It will be Loïck Peyron who will replace Armel le Cléac'h. The verdict fell yesterday morning and everyone had their say in welcoming this news, with many reactions to this event. The one who was supposed to race the Route du Rhum 2014 on board Happy, in the manner of Mike Birch, winner of the 1st edition of the Transatlantic race in 1978, with sextants and charts, has been seduced by the maxi-trimaran of more than 31 meters.
Everyone has their own comments on the replacement of Armel le Cléac'h by Loïck Peyron
On Twitter, there have been many comments on the change of course of the Baulais, starting with Thomas Coville, who will be at the helm of the maxi trimaran Sodebo, in the same category as Loïck Peyron. In a first tweet he indicated that it was not "not a surprise" followed by a second "This is the only race missing from his already eloquent record of achievement! @loickpeyron is a serious candidate for the final victory" 2/2" .
On Facebook he commented at length on Loïck Peyron's participation: "It's not a surprise because there weren't many contenders who could put on the oilskin! This is the only classic race that is really missing from his already impressive record. He has the legitimacy to go on all the boats in the world today... I knew this position of last minute replacement with Yves Parlier on the Route du Rhum 1998 and it was undoubtedly one of the turning points in my life as a sailor even if at the time, I was rather the "young kid" who was given his chance. And if Loïck has never been at the top of the Aiguille Verte, associated with one of the biggest French sailing teams, he remains a solid candidate for the final victory."
On the side of Prince de Bretagne, another Ultime present at the sides of Loïck Peyron on the Route du Rhum 2014, one tweets "Considering his track record it's a good choice (sic) to have selected Loïck!"
Not to mention the many other comments on the good choice of Banque Populaire to choose the skipper from Nantes.
A choice that proved difficult for the Baulais navigator
According to his new Banque Populaire team, Loïck Peyron has "several weeks to take the boat in hand. It is ready, there are still some technical details" . They also add "What's good for Loïck is that he has all the experience of the team to lead this boat single-handed" .
On the sailor's side, the choice was not easy as he indicates it on tweeter. In an interview given to the Telegramme, which you can find here he explains that he was contacted by Banque Populaire on August 23 while he was doing his qualification on Happy. After having declined the offer at first, he came back on his position because for him it was an honor and a great opportunity. The man who asked to test the Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII before making his decision is seeing some pressure fall on his shoulders. He should leave this evening to complete his qualification.
Will the three-time winner of the English Transat, four-time winner of the ORMA World Championship, two-time winner of the Transat Jacques-Vabre, the Barcelona World Race and eight-time winner of the Trophée Clairefontaine be the new favorite for this 2014 edition of the Route du Rhum? He has already participated 6 times in the Transatlantic race but has never managed to win it, will he succeed this time? And what do you think? Has Banque Populaire made a good choice in Loïck Peyron? Can he finish as winner or in the top three?
