The six French skippers racing the Arkéa Ultime Challenge do the full Tarantino as their boats patiently await them. In the red jacket… we first have Eric Péron, the only one of the six competing without foils, so theoretically a good bet for a finish although probably at least a week after his foiling rivals. Next is the youngest skipper and Gabart protegé Tom Laperche (26) who will be the first to suffer serious damage onboard SVR Lazartique. Then Actual skipper Anthony Marchand, Banque Pop skipper Armel le Cléac’h, solo round the world veteran Thomas Coville and, last but very far from least, Volvo, TJV, Fastnet and Route du Rhum winner Charles Caudrelier
extraordinary boats but we must always keep their huge size in mind to look after them for six weeks at sea. Even to me it still feels very weird to think that we’re going to race alone on these giants.’ Route du Rhum and twice Ocean Race winner Charles Caudrelier
(MaxiEdmond de Rothschild, Gitana 17) reaffirmed that despite the intensity and stress he always gets utter pleasure from just being onboard these boats. ‘When we started fully foiling it gave us much more speed but it also brought a level of comfort like adding a shock absorber to a car! Onboard, the times when we really suffer physically are now actually quite infrequent – it is definitely much more comfortable than a foiling Imoca!!’ Thomas Coville (Sodebo) is the expert, having sailed five of his
eight round-the-worlds on multihulls and set a RTW solo record of 49 days in 2016. The dean of the race said: ‘We are all facing a mountain and must approach the challenge modestly and with humility. The biggest question of all is who will get to the end and how.’ Coville’s previous boat, which he sailed to the record in 2016, is
now Eric Péron’s Ultim Adagio, the only non-foiling boat of the fleet. Born in 1981 in Quimper, Eric as usual began his career on
dinghies before being spotted on the Figaro circuit. His multiple participations in the Solitaire and transatlantic races attracted the attention of several famous skippers who asked him to join their crews. He has an impressive track record of success including in the Volvo Ocean Race onboard Dongfengand Transat Jacques Vabre. At Brest he said: ‘For me this is about pushing myself and finding
my personal limits. The Arkéa is the fulfilment of a dream. I have steadily built up my experience and now take on a challenge that was until very recently beyond me. And now here it is!!’ Charles Caudrelier commented: ‘I approach this race more like an
adventure. I think we’re not going to be in the same mode as in the Route du Rhum [which Charles won], which was a sprint. I find this less stressful somehow. Even though I am stressed because it’s a long and difficult race. ‘François Gabart and Ellen MacArthur never returned to round- the-world sailing after their first (successful) record attempt. That
demonstrates the scale of the challenge involved. Apart from Armel and Thomas we are four rookies.’ Charles is modest. He forgets to mention that he won the Volvo
Ocean Race twice: the first alongside Franck Cammas, the second as skipper of Dongfeng. About his trimaran he says, ‘The Arkéa could well be the last race for this boat. Gitana 17 is for sale and a new Ultim under the Rothschild colours is scheduled. ‘The 17 was designed [by Guillaume Verdier] in 2016-17 for this
race around the world. She remains an exceptional boat that has won many races. I think she is still the fastest. When we’re 100 per cent she performs very well. She is also an easy boat, an asset on such a long course. She is fast in windy conditions with rough seas, and this is what we will encounter often. In addition, we have now significantly improved her performance in light weather.’ SVR-Lazartigue arrived in Brest the day before the start. The
trimaran was launched on the evening of Thursday 4 January in Con- carneau, after six long weeks of work to repair the damaged front starboard beam – a race against time begun on the return from the Transat Jacques Vabre on 22 November. Her young skipper Tom Laperche and the entire team worked
24 hours a day to ensure SVR-Lazartigue would be at the start on Sunday 7 January. The team went to sea briefly on Friday to check the systems. Then on Saturday the newest of the Ultims left Concarneau, her home port, at dawn for a late-morning arrival in Brest, the day before the race start!!! Tom: ‘I think that only Thomas (Coville) is not a rookie of racing
a trimaran solo around the world. Being a rookie has its drawbacks – the experience that allows you to anticipate better – but perhaps some advantages too. I am not a full-throttle maniac, I spend a lot of time quietly thinking about strategy without preconceptions based on previous experience. I will focus on finding the best information and making the right choices. My boat goes fast enough without me!’ Armel Le Cléac’h: ‘In my 25-year career I have never gone beyond
Ascension Island on a multihull! Now I will go further and hope to go all the way. This alone fascinates me, it makes me happy to be
SEAHORSE 21
JEAN-MARIE LIOT/ALEA
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