Last race onboard Maître CoQ IV for Yannick and Jean-Marie

Intense warm conditions for the pair onboard the winning Vendée Globe IMOCA. This will be the last time Yannick races with Maître CoQ IV before she heads on to her new owner.
It was a memorable course as Yannick sailed alongside his boat captain, Jean-Marie Dauris. A few quotes from the skippers below.
Yannick Bestaven:"Who came up with the idea for the course? We were bursting with heat! It was difficult because we suffered from the lack of wind, it was a very long race, we battled quite a bit with our friends Prysmian Group and Fortinet - Best Western, equivalent boats. They were only a ‘clouds distance’ infront on Thursday I think, and then they've gone. That's the charm of sailing races. We are where we should be. I don't think there's any more debate about big foils, we saw that in Etretat, they're gone. Jean-Marie knows the boat by heart, and he also wanted to sail it. It was my last race aboard this beautiful boat, and this morning there was a little twinge of sadness. The route was a bit atypical. The boat is fine, we didn't break anything, it's ready to go again. We're going to start looking at what's next, with a new boat arriving in the near future."
Jean-Marie Dauris:"It was like a gym every day, with all those gybes. There were a lot of manoeuvres, that's for sure, a bit like the finish. But it was good, it was very nice. It's good, as part of the preparation for the Vendée Globe, to understand how things work internally, by being on board. It's not the same feeling as talking on the phone, it's interesting.”
Teams info
Countdown begins as The Ocean Race sets its sights on 2027 start in Alicante
Following The Ocean Race Atlantic, attention shifts to Alicante, the Puerto de Salida (start port) for the around the world race
•••Thomas Ruyant: “I will not be at the start of the next Route du Rhum”
My disappointment is immense. This race holds a special place in my history. I have competed in it and won it twice. As the defending champion, I was obviously very keen to come back and defend that victory.
•••