Transat Saint-Barth – Port la Forêt, Fabrice Amedeo, first to sign up!

The skipper of Newrest-MatMut is the first skipper to officially sign up for the Transat Saint-Barth – Port la Forêt. It’s a fresh challenge in the career of the skipper journalist who, for the very first time, will race, singlehanded, at the helm of an IMOCA 60.

“It’s a major first for me. Even though it will be my 9th transatlantic and my 3rd in solo configuration, it’s a whole new challenge to be alone at the helm of an IMOCA. Though I’m approaching the Transat Jacques Vabre very calmly as I’ll be competing in double-handed configuration with Eric Péron, who is an experienced sailor, the Saint-Barth – Port la Forêt equates to jumping in at the deep end.

I know the race could well be tough. It’s a winter transatlantic, which is likely to involve downwind conditions, with a high percentage of strong wind. That will give us a foretaste of what may come in the Vendée Globe. I feel really excited at the prospect of managing to qualify for the round the world prior to the Christmas and New Year celebrations. If all goes well, I could be spending Christmas with my family, my peace of mind restored. I’m very much looking forward to it. We’re really going to step things up a gear…”