This Saturday, April 25, the 38 boats that started the Solo Maitre Coq, reached Les Sables-d'Olonne. After three coastal courses of about twenty miles at the beginning of last week and an offshore race of 2 days, it is finally Yann Eliès (Queguiner Leucemie espoir) who takes the 1st place ere place in the general ranking and Xavier Macaire (Skipper Herault), who won the big race. Finally, among the newcomers, Benjamin Dutreux, who had already won the first coastal races, won.
The word of the great winner, Yann Eliès: " I am very happy! It's not a big surprise, but a small one for me, because I didn't see myself doing so well on the smaller courses. To succeed in a big race like this is never obvious. Here, I am a little less surprised, because I know I have the weapons to do it, but I still had to do it. I am happy for these two reasons. But just because you win two pre-season races doesn't mean you win the Solitaire du Figaro. It has to give you confidence, but I am aware that there will be Jérémie, Xavier, Adrien, Charlieâeuros¦ all of them, who will be favorites like me. And if not, there is my little Vincent Busnel (the usual preparer of Yann's boat, injured) who resumes work on Monday and that's rather bad news for my competition, because if I am in shape, and I get my favorite preparer back, it's going to kick in!"
The Solo Maitre Coq is the opening race of the French Elite Ocean Racing Championship. Thanks to its 2 e place in the offshore race, he won the Solo Maitre Coq and beat the title holder, Jéremie Beyou (Maître Coq) and Morgan Lagravière (Safran).
Xavier Macaire arrived in Sable d'Olonne this Saturday morning, April 25, taking the victory in the offshore race. Yann Eliès (Queguiner Leucémie espoir) and Adrien Hardy (Agir Recouvrement) followed.
"Leg victory, that sounds good, it's a pleasure for a passionate sailor! Hearing "stage victory", is that a question or a statement? I did it! That's great! I'm really happy! It went really well, I had a few ideas in my head that went really well, like for example going up between Yeu Island and the coast, hugging the coast, to keep the wind as long as possible, and then there were times when I had questions, when nothing was sure until I got there. Several times I made the right choices, before the island of Ré for example. I had a good feeling! I didn't stress about the end, because I didn't know it was the end. We didn't know it until one nautical mile from the finish" explains the winner of the offshore race.
Photo credits: Christophe Favreau
General ranking
- Yann Eliès (Groupe Quéguiner Leucémie espoir), 25.5 pts
- Jérémie Beyou (Maître CoQ), 45 pts
- Morgan Lagravière (Safran), 52.2 pts
- Gildas Morvan (Cercle vert), 67.5 pts
- Adrien Hardy (Agir recouvrement), 69 pts
- Yoann Richomme (Skipper Macif 2014), 69 pts
- Charlie Dalin (Skipper Macif 2015), 69 pts
- Paul Meilhat (SMA), 79.5 pts
- Xavier Macaire (Skipper Hérault), 84 pts
- Adrien Hardy (Agir recouvrement), 87 pts
- Thierry Chabagny (Gedimat), 90 pts
- Sébastien Simon (Bretagne CMB espoir), 91.5 pts
- Alexis Loison (FIVA Group), 94.5 pts
- Nick Cherry (Redshift), 100.5 pts
- Gwénolé Gahinet (Safran Guy Cotten), 100.5 pts
- Vincent Biarnès (Guyot environnement), 111 pts
- Jackson Bouttell (GAC Concise), 112.5 pts
- *Benjamin Dutreux (Team Vendée), 118.5 pts
- Aymeric Arthaud (Reel GPO Automobiles), 151.5 pts
- Alan Roberts (Magma structures), 156 pts
- Henry Bomby (Rockfish red), 160.5 pts
- Corentin Horeau (Bretagne CMB performance),162 pts
- Corentin Douguet (Un maillot pour la vie), 162 pts
- Isabelle Joschke (Generali Horizon mix), 166.5 pts
- Sam Matson (Chatham Marine), 166.5 pts
- *Rob Bunce (Artemis 37), 172.5 pts
- *Martin Le Pape (Ovimpex secours populaire), 174 pts
- Alain Gautier (Generali 40), 174 pts
- *Robin Elsey (Artemis 43), 175.5 pts
- *Benoit Mariette (Entrepose), 180 pts
- Clément Salzes (Bordeaux Terre Atlantique), 192 pts
- *Sophie Faguet (Basse-Normandie Region), 222 pts
- Claire Pruvot (Port of Caen Ouistreham), 243 pts
- *Nicolas Thomas (Guadeloupe Grand Large 1), 244.5 pts
- Yannick Evenou (Law and Wine), 246 pts
- *Arthur Prat (Guadeloupe Grand Large 2), 249 pts
- *Yves Ravot (Maluel), 255 pts
- *Andrew Baker (Artemis 23), 262.5 pts
- *Marc Pouydebat (Ilona), 286.5 pts
- *Tolga Pamir (One day one man one tree), 287 pts
- Yannig Livory (Lorientreprendre), 297 pts
* = newbie
Ranking of the big race
- Xavier Macaire (Skipper Hérault)
- Yann Eliès (Groupe Quéguiner Leucémie espoir)
- Jérémie Beyou (Maitre CoQ)
- Gildas Morvan (Cercle vert)
- Yoann Richomme (Skipper Macif 2014)
- Thierry Chabagny (Gedimat)
- Charlie Dalin (Skipper Macif 2015)
- Morgan Lagravière (Safran)
- Alexis Loison (Fiva Group)
- Paul Meilhat (SMA)
- Sébastien Simon (Bretagne CMB espoir)
- Aymeric Arthaud (Reel PGO Automobiles)
- Robin Elsey (Artemis 43)
- Alan Roberts (Magma structures)
- Isabelle Joschke (Generali Horizon mix)
- Benjamin Dutreux (Team Vendée)
- Jackson Bouttell (GAC Concise)
- Nick Cherry (Redshift)
- Sam Matson (Chatham Marine)
- Gwénolé Gahinet (Safran Guy Cotten)
- Vincent Biarnès (Guyot environnement)
- Sophie Faguet (Basse-Normandie Region)
- Martin Le Pape (Ovimpex Secours populaire)
- Benoit Mariette (Entrepose)
- Corentin Horeau (Bretagne CMB performance)
- Clément Salzes (Bordeaux Terre Atlantique)
- Rob Bunce (Artemis 37)
- Corentin Douguet (Un maillot pour la vie)
- Nicolas Thomas (Guadeloupe Grand Large 1)
- Arthur Prat (Guadeloupe Grand Large 2)
- Claire Pruvot (Port of Caen Ouistreham)
- Henry Bomby (Rockfish red)
- Yannick Evenou (Law and wine)
- Yves Ravot (Maluel)
- Andrew Baker (Artemis 23)
- Tolga Pamir (One day one man one tree)
- Marc Pouydebat (Ilona)
DNF Alain Gautier (Generali 40)
DNS Yannig Livory (Lorientreprendre)
DPIi Adrien Hardy (Agir recouvrement)
