2023-11-12 20:52:52
The Maxi “Banque Populaire” off the coast of Cap Frehel, November 4, 2018. FRED TANNEAU / AFP
” A relief “. At the helm of the Maxi Popular Bank, Armel Le Cléac’h and Sébastien Josse crossed the finish line of the Transat Jacques-Vabre in Martinique on Sunday evening, November 12, as big winners, following several years of setbacks in multihulls. The Banque Populaire Ultim (multihull 32 meters long) covered 9,263 miles (14,907 km) at an average speed of 26.76 knots (50 km/h) to succeed the Maxi Edmond de Rothschildwinner in 2021.
The maxi-trimaran helmed by Le Cléac’h entered the bay of Fort-de-France in the Martinican night and its crossing of the line was reported to a dense crowd gathered on a pontoon of honor a few hundred meters away. several cannon shots. “It’s a huge joy, because we’ve wanted this big victory with Banque Pop for a long time”explained Le Cléac’h upon arrival with a big smile, under the lights of the fireworks to celebrate his victory.
Having left Le Havre on October 29 to conquer the “Route du Café”, the famous double-handed transatlantic race created in 1993, they arrived at 6:19 p.m. local time (11:19 p.m. in France), following 14 days, 10 hours, 14 minutes and 50 seconds of racing. “We had to go get her, there was a big match, the pressure from François [Gabart]… We were in symbiosis with Armel, always in a good mood, and that’s what made the difference”estimated Sébastien Josse.
Their first pursuer, the SVR Lazartigue, of the tandem François Gabart and Tom Laperche, was to arrive a few hours later in the Martinican night. During these two weeks of sailing, the two most recent machines in the Ultim fleet were neck and neck for a long time. “It was a high-level race with competitors who didn’t give up”declared Ronan Lucas, director of the Banque Populaire team, to Agence France-Presse earlier on Sunday.
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Bad luck
First inserted in ambush along the Atlantic coast, “Banque Pop” took the lead of the fleet near Madeira, thanks to ideal weather conditions and a daring strategic choice: it was the only sailboat to go around the island from the north. Caught in the South Atlantic by François Gabart, then briefly overtaken near Ascension Island, Le Cléac’h and Josse then took advantage of the best performance of their sailboat downwind – when the wind came from the rear of the ship.
Sailing at an average speed of more than 30 knots (55 km/h) for several days off the coast of Brazil, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI achieved a perfect end of the race to close his gap then widen his gap with SVR. “The film turned out really well. Sébastien and Armel were super strong, very relaxed throughout the race and focused on their subject”commented Ronan Lucas.
Winner in a monohull of the Vendée Globe in 2017, Le Cléac’h has been one of the figures of offshore racing since the early 2000s and his first coronation in the Solitaire du Figaro (2003). Having become the main skipper of Banque Populaire multihulls in 2013, he had bad luck on this medium for a long time. In 2014, suffering a hand injury, he was replaced at the last minute by Loïc Peyron, who won the Route du Rhum. In 2018, still on the Rhum, he capsized following two days of racing and came close to death.
“It will do him good if he wins. He is a very high level athlete and a great champion. But in a multihull, he never had the chance to show everyone what he might do. It will be a relief”Ronan Lucas estimated earlier in the day.
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