With an initial training session from 9 to 11 September and a second from 17 to 19, before switching to the Trophée Azimut in Lorient on 20, 21 and 22 September, the IMOCA sailors certainly aren’t standing idle in their preparations for the Transat Jacques Vabre.
The four crews attending the first session at Finistère’s offshore training centre have been fleshed out by a fifth duo made up of Marc Guillemot and Pascal Bidegorry aboard Safran. For Marc, it will have been a particularly studious week, as he took up the role of patron of the Challenge Safran from Friday 13, which gathered together over 110 crews from the group in nearby Concarneau.
Two new crews
There have been some fresh entries for the Transat Jacques Vabre too. Bertrand de Broc will be taking the start line aboard Votre Nom autour du Monde pour l’UNICEF, where he’ll pair up with Arnaud Boissières. The two men got to know each other and appreciate each other’s talents during the last Vendée Globe and their association is likely to earn them a great deal of public support.
Louis Burton also plans to take the start in Le Havre aboard Bureau Vallée. He’s opted to team up with Guillaume Le Brec, who may not be as well known amongst the general public, but is perfectly at ease on an IMOCA as he’s part of Jean-Pierre Dick’s shore crew and has overseen the whole of Virbac – Paprec 3’s preparation. Right now, Louis Burton has decided to launch into participatory funding in order to balance his budget.
The crews present in Port-la-Forêt:
Cheminées Poujoulat: Bernard Stamm – Philippe Legros
MACIF: François Gabart - Michel Desjoyeaux
Maître CoQ: Jérémie Beyou – Christopher Pratt
PRB: Vincent Riou – Jean Le Cam
Safran: Marc Guillemot – Pascal Bidegorry
Upcoming IMOCA programme:
17 – 19 September: training session
20 – 22 September: Trophée Azimut in Lorient
9 – 11 October: training session
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