs (Commodore Explorer in 1993) to just 40 days, 23 hours, 30 mins, and 30 secs in a quarter of a century, has for the most part required two or more attempts to break.

Related Content

A day that lit up the Finistère and kicked off the Ocean Relay!

Picture by Paris 2024 / Cédric Michel / Sipa Press

The Olympic Torch Relay experienced a particularly festive day in the Finistère before leaving Brest to begin the unique chapter of the Ocean Relay which will illuminate 5 overseas territories. The relay continued its sporting tour of Brittany, from surfing to hiking, this Friday. The enthusiasm was palpable between Port-la-Forêt and the stage host city of Brest with the Olympic Torch Relay sponsors, Coca-Cola, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne bringing the relay convoy and celebration site to life, giving spectators an unforgettable experience.

The former winner of Miss France, Laury Thilleman, lit the celebration cauldron on Quai Malbert, before the Olympic Torch embarked for an unprecedented Transatlantic crossing to Guadeloupe, with Armel Le Cléac’h and a legendary crew at the helm of the Maxi Banque Populaire XI trimaran. Paired up with Sébastien Josse, the two yachtsmen, who between them have sailed around the world 7 times, set off accompanied by four budding sailors, namely Marie-José Pérec, Marine Lorphelin, Alexis Michalik and Hugo Roellinger, for what promises to be the adventure of a lifetime!

The Olympic Torch burns bright in Finistère!

The day in the Finistère began in a musical atmosphere in Port-la-Forêt, opposite the Glénan Islands. This part of Brittany, nicknamed “crazy valley” by famous French sailor Olivier de Kersauson, has been the training ground of many renowned skippers, such as Jean Le Cam. The Olympic Torch also illuminated Quimper, passing alongside the Stade Pierre de Coubertin stadium and the quays bordering the Odet River to the historical city centre. The Spires of the Saint Corentin Cathedral overlooked this day of sporting and cultural events. In the heart of the Bigouden area, the Point de la Torche cape, a windswept peninsula which attracts surfers and hikers alike, played host to the collective surfing relay, admired by the spectators present on the immense white sandy beach. After a breath of sea air, the Olympic Torch headed for Plougastel-Daoulas, which is famous for its strawberries and boasts the “active and sporting town” label. Since it has been chosen as a training centre for the Olympic Games, it was an essential visit for the relay.

In the afternoon, the Olympic Torch Relay visited the Pointe du Raz cape, which welcomes approximately 800,000 visitors per year. Almost 600 pupils from Cap Sizun watched the show, accompanied, to begin with, by the Bagad Beuzeg Ar C’hab traditional musical group, as the relay passed in front of the Notre-Dame des Naufragés memorial to all those lost at sea. The approaches to the Raz de Sein straits also played host to a magnificent parade of old sailing ships. The Olympic Torch Relay then headed to Mont Saint-Michel-de-Brasparts, in Saint-Rivoal. From the chapel, it overlooked the heath landscape that is characteristic of the area, showing that the Finistère has more to offer than just its 2,263 kilometres of coastline. After the Monts d’Arrée hills, the Olympic Torch Relay then set off towards Brest, the “capital of the oceans”. It meandered through the city from the Moulin Blanc port, in front of a formation in the water of the letters “JO 2024” (JO: Jeux Olympiques / Olympic Games) created by one hundred water walkers. It then passed near to the Pont de Recouvrance bridge, which overlooks the arsenal and military port, before visiting the castle in Brest, which is home to the French national navy museum.

