The Queen of the Transatlantic
2022 was a year of the Route du Rhum. As every 4 years, the event, nicknamed by some the queen of the Transatlantic, marked for the French the highlight of the sailing season. And the 2022 edition did not fail to its reputation, with 138 boats leaving Saint-Malo for Pointe-à-Pitre.
Charles Caudrelier, at the helm of the Gitana Team's Ultim, demonstrated the potential of the new flying maxi trimarans setting a new record of 6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds. At the other end of the spectrum, the first of 55 Class40s, Yoann Richomme pushed his 40-foot monohull to very high averages, 11.81 knots over the course of the race . He improves the record of the category by more than 48 hours. In the Ocean Fifty and IMOCA classes, the end of the race was very close, with Thomas Ruyant on LinkedOut and Erwan Le Roux on Koesio.
But the lesson of this race is also technical, and the accumulated data will serve as the basis for even better performance, experts say . 2023 should see the start of the Arkea Ultim Challenge, the first solo round the world race in an Ultim.
A young prodigy crowned in Figaro
The Figaro class is no longer the place to be for the established stars of French sailing. It is now competing with the Class40 among aspiring professional skippers. And yet, with its many training courses sponsored by large groups, it remains a breeding ground for talent. In 2022, Tom Laperche has once again demonstrated its relevance. After shining in all the pre-season races, the young skipper will have done a perfect copy on his Figaro 3 during the Solitaire. François Gabart was not mistaken, taking him under his wing on his Ultim SVR Lazartigue, for which some rumors see him potentially taking the helm.
Jean-Baptiste Bernaz wins multiple awards in 2022
Less often in the headlines, light sailing had a great success in 2022, with the world title of Jean-Baptiste Bernaz in ILCA 7, the new name of Laser. The sailor from the Var region, followed shortly afterwards with a victory in Match-Racing, winning the world military title with France. Finally, in December he was elected Sailor of the Year .
The French in full flight
On another circuit, that of the Sail GP flying catamarans, the French team won its first victory during the Cadiz leg in September 2022. Led by Quentin Delapierre, the crew is now in the race against the big names of the circuit, from the America's Cup.
The race for the Silver Ewer is in full swing. The different teams have launched their first flying monohulls. The AC40, a test and competition boat for young talents, also made its first flights the French team is experiencing some structural problems. Announced for months, the return of France to the America's Cup is still theoretical, as no official announcement has been made about the K Challenge.
End of controversy
As all is not rosy, we will also remember in 2022 the Ultim class' quarrel over the conformity of François Gabart's trimaran. Between safety, ego and financial issues, if it is difficult to see clearly, a glimmer of light seems to appear for 2023. An agreement between the class owners should allow the trimaran SVR Lazartigue to participate in Ultim races, with some modifications.
Let's hope that 2023 will only be a sporting year...
