To accompany him on his Atlantic crossing aboard Actual, Yves le Blévec has called on particularly eclectic profiles. "The same determination to seek out safe performance, an indispensable human cohesion and a precious feminine touch" says the team in a press release to qualify its crew. Discovery of the four crew members who will accompany the skipper of the red and black trimaran.
"We never lose sight of the fact that the ultimate goal of this Ultim Actual project is the round-the-world tour of 2019. Safety is a must. This crew is therefore efficient, it will function well humanely and, above all, it will know how to be safe", sums up the skipper Actual.
Jean-Baptiste Vaillant, the "Master" Multi
Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant has a great deal of experience on ocean-going multihulls and has been with Yves le Blévec since he took over Actual. She is one of the masterpieces of this transatlantic quintet.
Yves Le Blévec: "It's an important presence that has conditioned the rest of the crew. Jean-Bapt' is an added value in terms of experience, seriousness and safety. It's the securo-performance element. We've been sailing together for a long time in Multi50s, there was the Vendée Saint Petersburg in 2010 in particular. And he has also been with us since our first tacks in Ultim. It's a great collaboration, we get on very well and I'm delighted to have him on board."
Samantha Davies, the experienced multi-talented
Yves le Blévec has always favoured mix and diversity among his crews and the same goes for The Bridge.
"Sam is above all experienced: she has a Vendée Globe, the Volvo Ocean Race and her recent work as a sailor with the Sodebo team to her credit... I'm very serene about our collaboration. And it's always a pleasure and a big plus to have a girl on board, the boys always behave better in the presence of a woman" says the skipper of Actual.
Davy Beaudart, the energetic ministe
"Born in Mini", like 80% of this crew, Davy Beaudart is also in charge of a maintenance yard for racing boats. This humble and hard-working perfectionist quickly found his place aboard the giant trimaran.
Yves Le Blevec: "We've been working with Davy for a long time, both through his yard and as a crew member aboard the Mach 6.50, the Multi50 and the Ultim since last year. For the Ultim, Davy is not a seraglio, but I know that with him we have a solid performance advantage. He sails very well and has good energy. I have very good memories of his involvement in last year's circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight: "When he's on deck, I can sleep well, he can go fast, but he's very careful."
Stanilas Thuret, the 5th e man
This will be the eye of Team Actual on this Transat Ultim vs The Queen Mary. This filmmaker-skipper is preparing the Mini Transat, but we know him above all thanks to his videos full of humor about the world of ocean racing. On The Bridge, aboard the Ultim Actual, Stan will be keen to reveal all the workings of a crew: the alchemy necessary for it to work properly. And, thanks to the magic of live action, he will also have an eye on the opponent, the Queen Mary..
Yves Le Blevec: "I wish there was a video specialist on board. What Stan is doing for his Mini project is really interesting, modern and offbeat. He's a professional filmmaker, so we can rely on real skills. And he's passionate about ocean racing, he's super enthusiastic and very nice: major assets in a crew!"
