This is a record edition of the Drheam Cup/Grand Prix de France offshore racing competition, which will be held from July 16 to 24. Nearly 100 boats have registered for the race between Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and La Trinité-sur-Mer. It will also be an opportunity for the giants of the seas - the Ultimate trimarans - to measure themselves against each other in their first race of the year. Deprived of the Transat CIC, they will be able to sail a course of 1?000 miles specially designed for them, with a long passage in the Irish Sea, between the Fastnet and the Isle of Man.
3 Ultimate
On the starting line on July 19, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild The winner of the Brest Atlantiques in December 2019, led by Charles Caudrelier and Franck Cammas. Morgan Lagravière, Erwan Israel, David Boileau and Yann Riou will complete the crew.
At his side, Sodebo Ultim 3 led by Thomas Coville and now totally flying, as she has new bearing surfaces on the daggerboard and central rudder.
"It will allow us to ramp up power, continue to fine-tune the crew, adjust the automatisms. Starting and completing a course is the best exercise you can do to prepare for a Jules Verne." explains Thomas Coville.
Indeed, the latter is preparing for the Jules Verne Trophy at the end of the year, as is Caudrelier-Cammas.
Finally, Yves le Blévec and his trimaran Actual will complete the trio of big trimarans. Amélie Grassi, Estelle Greck and Amélie Riou on the women's side; on the men's side, Anthony Marchand, associated with the experienced Alex Pella, co-skipper of Yves on Brest Atlantiques, will be alongside the skipper Actual Leader.
4 Multi50
In addition to the giants of the seas, the Drheam Cup/Grand Prix de France de Course au large will also welcome several Multi50s on a 736-mile course:
- Solidaires en Peloton-ARSEP led by Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, reigning champion. The latter will be accompanied by Billy Besson, skipper of the French SailGP team, Corentin Douguet and Louis Viat.
- Leyto n, (the former Arkema winner in 2016) newcomer to the class, led by Arthur Le Vaillant, who will no doubt be surrounded by his father Jean-Baptiste, a true multihull specialist, Aymeric Chappellier, who like him came from Class40, and Christophe Espagnon.
- Ciela Village The project was entrusted to Erwan Le Roux by its owner Thierry Bouchard.
- Primonial Sébastien Rogues, at the helm, whose optimisation work has been delayed due to the confinement, and who will do everything he can to be at the start.
Crew format for Class40
The Class40s, also deprived of the Transat Québec-Saint-Malo, will retain the crew format for the race. Banque du Léman, a representative of the new generation of 40-foot boats with its rounded scow-shaped bow, will be present, skippered by Swiss sailors Valentin Gautier and Simon Koster, accompanied by their compatriot Justine Mettraux.
Also on the start line will be Lamotte-Module Création, led by the British Malouin Luke Berry, Black Mamba, which is none other than the title-holder boat, which has passed from the hands of Yoann Richomme to those of the Norman Nicolas Jossier, the former Leyton now called Entraide Marine, skippered by Charles-Louis Mourruau, and Everial, with filmmaker/navigator Stan Thuret at the helm, surrounded by Lionel Garcia, Everial's managing director, and Roland Jourdain.
Solitaire Urgo Le Figaro dress rehearsal for the Solitaire Urgo Le Figaro
Almost all the contenders for victory will be present on a 428 mile course, which will serve as a qualifier for the Solitaire Urgo Le Figaro. Thus, Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire), Vendée Globe winner and two-time winner of the Solitaire, Vincent Riou (Capmar), back on the Figaro Bénéteau circuit, the ever-feared Gildas Mahé (Breizh Cola), the Cherbourg native Alexis Loison (Normandy Region), the British Sam Goodchild (Leyton), Phil Sharp (Oceans Lab) and Alan Roberts (Seacat Services), the Normand Fabien Delahaye (Loubsol), but also the young generation led by Tom Laperche (Bretagne CMB Espoir), winner of the Solo Maître CoQ at the end of June, Pierre Quiroga and Erwan Le Draoulec (Skipper Macif), Loïs Berrehar (Bretagne CMB Performance), Gaston Morvan, and two newcomers to the Figaro Bénéteau circuit, Elodie Bonafous (Bretagne CMB Performance) and Violette Dorange (Les Apprentis d'Auteuil).