Almost 140 torchbearers helped the Finistère shine well beyond its borders

Jean Le Cam, nicknamed “King Jean”, was the first person to carry the Olympic Torch today, in Port-la-Forêt. At the age of 65 years old, he is preparing to start his 6 th Vendée Globe round the world race in November. All along the route, other celebrities took it in turns to carry the Olympic Torch, such as French women’s handball team goalkeeper, Cléopâtre Darleux. Sébastien Flute, a French archer and Olympic champion in 1992, was present in Brest, as was Mariamma Merandon. This native of Brest, who won the French Nationale 3 division title in wheelchair football, also takes part in boccia and is dreaming of representing France at the Paralympic Games. Arnaud Kergosien, a para-table tennis champion and 7 th best French player, carried the Olympic Torch at the Espace Avel Vor venue in Plougastel. At the day’s end, many spectators were present to encourage Laury Thilleman in Brest. The former Miss France, who is now a television presenter, was the last torchbearer of the day, before the Olympic Torch takes a journey overseas.

Today, as on previous days, was punctuated with inspiring stories. Claude Courgeau, the day’s oldest torchbearer, carried the Olympic Torch in Brest and has been working for over 30 years in the voluntary sector to help vulnerable young people. Jacques Barreau, with his company, uses cargo sailing ships to transport coffee and chocolate from one side of the world to the other. Marie-Louise Quinault, who carried the Olympic Torch in Quimper, is a veritable bundle of energy and contributes to the dynamism of her region through charitable and sporting activities.

The best-known surfing spot in Brittany plays host to the collective relay

La Torche, a famous surfing spot in Brittany, welcomed the collective surfing relay. This peninsula made a name for itself when the funboard world championships were held here in 1986. Its Dantean weather conditions, with 40-knot winds, have forged its legend. Located to the south of the Audierne Bay, this site has witnessed the beginnings of future champions, such as the native of the Bigouden area Louka Tirilly de Vera. As captain of this collective relay and a pillar of France’s surfing academy team, he embodies youth and cross-generational oceanic heritage. Alongside him, 23 other torchbearers were present, including the day’s youngest, Salomé Delaporte. Marc Emmanuel Dubrana demonstrated that visual impairment is in no way an obstacle for enjoying your passions to the full. Other athletes distinguished themselves on the water during this relay, such as shortboard champion Gaspard Larsonneur and Amandine Chazot, an elite level stand-up paddle athlete who has also shone in her medical studies, not forgetting Ronan Chatain, a former longboard champion, who shone in the world championships between 1997 and 2002.

The Olympic Torch sets sail for an exceptional crossing aboard Maxi Banque Populaire XI!

On Friday 7 th June, a unique chapter of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay began, with the Ocean Relay. Thanks to Banque Populaire, one of the sponsors of the Olympic Torch Relay, the Ocean Relay involves a major sporting event: a crossing of the Atlantic Ocean aboard Maxi Banque Populaire XI, the famous Ultim class trimaran skippered by Armel Le Cléac’h, who is a major figure in ocean yacht racing and the quickest sailor to complete a tour of the world in a monohull boat. Alongside him during the crossing will be another yachtsman, Sébastien Josse, who is also a major figure in sailing, as well as a legendary crew made up of personalities who embody French success and know-how.

Marie-José Pérec, the only Frenchwoman to become a triple Olympic champion in athletics, Marine Lorphelin, an Olympic Torch Relay ambassador, Alexis Michalik, a star of French theatre and Hugo Roellinger, a chef with two Michelin stars, set sail this evening with a mixture of excitement and emotion alongside the two yachtsmen.

The imposing maxi-trimaran left Brest, with the Olympic Torch carefully preserved in a lantern on board, heading to the West Indies to experience a historical adventure. The images of this giant of the seas sailing down the Goulet de Brest narrows were breathtaking on this Friday evening. By transporting the Flame to France's overseas territories, the Ocean Relay is enabling French people all over the world to take part in this great popular festival and celebrate the Games. The Ultim boat is expected to arrive on 15 th June in Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe before heading to Martinique on 16 th June with a new crew on board, made up of overseas sportspeople, to celebrate the success of the overseas French sportspeople of the past, present and future.

At the same time as the great crossing undertaken by Maxi Banque Populaire XI to the West Indies, the Olympic Torch, transported in lanterns, will successively illuminate French Guyana on 9 th June, La Réunion on 12 th June and French Polynesia on 13 th June.

