After the world, Europe.
Well, not for all ... Of the thirty-three boats at the start of the last edition of the Vendée Globe concluded by the triumph of Yannick Bestaven, only three Imoca will start this Saturday (1:45 p.m., live on
Eurosport
) in Lorient of the first stage of a new race, The Ocean Race Europe. Contested in crews, this event will be the opportunity for Louis Burton (3rd in the Vendée Globe on another Bureau Vallée monohull), Thomas Rettant (6th on LinkedOut) and Nicolas Troussel (forced to retire from the first days of the race after a dismasting de son Corum L'Epargne) to dive back into the whirlpool bath of the race after a well-deserved rest. On the program three stages and 2,000 miles to go, between Lorient, Cascais (Portugal), Alicante (Spain) and Genoa (Italy) with two other crews, those of the American 11th Hour Racing Team (with Pascal Bidégorry) and of the German Offshore Team Germany.
If Benjamin Dutreux (9th in the recent round-the-world trip) embarks with this last team without much chance of victory on a boat with straight daggerboards, Clarisse Crémer (12th) may have more hope of shining on the foiling boat of Thomas Rouillard, happy to finally set off again at sea with the navigator.
“She had really impressed me when she took
2nd place in the Mini-Transat and she signed a great Vendée Globe.
She learns quickly and it pays off.
With Morgan Lagravière, she completes the crew well.
And the mix (imposed by the organizers, at least one woman among the four sailors), it's great.
It creates a good atmosphere, ”notes the Northerner.
Better than in a shed
"I have a banana, he admits to
Le Figaro."
. It had been three and a half months since I had pulled on one end, it was starting to itch. And being on the water is better than being in a shed. It's going to be a great trip and sportingly, even if there aren't many of us, it's going to be exciting and a good speed test for the Transat Jacques Vabre with Morgan. ” For this big meeting of the season (departure on November 7 from Le Havre to Fort-de-France), the majority of Vendée Globe sailors have therefore chosen to shun this Ocean Race Europe, preferring to focus on the water of their boat after long post round-the-world verification projects or get busy for the construction of a new boat. "Too bad for them, I'm sure they are jealous now to see us go and regret not being there", laughs Rouillard,finally rested after a planetary regatta exhausting nervously and physically. "It took to recover and get back in the head but having a partner invested in time allows us to move forward."
Thomas Rouillard and his crewPierre Bouras
Serene about his future, Thomas Rettant, like all solo sailors (or almost), is happy to switch from time to time in crew mode in order to be able to push the limits of his machine further and draw a quintessence unattainable solo. "It's important for the future, it allows you to gain confidence." Equipped with a port foil version 1 (the 2 having been broken during the Vendée Globe) and a version 2 on starboard, he knows that he will have to whip in front of the three other foiling boats during these short stages of 3 -4 days. And in particular that of Nicolas Troussel who did not have time to demonstrate his full potential before dismasting on the “VG” and who is embarking a “dream team” with Sébastien Josse, Marie Riou and Benjamin Schwartz. "On paper it may be the fastest but everyone is dangerous."
Another class of boat, the Vor 65, used during The Ocean Race, the crewed round-the-world tour with stopovers (notably won by Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier), is also lining up at the start of this tour of Europe (including a skippered by Yoann Richomme).
Without fear for Thomas Rettant: “We are four tons lighter than them and we have foils that they don't have.
Normally there will be no match. ”
In sailing, “normally” is not a word sailors know they can rely on.
But there, it would take a miracle (and capricious weather) for the stars of the Vendée Globe to be beaten.
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