FDJ UNITED

Briton Mike Golding was on his third Vendée Globe when he entrusted Owen Clarke with the design of his third Ecover.

However, after a rather lacklustre Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 (5th) with Bruno Dubois, the skipper discovered that his keel was weakened. The boat subsequently dismasted offshore of Australia, whilst in 2nd place in the Vendée Globe… 3rd in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Spaniard Javier Sanso, the newly christened Président was chartered for the Barcelona World Race with Jean Le Cam and Bruno Garcia, but the IMOCA dismasted. Mike Golding took command again for another Transat Jacques Vabre in 2011, again with Bruno Dubois (9th), then she finished 6th in the Vendée Globe 2012-2013. A new Irish owner followed, Enda O’Coineen, who linked together a series of races from 2015 in preparation for the Vendée Globe 2016-2017, which stopped short in New Zealand following a dismasting. Arnaud Boissières then took possession of it to install foils and move the mast back one meter. Ninth in the Route du Rhum 2018, La Mie Câline - Artisans Artipôle finishes 18th in Salvador de Bahia in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2019 with Xavier Macaire, and a year later, the boat completes its fourth Vendée Globe in 15th place, skippered by Arnaud Boissières. Arnaud teamed up with Rodolphe Sépho to take part in the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre, then sold the IMOCA to the latter, whose aim was to take part in the 2022 Route du Rhum under the colours of Guadeloupe, his homeland. He finished 32nd. After his IMOCA sank in the same race, Fabrice Amedeo bought the Owen-Clarke design with a view to the next Vendée Globe. Fabrice and his team quickly decided to take a different route with this boat, replacing the foils with straight daggerboards and transforming the ballast tanks to increase performance. As a result, the boat is considerably lighter. The former Figaro journalist was able to tame his new steed in the races of 2023, in preparation for his third solo round the world voyage.