An almost complete IMOCA class
In 2018, the IMOCA class will have 20 skippers - 17 men and 3 women - of 5 different nationalities. By way of comparison, there were 9 in 2014 and never more than 13 in the 40-year history of the race. It must be said that in 4 years, the IMOCA class has evolved a lot, with technological and complex boats, equipped with foils for half of the participants. Never seen before!
Of the 10 foilers, six were born with these large appendages: Bureau Vallée, Charal, Hugo Boss, Malizia II-Yacht Club de Monaco, Newrest-Art & Fenêtres, UCAR-Saint Michel. The other four, Initiatives-C?ur, La Fabrique, La Mie Câline-Artipôle and PRB, have been transformed during their existence.
Six favourites, foil advantage
The competition is therefore expected to be intense with a crossing estimated at only 11 days. François Gabart, the defending champion, had completed the same course in 12d 4h 38mn 55s, doing better than Laurent Bourgnon in 1998 on his ORMA trimaran. This means that the level is high and that the skippers will have to use their seaworthiness and good physical condition. But not only, as Yann Eliès, one of the favourites, explains on UCAR-StMichel "JP (Dick) gave me all the instructions he had during the Transat Jacques Vabre that we won together last year. I continue to learn through training in Port-la-Forêt and by meeting with external speakers. The boats have become so complex that you have to sail a lot and be in contact with others to understand and progress."
Yann Eliès on Ucar-StMichel ©Yvan Zedda
But if there is one who is expected at the turn, it is Jeremie Beyou who has just launched his Charal and his huge foils! Although he forfeited the Azimuth Challenge, we were able to see impressive images of the latest generation IMOCA in flight.
Jeremie Beyou on Charal ©Yvan Zedda
Alex Thomson - second in the 2016 Vendée Globe - is also expected with his superb Hugo Boss. Indeed, we know nothing about the improvements made to his foiler.
On paper, there are six skippers who can claim to win, including Vincent Riou (PRB) who recently added foils on his 60-foot boat, and Samantha Davies (Initiatives-Coeur) who is competing in his first Rum but has taken control of his boat - Jeremie Beyou's former Master Coq foiler - for two years.
Samantha Davies on Initiatives-Coeur ©Yann Riou
Even if the preference is for foilers, let's note Paul Meilhat's last participation on SMA, who seems to be the only one able to stand up to all these mustache boats.
Paul Meilhat on SMA ©Yann Riou
Older generations to watch out for
Nine IMOCAs launched for the 2008 Vendée Globe will be moored from 24 October in the Duguay-Trouin basin in Saint-Malo. There are some very good competitors on board, some of whom can run for the places of honour, as Yannick Bestaven (Master CoQ) demonstrated last year finishing fifth in the Transat Jacques Vabre on his 2008 Farr plan. In this group, it will be interesting to measure the added value of the foils on the two 60 feet transformed this winter (La Mie Câline-Artipôle and La Fabrique).
Alan Roura on La Fabrique Christopher Breschi
Dream of the Vendée Globe
This Route du Rhum will also be an opportunity for some of us to lay the foundation stone for their 2020 Vendée Globe project. A dream of the great outdoors that Manuel Cousin (Setin Group) and Alexia Barrier (4MyPlanet) have in mind, as they line up without any complexes on the oldest boat in the fleet, a Lombard design from 1998.
Manuel Cousin on Settin Group ©Manuel Van Malleghem
