News
4.2.20
“The Great Escape”: 36,000 virtual players crossing the Atlantic on IMOCA boats
The Great Escape, a 3900-mile virtual race between La Rochelle et Curaçao (Caribbean) started at 1302hrs CET on Monday 23rd March.
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| Age | 27 (2/26/93) |
|---|---|
| Top performance | Solo Atlantic Record: 7d 16d 55mn, 2019 July, 19 |
| Joined Imoca on | 2016 |
| Team | La Fabrique Sailing Team |
| Base | LORIENT |
| Partners | La Fabrique, Swisspro, Prodis, Pemsa, MM Packaging, Emmi |
| Commitment | Zoé4Life helping families of children with cancer |
At 27 years of age, Alan Roura has already circumnavigated the globe several times in terms of the number of nautical miles he’s racked up. On the water from a very early age, he was eight years old when his family set sail around the world. The voyage was to last eleven years. On his return to Europe at 20, Alan participated in his first offshore race: the Mini Transat 2013. He followed that up on a Class40, taking part in the Route du Rhum 2014 and the Transat Jacques Vabre 2015.
Following a fantastic twelfth place in the Vendée Globe 2016, aboard one of the oldest boats in the fleet and with only a minimal budget, Alan Roura is setting out on another four-year project, with a more substantial budget and hence with fresh sporting, human and ideological objectives. With a programme that embraces the greatest races on the IMOCA circuit, culminating with the Vendée Globe 2020, Alan Roura will put these four years of work to good use with the aim of optimising his new steed and updating her through the notable addition of foils, these new appendages which enable yachts to ‘fly’ around the world.
It is a technological challenge par excellence, which will enable the Swiss skipper to compete for the top spots in his next round the world race. It’s also an opportunity for the young sailor to equip his boat with renewable energy systems so as further sublimate the values so cherished in the sailing domain, whilst continuing to promote his country by teaming up with partners who are ready to invest in his project and share the emotions which only offshore racing can access.
2019: Défi Azimut - 14th
2019: Rolex Fastnet Race - 8th
2019: Single handed North Atlantic crossing record - 7d 16h 55mn
2018: Route du Rhum - 7th
2018: Monaco Globe Series - 6th
2017: Transat Jacques Vabre - 9th
2016-17: Vendée Globe - 12th
2015: Transat Jacques Vabre - 10th in Class40
2015: Grand Prix Guyader - 7th
2014: Route du Rhum - Retired Class40
2013: Mini Transat - 11th
| Name | LA FABRIQUE |
|---|---|
| Sail number | SUI 07 |
| Architect | Finot - Conq |
| Construction | 2007, Chantier Multiplast, Vannes |
| Former names | Brit Air, Votre Nom autour du Monde, Renault Captur, MACSF |
| Length | 18,28 m |
| Beam | 5,90 m |
| Draught | 4,50 m |
| Weight | NC |
| Mast height | 29 m |
| Mast type | Wing mast |
| Foils | Yes |
| Sail area max. | |
| Upwind | 290 m2 |
| Downwind | 580 m2 |
| 2020 | Vendée Globe |
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The Great Escape, a 3900-mile virtual race between La Rochelle et Curaçao (Caribbean) started at 1302hrs CET on Monday 23rd March.
•••The summer news is rolling in off the presses for the IMOCA skippers, some of whom are preparing to switch to race mode for the Rolex Fastnet Race, which will set sail at the end of next week.
•••With the crews working on their boats to prepare for the Rolex Fastnet Race, which starts off Cowes on 3rd August, a lot is going on around the world in the IMOCA class.
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