45 Class40, a majority class in the Transat Jacques Vabre
The Class40 will be the most represented on this edition with 45 boats to take the start. It must be said that this class attracts both professionals and amateurs, thanks to much lower operating budgets than for the other boats. Thus, alongside the duo Ian Lipinski/Julien Pulvé (Crédit Mutuel), winner of the 2019 edition, but with another co-skipper, we will find eclectic duos.
"There are a lot of new boats and some not so new boats that we know well, and some talented skippers. It's going to be an intense match." explains Ian Lipinski, who is putting his title back on the line.
While Kito de Pavant (HBF - Reforest'action) is taking part in his 11th Transat, it will be a first for the female duo of Amélie Grassi and Marie Riou (La Boulangère Bio). We will also discover father/son duos or the youngest mixed crew of the race, aged 25.
It will also be an opportunity to see the latest generation of Class40s compete: Aurélien Ducroz's Crosscall (Lombard design), Jean Galfione's Serenis Consulting (Guillaume Verdier's Pogo S4) and La Boulangère Bio (Manuard design).
Ocean Fifty, a class in full revival!
Only 3 on the starting line in 2019, they will be 7 Ocean Fifty to take the start of this new edition. Gilles Lamiré (GCA Group - 1001 Sourires) will put his title back on the line with a new co-skipper, Yvan Bourgnon, who won the Transat in 1998, along with his brother Laurent, who has since passed away. Among the regulars, Lalou Roucayrol - 10th participation - who will accompany the young Quentin Vlamynck, Erwan Le Roux (Koesio), three times winner of the event who makes his return to the circuit or Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en Peloton). A new duo will be making their debut in the Ocean Fifty - Armel Tripon and Benoit Marie at the helm of Les P'tits Doudous - The Arch (Arkema 1) - even though the former has already sailed extensively in the circuit before his move to IMOCA.
Suspense in IMOCA
After a solo round the world race, it's time for a double-handed transatlantic race! 23 IMOCA boats will be in the race to try to win the event. Charlie Dalin - accompanied by Paul Meilhat, the new co-skipper - will come to challenge for his title on Apivia after several great victories during the year: 1st to cross the line in the Vendée Globe, 1st in the Rolex Fasnet and 1st in the Azimuth Challenge.
"I am delighted to have Paul on board, after Yann Eliès. He joined the project in May. We are quite complementary." explains Charlie Dalin. And Paul Meilhat adds " I've had time to get to grips with the boat, which has new foils this year, innovations and technical modifications for even more performance."
We will find on the race all the big names of the class: Beyou, Burton, Troussel, Attanasio, Davies, Ruyant, or even the last winner of the Vendée Globe, who totals two Jacques Vabre in Class40. Let's not forget Damien Seguin and Benjamin Dutreux, who became friends during the Vendée Globe and will participate together on a daggerboard boat, before taking over the former Maître Coq from Yannick Bestaven, winner of the solo round the world race.
Alongside them, a newcomer, Charlie Enright, who will be accompanied by Pascal Bidégorry, at the helm of the new 11th Hour Racing 2. Louis Duc will also make his first IMOCA race accompanied by Marie Tabarly on Clément Giraud's former boat.
The return of the Ultims
They will all be there for this return to the race, after 4 years of absence! Sodebo (Thomas Coville), Actual (Yves le Blévec), Banque Populaire XI (Armel le Cléac'h), Maxi Edmond de Rotschild (Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier) and the newly christened SVR Lazartigue.
Thomas Coville will therefore put his title back on the line in this race, which will remain engraved in his memory, since it was the first one he won in the colors of his historical sponsor. This will also be the first confrontation for Banque Populaire XI and SVR Lazartigues, whose two skippers' first objective is to finish the race.
