They are both ambassadors of the Mille SNSM. Armel Tripon wore the colors of the association at the Tour de Belle-Île while Kieran Le Borgne showed his support during the Festikite euros international kite festival. And they are both sailing on hydrofoils. Armel on his Multi50 Réauté Chocolat trimaran and Kieran on his kitefoil.
To highlight the SNSM euros whose sea rescuers save hundreds of boaters each year euros, the two skippers decided to embark on a new challenge. Starting from La Trinité sur mer, the skipper from Nantes and the kitesurfer from Brest will compete on the tour of the island of Houat, in the Morbihan. Waiting for a favorable weather window, they should set off between June 18 and 21 in Quiberon Bay.
"In order for it to remain a great space of freedom, we must continue to mobilize as much as possible, on the open sea and on the beaches, wherever the SNSM is called upon to intervene", explains Marc Sauvagnac, General Manager of the National Sea Rescue Society. Thus, this challenge has the objective of "to make the boating and water sports enthusiasts more aware of the SNSM's cause", as Xavier de la Gorce, the association's president, reminds us.
Even if their supports are very different, they are both capable of reaching speeds close to 40 knots (nearly 75 km/h!). They will be followed all along the course around the island of Houat by a semi-rigid assistance boat, which should last about 1 hour.
"I didn't hesitate for a second to get involved in the SNSM Mile. I would say that it is almost a sailor's duty to support those who look after our safety all year round. Personally, I've been lucky enough to have never encountered a fortune at sea, and I've never called the rescuers... This challenge is a great opportunity to honor the SNSM, a French tradition that must be maintained. With Kieran, we wish to salute the action of these volunteers and make our modest contribution to their daily commitment, by calling for vigilance on board and solidarity with others explains Armel Tripon.
"I'm from Brest, I'm passionate about kitesurfing, my father is a maritime pilot, my grandfather is from the island of Batz, so obviously the sea is my life! Therefore, I have always been in contact with the SNSM which has already come to pick me up when I was drifting in the middle of the night due to lack of wind. Of course, I study the weather forecast before each outing and I try to take all the necessary precautions (life jacket, helmet, "line cutter" knife, waterproof phone, follower on land, VHF sometimes), especially when I do long distances, but the sea is an unpredictable environment, so it is important to have people who look after our safety. The lifeguards are always there for us, today we want to race for them!" says Kieran Le Borgne.
With his "Mille SNSM" board, his wing and his orange wetsuit in the colors of the lifeguards and his yellow helmet with the SNSM logo, Kieran Le Borgne intends to compete with Armel Tripon and his 15-meter long multihull.
"I normally perform better than a trimaran in light airs, below 15 knots of wind in particular confides Kieran, world kitefoil hopeful. Armel and his boat are doing very well with the wind on the beam. Downwind, I will have a better advantage. And if his maximum speed is higher, my average speed is better. The challenge for me will be the physical aspect and managing fatigue. For Armel, the open sea and the big conditions are a daily occurrence, for me it's still exceptional. But I think it will be close.