Bateaux.com

Interview / Bilfot : la renaissance d'un trimaran de la série A'Capella, destiné à la Route du Rhum

Bilfot, anciennement connu sous le nom de Friends & Lovers, est l'un des rares survivants de la série des trimarans A'Capella conçus par les architectes Walter Green et Dick Newick. Sauvé de l'état d'épave par Jean-Paul Froc, ce bateau emblématique a retrouvé une seconde vie en 1998.

Après avoir participé à plusieurs transatlantiques sous le nom de Friends & Lovers, Bilfot, l'un des cinq trimarans de la série A'Capella, a bien failli sombrer dans l'oubli avant d'être sauvé par le skipper Jean-Paul Froc en 1998. Une restauration qui symbolise non seulement la persévérance , mais aussi le profond attachement de la communauté nautique à ces trimarans historiques de la course au large.

Dans le précédent reportage, Jean-Paul nous emmenait à Saint-Malo, au cœur des premières éditions de la Route du Rhum pour nous faire revivre sa rencontre marquante avec les légendaires trimarans A'Capella, en particulier avec Friends & Lovers, abandonné à l'époque aux Açores .

Et c'est là que vous intervenez ?

Oui, dans la presse le bateau était à vendre. J'ai contacté le propriétaire, une société commerciale, qui m'a informé qu'il y avait un problème : le bateau était aux Açores , démâté et en épave . Je lui ai dit : " Bon, eh bien, je vais aller le voir. " J'ai donc offert un merveilleux voyage à mon amoureuse ! Nous sommes partis et avons découvert le bateau, qui était vraiment une épave . Il était mouillé au milieu du port d'Horta, dans une zone de manœuvre de cargo. Ils étaient en train d'agrandir le port, il y avait des pelleteuses. C'était catastrophique, le bateau était couvert de fientes de goéland, avec de l'eau à l'intérieur.

De retour, j'ai recontacté le propriétaire. Je lui ai proposé de l'acheter à un petit prix, mais en France. Là, ils m'ont dit qu'ils n'avaient pas de solution, qu'ils ne savaient pas quoi faire. J'ai répondu que j'allais voir de mon côté si je trouvais une solution pour le ramener. À cette époque, j'avais un copain qui était affréteur maritime. Je lui en ai parlé. Un mois plus tard, il m'a rappelé, me disant qu'il avait un cargo qui partait de Boston pour Brest . Il avait deux grues et ils étaient prêts à faire un petit détour devant les Açores , mais ils ne pouvaient pas entrer au port. Il fallait donc que je me débrouille pour le reste.

Eh bien, qu'à cela ne tienne, je suis parti avec l'un de mes cousins. Nous avions 50 kilos d' outillage , et avons payé plus cher en poids de surcharge qu'en billets ! Nous sommes arrivés là-bas un lundi, et le cargo était prévu pour arriver le mercredi ou le jeudi. Nous avons commencé à nettoyer un peu le bateau, à le vider, à le mettre à terre, à le mettre à quai. Mais surtout, il fallait redémarrer le moteur pour aller à la rencontre du cargo. En 3 jours, nous avons réussi à tout faire : rendre le bateau à peu près propre et bricoler pour redémarrer le moteur. Et le jeudi, le cargo était là ! Ils ont descendu le crochet, j'avais tout le système de délingage et le bateau a été gruté sur le pont avant d'être calé avec des palettes. Ensuite, on a débarqué parce qu'ils ne voulaient pas de passagers.

Nous, on avait un avion retour le samedi suivant, donc on avait 3 ou 4 jours à tuer. Pendant ce temps-là, le cargo faisait route. C'est ma femme, Dame Ginette et les cousins qui ont récupéré le bateau à Brest . Ils l'ont mis directement à l'eau, sans passer par le quai, sans manutention . Mais il était toujours dans un triste état. On l'a amarré à couple du bateau d' Ifremer . Je connaissais des gens là-bas, donc il était un peu planqué ; personne ne le voyait trop. Je me disais qu'ils ne m'autoriseraient jamais à partir avec ce bateau, vu son état. On est rentrés en avion directement à Brest . De nuit, on a quitté le port, sans rendre de compte à personne. J'ai gréé une voile de fortune avec la bôme, un foc à plat, et on est rentrés comme ça jusqu'à Cancale. Avec moteur et voile, ça l'a fait !

