7 50-foot multihulls and 5 giant trimarans will compete this year on the Transat Jacques Vabre, on two different routes to Martinique. Some skippers give us their analysis of the favorites in the Ocean Fifty class and in the Ultimate category.
7 ships, 7 chances of victory?
A bit like the Class40 (deciphered yesterday), the 50ft multihull fleet is particularly well stocked and homogeneous this year. All boats present on the starting line can look forward to climbing a step on the podium at the finish in Martinique. In 2019, Groupe GCA – 1001 Sourires first crossed the finish line in Salavador de Bahía. However, in two years, Gilles Lamiré’s boat, joined this year by Yvan Bourgnon, has seen the competition seriously strengthen.
Starting with Leyton, who perhaps is presented as the favorite of this edition, taking advantage of the results of the 2021 season. The Sam Goodchild – Aymeric Chappellier duo have won the Pro Sailing Tour circuit. But the same English pattern says it: “the events were essentially inshore regattas, it will be different in ocean regattas”.
Quentin Vlamynck and Lalou Roucayrol finished second on the Ocean Fifty circuit on their new boat and are therefore presented as very serious competitors. “I would put a little note on Arkema 4,” insists Maxime Bensa, Vogue’s co-patron with a Crohn (Class40). Also questioned, Nicolas Lunven, co-skipper of Initiatives-Cœur (Imoca) is tempted to play one more card: “the duo I like the most is Erwan Le Roux / Xavier Macaire, they will be formidable on Koesio”, another new ship.
The public voting on social networks for the Transat Jacques Vabre, organized two weeks ago, confirms this trend, with two favorites that stand out according to the fans: Groupe GCA – 1001 Sourires and Leyton.
Slight advantage for the Cammas / Caudrelier duo?
The definitive side, the suspense is, also there, complete. Five maxi-trimarans will be at the start on Sunday, and here again there are so many chances of victory. It is the feeling, in any case, of one of the contenders in the category, Yves Le Blévec, about his Actual Ultim 3, which looks like an outsider: “the 5 have the potential to win, I would say that we are all the same” .
In spite of everything, a ship can stand out among this fleet of giant trimarans, according to the analysis of the patterns that we have known in the town for a few days. “It will be interesting, it will be the moment of truth. We will say that at the moment Maxi Edmond de Rothschild may be a little ahead, with more experience ”, hires Aymeric Chappellier, co-skipper of Leyton (Ocean Fifty). The trimaran skippered by Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, on the water since 2017, is now well tested. Sébastien Rogues, skipper of the Primonial (Ocean Fifty) agrees: “They’ve parted ways for a long time.”
Among the other ships to watch closely, SVR – Lazartigue and Banque Populaire XI. The two maxi-trimarans, fresh out of the yard, have already shown part of their potential in the water. Skippered by sailors with an impressive track record, they will be formidable rivals in this two-way transatlantic regatta. Sodebo Ultim 3 will continue to be highly anticipated as well, with an experienced companion duo on board.
The online consultation launched in October highlighted three favorites among Transat Jacques Vabre fans: Sodebo, Banque Populaire XI and SVR – Lazartigue. Games are open …
In the program of the fifth day of the village, this Tuesday, November 2:
– the recording of an episode of the podcast “Un café pour la Route” at the stand of the Jacques Vabre cafés (quai de la Réunion), between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm, with Maxime Sorel, future consultant of the “Stream du Large” on the YouTube channel of the Transat Jacques Vabre, and Achille Nebout, co-patron of Lamotte – Creation module (Class40) on the theme “On the border of the real and the virtual”
– the presentation of the film on Norman patterns, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the stand in the Normandy region, in the presence of 10 Norman patterns
“Souvenir de Route du Café” by Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild):
“During the 2007 edition, where we finished second with Marc Guillemot on board the Imoca Safran, it was my first experience in such a large monohull with a small crew. I was a young pilot, I came to this world, so it was particularly magical to experience that. The other memory is my victory aboard the Gitana XV in 2013, I had the opportunity to do this race with Sébastien Josse, and win it. It was for me the achievement of a professional goal. I had always wanted to do that and I finally got there. Maybe it was the best race I’ve ever done. “
