Sunday afternoon, in Les Sables d'Olonne, on the Vendée Globe pontoon.
It was under the gaze of thousands of Sodebo employees, accompanied by their families, that Thomas Coville had his maxi-trimaran christened by his godfather Olivier de Kersauson.
Having left La Trinité-sur-Mer in the morning, Sodebo Ultim'arrived in the Vendée in the late afternoon for its baptism. And it was none other than Olivier de Kersauson, who had the honour of breaking the bottle of champagne at the bow of the giant, 30 metres long and 21 metres wide. Launched on 19 May last, Sodebo Ultim' is none other than the former Geronimo, from Kersauson, which has undergone many changes in a year and a half of construction. He also confided " All my ships have had a second life. This story is a continuation of the adventures we've had. Thomas sailed with me. That rig, it had to live. Boats are made to sail, it is the nobility of our profession to continue the adventure in the true sense of the word. Consistency is to bring something to the future with the means we have." . And this is not the first time the two skippers have met, as it is a true friendship that has bound them since their joint participation in the Jules Vernes Trophy in 1997. As proof of this, the two men have confided in each other about their relationship "With Thomas, we have a real connection from the Jules Verne Trophy. This is not friendship of circumstance." explains Olivier de Kersauson and Thomas Coville to add "Olivier de Kersauson was the first person who trusted me and took me around the world."
So it's a beautiful story that begins for Sodebo Ultim' and Thomas Coville. This week, the skipper will in fact resume training and physical preparation before heading to Saint-Malo for 24th October.