À cette époque-là, j'avais un chantier naval . On a remonté le bateau ici, j'ai commandé un mât, on l'a inspecté et bricolé. On l'a remis à l'eau l'année suivante, en 2000. On a navigué un peu, mais on a vu qu'il était un peu fatigué, il se tortillait dans tous les sens. L'année suivante, en 2001, on a décidé de l'emmener à La Trinité, chez Charlie Capelle, pour tout refaire. On a tout révisé, tout inspecté, et il y est resté presque 5 ans. On a refait les bras, les flotteurs, et on a remonté le pont mais on n'a pas trop touché à la coque centrale. On a dû remettre le bateau à l'eau en 2006, ou à peu près à cette époque-là.

Pouvez-vous nous parler de vos expériences de la Route du Rhum sur ce trimaran ?

Ce n'était pas dans mes projets de faire la Route du Rhum. J'étais en pleine activité professionnelle, j'avais autre chose à penser. Mais en 2006, Charlie Capelle, qui avait récupéré son bateau, a décidé de repartir pour la Route du Rhum. Le 3e jour, il s'est retourné au large du Portugal. Il a pu récupérer son bateau tout de suite grâce à la balise qui émettait et il a su où le trouver. Il l'a remis à l'endroit et est retourné au chantier pour recommencer les travaux.

En 2010, on s'est inscrits tous les deux, avec l'Acapella et le Friends & Lovers. J'ai refait la Route du Rhum en 2014.

En 2018, c'est mon neveu, François Corre, qui a pris le bateau. La première Route du Rhum a été un peu difficile car je n'avais pas d'expérience de transat en solitaire. Et puis, le bateau n'était pas encore au top, j'avais quelques soucis. En 2011, on a ramené le bateau par la mer et on l'a remonté directement à La Trinité chez Charlie Capelle, où, pendant deux ans, on a refait les travaux pour l'améliorer. Les flotteurs et les bras étaient en bon état mais la coque centrale était un peu fatiguée. Alors on a tout refait, encore une fois.

Naviguer sur un bateau historique pendant la Route du Rhum, c'est une grande fierté après tant d'aventures et d'histoires. La Route du Rhum, c'est toujours un peu compliqué, surtout la première semaine. Il faut gérer le départ, sortir de la Manche , traverser le golfe de Gascogne. La première semaine est difficile, on est plutôt en mode survie. Mais à partir de la latitude de Lisbonne ou de Madère , il fait chaud, on enlève les pulls et les cirés. Quand tout va bien, on trouve les alizés et naviguer au portant, c'est quand même assez plaisant ! Même s'il y a parfois de gros grains d' orage dangereux, ce n'est vraiment que du bonheur.

Ces bateaux, même s'ils ont parfois tendance à se retourner, restent assez sécurisants. Il ne faut pas faire n'importe quoi, mais on peut en profiter, dormir, se reposer. C'est quand même agréable.

Aujourd'hui, le bateau est labellisé "Bateau d'intérêt patrimonial" par l' association de Gérard d'Aboville. Il a été admis en commission assez tôt, dans la 2e série de bateaux. Cette commission étudie le patrimoine et le parcours des différents bateaux. C'est plus symbolique qu'autre chose disons.

Aujourd'hui, on continue à naviguer régulièrement dessus. La semaine dernière, par exemple, on était partis pour aller aux Scilly, et finalement on a fait une tournée des îles anglo-normandes : Guernesey, Sark, Bréhat, Jersey... Aucune transat n'est prévue pour le moment. Avant, on pouvait faire la Route du Rhum en amateur avec un petit budget. Aujourd'hui, ce n'est plus possible, c'est réservé aux professionnels et les organisateurs sont avant tout des financiers.

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