News
4.5.23
Stories of resolve and resilience as 11th Hour Racing Team and Biotherm finish in Itajai
11th Hour Racing Team claims third place, leaving Biotherm in fourth place on arrival in Itajaí.
•••
| Age | 43 (9/3/79) |
|---|---|
| Top performance | 3-time Paralympic Games medalists in 2.4mR, 5 world titles |
| Joined Imoca on | 2018 |
| Team | Groupe APICIL |
| Base | Lorient (FRANCE) |
| Partners | Groupe APICIL, Mutuelle Intégrance, Mutuelle MBTP, Gresham, Intencial, Veralti, One Life |
| Commitment | Founder of Feet and Hands for more access to water sports for people with disabilities |
Born without his left hand, Damien Seguin still manages to combine two careers: one in Paralympic sailing, the other in offshore racing. Triple Paralympic medallist in the 2.4 mR (gold medal in Athens and Rio and a silver in Beijing) and fifth-time world champion in this discipline, Damien first got into offshore racing in 2005 via the Figaro.
The skipper then moved on to the Class40 (12-metre long monohull) and took part in a number of races: transatlantic races as well as two Route du Rhum races in 2010 and 2014... Determined and constantly looking to improve, the skipper, who for years has been able to convince people that his disability was not a hindrance to his immersion in the world of able-bodied sports, is now tackling a major challenge: the Vendée Globe.
Damien Seguin will have had a remarkable Vendée Globe in the 2020-2021 edition. The first to complete his round the world voyage in a straight daggerboard IMOCA boat and sixth in the general ranking, at the finish, the double Olympic champion declared: "I have always wanted my race to be a form of symbol, being a top level sportsman means, for me, being the showcase for his sport."Mission accomplished for Damien, who has proved that it is no longer a question of whether a disabled athlete can race in the Vendée Globe.
In 2022, Damien continued his good results on the IMOCA circuit, finishing 9th in the Vendée Arctique and the Guyader Bermuda 1000 Race. Unfortunately, during the famous Route du Rhum at the end of the year, Damien Seguin dismasted after being hit by a cargo ship, so he was forced to retire.
In 2023, he was called by Paul Meilhat to sail on Biotherm in The Ocean Race. He took part in 3 legs, including the one between Cape Town and Itajaí, the longest race ever organised.
For the first race in France, the Guyader Bermuda 1000 Race, he will sail on Initiatives-Cœur with Samantha Davies.
2023: Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 5th (on Initiatives-Cœur with Sam Davies)
2022: Route du Rhum - Retired (colision, dismated)
2022: Vendée Arctique - 9th
2022: Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 9th
2021: Transat Jacques Vabre - 11th
2021: Défi Azimut - Lorient Agglomération - 10th
| Name | GROUPE APICIL |
|---|---|
| Sail number | FR 13 |
| Architect | VPLP - Verdier |
| Construction | 2014, CDK Technologies, Port la Forêt |
| Former names | SAFRAN, Des voiles et vous, Maître CoQ IV |
| Length | 18,28 m |
|---|---|
| Beam | 5,80 m |
| Draught | 4,50 m |
| Weight | 8 tonnes |
| Mast height | 29 m |
| Mast type | Wing mast |
| Foils | Yes |
| Sail area max. | |
| Upwind | 310 m2 |
| Downwind | 550 m2 |
11th Hour Racing Team claims third place, leaving Biotherm in fourth place on arrival in Itajaí.
•••The spectacular finish of Leg 2 in The Ocean Race demonstrates that you don’t need more than five boats to make a classic, and this one is already showing signs of being just that.
•••Amélie Grassi, a member of the Biotherm crew, tells us about the start of the race from on board.
•••