Transat Jacques Vabre: Rogues and Souben win in 50-foot trimarans

In Fort-de-France

The arrivals ball started in Fort-de-France on the Transat Jacques Vabre.

At 9:54 p.m. local time on Monday (2:54 a.m. metropolitan time), Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben were the first to cross the line in the Baie des Flamands after 15 days, 13 hours, 27 minutes and 14 seconds of racing.

The

duo

won the race in the Ocean Fifty category, the 50-foot trimarans (15.24 meters).

Remember that the course was shorter for this category of boats (5,800 miles) than for the Ultim maxi-trimarans (7,500 miles).

The first of them

(Franck Cammas-Charles Caudrelier) is expected Tuesday morning. In the meantime, two more Ocean Fifty should have reached the pontoon, Koesio (Erwan Le Roux-Xavier Macaire) and Leyton (Sam Goodchild-Aymeric Chappellier).

Rogues and Souben, for their part, can already savor their triumph, two years after their 3rd place in the same Transat Jacques Vabre but in Salvador de Bahia (Brazil).

, Verdier plan launched in 2009, is the oldest boat in the fleet with GROUPE GCA - Mille et Un Sourires. A reliable mount with which Armel Tripon won the Route du rhum in 2018. Last May, Rogues and his crew suffered an impressive dismasting in Brest during the first stage of the Pro Sailing Tour. For the 35-year-old Parisian, who has already experienced the joys of victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2013 (first in Class40 with Fabien Delahaye), the year is ending in style.

Despite the late hour, the atmosphere was very cozy to welcome the winners in Fort-de-France due to the curfew in force in Martinique.

Monday was marked by the intrusion of anti-vaccination and anti-health pass protesters in the race village.

If no incident was to be deplored, the race management chose to temporarily put the arriving boats to safety.