Let's replay the game !

Corentin Horeau (MACSF), 4th at the finish: “It was a fantastic course, even though it was a bit full-on at the start with a cargo ship passing across the racetrack, forcing us to put in a couple of tack changes. I quite enjoyed the first leg, even though I wasn’t able to keep pace with the top three and ended up kind of on my own between the leaders and the chasing pack. When I got to Oléron, I fell into a bit of a strange zone. Seb Simon called me up on the VHF to tell me: ‘I’m coming; I’m right behind you…’ He was ten miles astern a little earlier! After that, a ridge of high pressure influenced play, so we were kind of in Figaro mode. I slipped under Charal but I pulled the helm across too fast and had to switch back onto the original tack.

All in all though, I’ve learned a lot and I’d say that I’m where I belong. I may have been a bit too brusque again, a bit too much in full-on Figaro mode, but these boats guzzle up more energy! It’s only my second solo race on an IMOCA so it’s a steep learning curve. It’s the first time I’ve raced with an OBR aboard and I don’t really know what to make of it… I’m usually jovial and chatty but inevitably I was in the zone and didn’t talk to him much. The sharing element is rather alien.

There are still lots of little things to work on between now and the Rhum. We’ll be making a few minor changes next week and I’ll continue sailing the boat to boost my confidence. I still have to wrap my head around a lot of things to get control of the machine. I’m developing my automatic reflexes at the moment but I’m gradually getting there…!”

Violette Dorange (Initiatives Cœur), 5th at the finish: “We had a lot of wind to begin with, an upwind start in 15-20 knots of breeze, a cargo ship carving through the middle and the rounding of the island of Groix, which adds to the complexity. Things went very smoothly for me. I pulled off all my manoeuvres and that put me up with the leaders. After that, the leg to BXA was a pretty impressive sprint. I was a little scared of not being up to speed on that leg, especially in relation to the new boats that have joined the circuit, but that section actually went really well. I managed to stay in the match and keep up with the others. Even though I lost a tiny bit of ground I held firm. I’ve learned loads once again and I’ve tested lots of things with a view to the Route du Rhum. We have a new sail aboard, the quad (downwind sail on the bowsprit), and it is clearly a good upgrade for the boat.

With its slot just before the Route du Rhum, this race is certainly excellent training and an important dress rehearsal to get a feel for things again. Barely 48 hours long, it was intense and I hardly slept. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and I’m very pleased with the work undertaken by all the team. Right now, it’s like we’re getting tunnel vision in terms of communication, preparing the boat and training, but this Défi Azimut is giving us increased confidence prior to the race meet in Saint Malo.”

Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes, Groupe Gueguiner), 6th at the finish: “Even in the calmer moments, conditions were shifty so you had to be constantly trimming. Sailing is always a pleasure on this boat though, even when it’s tough. It’s particularly true in this race, where the focus was on honing my skills. Equally, when you encounter issues, it’s all good training as you learn to adapt. I’ve had two great days aboard. We had a fantastic leg to the BXA mark. We had a brief respite in the light patch with some glorious sunshine, though it wasn’t necessarily easy. I got a chance to test quite a few things with my sails… and I’ve come out of this feeling really positive, even if the results were lacking. I can’t disregard that element completely as it’s bound to have an impact. For all that, given that we’ve just got the boat back in the water, I didn’t really have great expectations either. The plan wasn’t necessarily to pile on the pressure for a result. I feel more critical about things I didn’t do quite so well, which show me what I need to work on for the Route du Rhum.

Getting back into the swing of things after quite a long break always puts a bit of a strain on things. You soon forget the automatic reflexes that save you time and energy and in a 48 H race, the intensity and standard of the competition meant that I had a horrible morning with the wind in Audierne Bay, which meant that I was changing sails countless times! It was tough having to do all these manoeuvres, but it was an area I really wanted to work on so it will give me a certain amount of composure when I set sail on the Rhum. Sam (Goodchild) is setting an impressive standard. Congratulations to him. He’s absolutely untouchable. I don’t have quite the same boat, but she’s not far off, which means I can do better and that there’s a lot of room for improvement. The chasing pack, with Ambrogio (Beccaria) and Corentin (Horeau), is within my reach. I got off to a poor start with some technical issues on the very first beat at a time when it was important to do well. It felt like those at the front always had better conditions. Next time, the aim will be not to let the leading group steal a march on me at the start and to ensure that I’m more in the thick of the action.”