Head over to Lorient from 18 to 22 September for the ninth edition of the Défi Azimut. More than twenty IMOCAs are signed up, including the 2019 foilers never before seen out on the racetrack. This year, the Défi Azimut is proposing a new event format with a 48-hour double-handed race to flesh out the 'Runs' and the 'Tour de Groix': Five full days of top-flight competition and good humour.

The Défi Azimut, created in 2011 by AZIMUT (a company specialized in IT solutions) has become a meeting that is eagerly awaited by the IMOCA skippers who continue to appreciate the great competitive spirit and the festive atmosphere of the race. The fine history of this race endures like no other and its success cannot be denied, quite the contrary! 

This year, Jean-Marie Corteville, director of the company, has decided to take things up a notch: “on a competitive level, we have fleshed out the event with the notable addition of a 48hr offshore race. Moreover, in terms of the berthing plan, all the IMOCAs will be grouped together in Lorient La Base. It is ambitious but also essential to the quality of the exchanges, which remains a core value for the Défi Azimut.  

THE IDEAL PROGRAMME WITH GREAT HEADLINE ACTS

It is no longer three but five days of top-level racing and celebration that will make the event a success in mid-September in Lorient. Cleverly positioned in the race calendar, the Défi Azimut takes place five weeks before the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre (start in Le Havre, 27 October). Run in double-handed configuration this year, the race is intended to be more than just a warm-up lap. Indeed, more than twenty boats, including fifteen foilers, will be competing in Lorient from 18 September on a new and improved format. 

Vincent Riou, winner of the 2018 edition, will be competing alongside Sébastien Simon once again. Their new IMOCA, Arkea Paprec, designed by J. Kouyoumdjian, will certainly be one of the boats to watch during the race since it will be her first appearance in France against the best 60 footers of the day. The clash with Thomas Ruyant on his new Verdier design, hopefully accompanied by Charlie Dalin's boat, Apivia (another Verdier foiler), promises to be equally exciting, with Jérémie Beyou's 2018 Charal serving as the reference (VPLP design). So with four IMOCAs at the cutting edge of the current technology, designed by three architects who each bring their own vision of the ideal foiler to the fore, the line-up is both original and highly promising.

 KNOW-HOW AND SURPRISES  

With such a stellar line-up, the AZIMUT company has inevitably rallied together all its partners to make the event a success. Thanks to its manager ‘Sellor’, the IMOCA fleet will be docked in Lorient La Base, an amazing logistical accomplishment when you consider the space required by the ever more impressive new foils. Innovative digital means and the networking of some thirty media and on-board ‘media men’ will make it possible to offer some truly unique images too. 

Moreover, rumour has it that the Runs may well see numerous former IMOCA skippers and other Vendée Globe legends invited to join in the celebrations…



Registered teams

1 - ARKEA PAPREC Sébastien Simon & Vincent Riou FR-FR
2 - BANQUE POPULAIRE X Clarisse Crémer & Armel le Cléac'h FR-FR
3 - CHARAL Jérémie Beyou & Christopher Pratt FR-FR
4 - CORUM L'EPARGNE Nicolas Troussel & Jean Le Cam FR-FR
5 - GROUPE APICIL Damien Seguin & Yoann Richomme FR-FR
6 - GROUPE SETIN Manu Cousin & Gildas Morvan FR-FR
7 - INITIATIVES COEUR Samantha Davies & Paul Meilhat GB-FR
8 - LA FABRIQUE Alan Roura & Sébastien Audigane SUI-FR
9 - LA MIE CALINE ARTIPOLE Arnaud Boissières & Xavier Macaire FR-FR
10 - MAITRE CoQ IV Yannick Bestaven et Roland Jourdain FR-FR
11 - MALIZIA 2 YACHT CLUB DE MONACO Boris Hermann et Will Haris GER-GB
12-  NEWREST - ART & FENETRES Fabrice Amédéo et Eric Péron FR-FR
13 - PRB Kevin Escoffier et Nicolas Lunven FR-FR
14 - PRYSMIAN GROUP Giancarlo Pedote & Anthony Marchand ITA-FR
15 - ADVENS Thomas RUYANT & Antoine Koch FR-FR
16 - BUREAU VALLEE 2 Louis Burton & Davy Beaudart FR-FR
17 - V AND B MAYENNE Maxime Sorel & Guillaume Le Brec FR-FR
18 - VERS UN MONDE SANS SIDA Erik Nigon & Vincent Le Serec FR-FR
19 - 11TH HOUR Charlie Enright & Pascal Bidegorry US-FR
20 - MACSF Isabelle Joschke & Morgan Lagravière FR-FR
21 - PURE Romain Attanasio FR
22 - TIME FOR OCEANS Stéphane Le Diraison & Francois Guiffant FR-FR
23 - DMG MORI Kojiro Shiraishi & Gilles Campan JAP-FR