Breaking the record
On stand-by in Cadiz, Sébastien Simon and his mentor Vincent Riou left Spain to try to beat the Route de la Découverte Record on Sunday 17 March 2019. This 3,884-mile sea route connects Cadiz to San Salvador, in the Bahamas, and owes its name to the route Christopher Columbus took in 1492.
Leaving at 22 hours 40 minutes 37 seconds UTC, the two men will have to take less than 10 days 23 hours 9 minutes and 39 seconds to complete this transatlantic race. This will be Sébastien Simon's first ocean crossing as an IMOCA skipper
In an attempt to do better than Giovanni Soldini and his crew aboard the VOR 70 Maserati, who have held the record since February 2012, Sébastien Simon is accompanied by Vincent Riou, his technical director. The crew members are sailing on the former PRB - put in the colours of Arkea-Paprec - while waiting for the construction of its Kouyoumdjian plan, under construction in Port La Forêt.
A fast transatlantic race
The weather forecasts are encouraging and the transatlantic race promises to be fast. "The conditions are nice and announce a fast transatlantic race, downwind and under the sun. The percentage of success is correct and even if we don't break the record, we will have done a nice bit of work." concludes Vincent Riou.
This first "training" transatlantic race in the colours of Arkea-Paprec is therefore an opportunity to get into racing condition and learn as much as possible.
Serene skippers
Despite the breakage of the gennaker tack, and therefore a slowdown on the night of 18 to 19 March, Sébastien Simon and Vincent Riou are optimistic. The Canaries are getting closer, the sail has been changed and the route continues, even if the conditions are not necessarily ideal for the rest of the route.
