The skippers
Yann Eliès and sailing is a story that began at a very young age. Every weekend Yann, his brother and his parents go on a cruise around the island of Brehat. That's how the young man dreams of being a sailing adventurer.
Competition is in his blood âeuros his grandfather was an ocean racer âeuros he discovered it on the pontoons of the Solitaire du Figaro. At that time, he met his father on the stages of the race then called Course de l'Aurore. After having done his training there, the father figure won the race in 1979, when Yann Eliès was 5 years old.
As he grew up, it was only natural that he turned to the Optimist, where he practiced his talents. As for his studies, he stopped attending school before the end of his senior year and found a qualification contract in a sailmaker's shop in La Baule, which enabled him to obtain a diploma. His dream is to become a professional.
Adept at the minimum, but particularly gifted, he won the Challenge Espoir Crédit Agricole in 1997. And that's when it all began. He was 23 years old when he took part in his first Solitaire du Figaro and, given his results in the pre-season races, he thought he would have a good race. But with a 24-hour delay on the first leg, he realized that sailing was a real profession.
Yann Eliès - credit : Alexis Courcoux
In 2001, Yann Eliès had a breakdown. While competing in The Race, he was injured and had to leave the adventure. This is how he understood that he was not ready, neither physically nor mentally, for the race. And talent is not everything. He literally changes to become a real professional: weather training, training, resistance to effort� And his efforts pay off because in 2002, he wins his first stage victory in the Solitaire du Figaro.
In parallel to this race, of which he is faithful, he multiplies experiences and joins Bruno Peyron's crew on the multihull Orange. For 4 years, he participated in the Jules Verne Trophy adventure.
He then set himself a new goal: the Vendée Globe. In 2008, he launched himself into the race. On December 18, while he was working on the bow of his boat south of Australia, his monohull crashed into a wave. Ejected, Yann fractured his femur, but miraculously managed to hang on to the ropes and pull himself aboard. Prostrate with pain, he waited 3 days for the rescue services to pull him out of this hell. This was followed by months of rehabilitation and the loss of his sponsor, Generali, since 1999. The ordeal was tough, but Yann got his head up.
After several months of rehabilitation, Yann Eliès found a new sponsor for the Solitaire du Figaro. He won the 2012 edition in the Queguiner colors, 33 years after his father.
In 2013, Yann Eliès repeated his victory in the Solitaire du Figaro and won the Transat Jacques Vabre with Erwan Le Roux in the Multi50 class. In 2014, he dismasted on the first leg of the Solitaire du Figaro, but won the race in 2015. In 2014, he replaced Jean-Pierre Dick on the Route du Rhum, on an MOD70 and won a 7 e place.
Charlie Dalin started out in Optimist and then in 420. In 2002, with his baccalaureate in hand, he crossed the Channel to join the Southampton School of Naval Architecture to combine his passion for sailing with good knowledge.
In England, he developed a passion for liveaboard sailing and quickly revealed his potential for offshore sailing. After graduating, he joined the Ericsson project in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 and settled in Stockholm, Sweden, to work with the architects. New experiences arise and lead Charlie to expand his professional skills in Thailand and Australia to take part in the construction of a maxi-trimaran.
Charlie Dalin - credit : Alexis Courcoux
In 2009, he embarked on the adventure of the Mini-Transat on a production boat and without a sponsor. He is quickly rewarded by a victory on the first stage and a second place in the general ranking. 2011 marks a new turning point since Keopsys supports him for the Figaro Bénéteau circuit, for two seasons.
Over the seasons, Charlie Dalin has progressed rapidly: Charlie has become one of the leaders in the French Elite Single-handed Ocean Racing Championship. Winner of the Transat AG2R La Mondiale in 2012 alongside Gildas Morvan, he finished 3rd in the Solitaire du Figaro-Eric Bompard Cachemire and French Champion in 2014, then 2nd in the 2015 Solitaire. An edition won by a certain Yann Eliès.
The boat
The first boat to be designed by Guillaume Verdier and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost was then optimized by Safran's engineers. The result is an impressive list of achievements, including a Round Britain Race record and victories in the 2012 Armen Race, the 2010 Tour of Spain, the Transat Jacques Vabre and the 2009 SNSM Record. Fast and efficient, Safran remains a benchmark and a formidable weapon for winning around the world.
Technical specifications
| Class | Imoca |
| Sail number | FRA 29 |
| Architect | VPLP-Verdier |
| Job site | Larros Shipyard |
| Year of launch | 2007 |
| Length | 18,24 m |
| Width | 5,70 m |
| Draft | 4,50 m |
| Height matte | 27 m |
| Keel sail | Titanium |
| Upwind sail area | 300 m2 |
| Sail area downwind | 650 m2 |
| Home port | Lorient |
| Source of energy production on board | Diesel engine and hydro generator |
Awards
| Race | Skippers | Running time | Ranking |
| Rolex Fastnet Race (16/08/2015) | Yann Eliès & Charlie Dalin | 2 | |
| Route du Rhum (02/11/2014) | Marc Guillemot | 13d 1h 59'' 20' | 3 |
| New York - Barcelona (01/06/2014) | Marc Guillemot | TDR | |
| Transat Jacques Vabre 2013 (07/11/2013) | Marc Guillemot & Pascal Bidégorry | 17d 4h 43' 23'' | 2 |
| Rolex Fastnet Race (11/08/2013) | Marc Guillemot & Pascal Bidégorry | 2d 21h 57' 40'' | 7 |
| Vendée Globe 2012-2013 (10/11/2012) | Marc Guillemot | TDR | |
| Transat B to B (05/12/2011) | Marc Guillemot | 6 | |
| Transat Jacques Vabre 2011 (30/10/2011) | Marc Guillemot | 6 | |
| Route du Rhum (31/10/2010) | Marc Guillemot | 14d 12h 28'' 2' | 3 |
