New partner since the nomination of Charlotte Yven as skipper of Macif femme 2023, Loïs Berrehar and the young sailor have just won their first long double-handed race, the Transat Paprec. It was also the first transatlantic race for the young woman. They crossed this Friday morning, December 19th at 02h 03min 33sec local time (08h 03min 33sec, metropolitan time) after 18 days 19 hours 01 minutes and 33 seconds. An incredible course of which they have been at the forefront all along.
Olympic careers, ocean racing dreams
Charlotte Yven 26 years old, started sailing as a child, with her family and through sailing schools or training courses with the school. She appreciates the discipline and then launches into the competition, with the same pleasure. She continues to progress, changing support as she goes along. The young girl started in double-handed dinghy sailing at the Pôle Espoir in Brest and followed, in parallel with her studies, an Olympic preparation in 470. As the 470 became a mixed crew sport, Charlotte wanted to race on bigger boats. She wondered whether she should set up a mixed crew to continue with her own boat or try her hand at offshore racing. She did some convoying and passed the Team Vendée Formation selection in 2020 for the 2021 season.
She explains: "That's what got me into ocean racing. It's the same principle as at Macif, but more for people starting out. You learn to sail a Figaro, single-handed, to manage a schedule, to find budgets... You start from scratch and end up knowing how to manage an ocean racing project. It takes two years. The first year, there are a lot of things taken care of by Team Vendée to allow us to discover the Figaro circuit. The second year we take charge of the project, we look for sponsors, we create our companies, we find budgets, always well accompanied."
Loïs Berrehar has also always sailed since he was young, having grown up in Southern Brittany. His playground: La Trinité sur Mer, Carnac and the bay of Quiberon. He started racing very early, in light sailing, Optimist and sport catamaran. Loïs details: "There was a good emulation in Brittany. I achieved my first results in sport catamaran, before it was withdrawn from the Olympics. The logical next step in light sailing would have been to continue on the Olympics, but I'm passionate about ocean racing, multihulls, the Route du Rhum." Although his support is finally reintroduced on the Games, Loïs decides to do ocean racing with a crew. In 2017, he started single-handed on the Figaro circuit, passed the Espoir Skipper Bretagne CMB selection and became a Macif skipper in November 2021. He concludes: "This is the selection I needed to win to learn about single-handed ocean racing and perform. I've had some great performances and hope to do more."
Both have passed the selection process organized since 2008 by Macif to become Skipper Macif in Figaro Bénéteau, a one to three year program that has seen some of the great names in ocean racing: François Gabart, Yoann Richomme, Charlie Dalin... They explain us the program, and how they apprehend this first double-handed Paprec Transat.
How do you recruit Macif skippers?
Loïs Berrehar macif chose a profile that has been sailing for several years, already experienced in ocean racing and on the Figaro circuit. The program is to accompany a young person towards the top level and to give him the means to perform and to become professional. There is a call for applications, in a competitive way, with a preselection on file. Depending on the year, 5 or 6 profiles are selected. There is a week of practice at the Pôle Finistère in Port La Forêt, with sailing, technique, physical training... It is very complete... At the end of the week, there is a Grand Oral. It is as if we were selling our project in a big company. You have to prepare for it and present your project. It is very important. You also have to be aligned with the company's values and show that you have the skills they are looking for and make your project shine.
Charlotte Yven i passed the same protocol of tests, interviews, technical and physical tests. Over a week, there are 4 days of tests carried out by the Pôle Finistère. He then gives a report to Macif. The last day is the Grand Oral before a jury of 10 people, including Macif, the French Sailing Federation... Loïs was also on the jury.
Why apply to a call for applications to this type of program? What does it bring?
Lois : It's to benefit from support, but also in a performance-oriented way. Macif allows us to perform on the circuit. We also have a great deal of autonomy to manage a project, while having the means made available by Macif. They trust us. It's very interesting for the future, to experiment with project management. We choose our suppliers, we put together a team... We have a boat and a sponsor, and we manage the project. We work closely with Macif, for the budget and communication, but for the purely sporting management of the project, we are responsible.
Charlotte for the program, it is the partner who offers the most complete support. You are integrated into a team with guaranteed supervision from the Pôle for two or three years. It's a great way to enter the professional world, and with great conditions. Macif is a sponsor well anchored in sailing with the reputation they have. It's a great career and a model that works well. When you apply, you are accompanied, and after that it opens doors for you.
For the first time in 2022, Macif has chosen to recruit a woman. What is your opinion? Do you think this choice is dictated by the obligation of mixed races?
Lois they are not the first, Bretagne CMB has launched this selection since 2019. More recently, Paprec, which sponsors the Transat, has had the will to promote gender diversity. It is a movement that is becoming more democratic. Macif has two boats, and therefore two skippers, and has chosen to launch this for the same reasons and dynamics.
Charlotte i think it's great because I've passed several selections. The mixed selections are hard for the girls. To give the possibility and the opportunity on this circuit to a female sailor to persevere in this field to make a professional activity is rather positive. At least in this selection. Imposing gender diversity at all costs in ocean racing may open up opportunities, but I'm not sure if it's a long-term solution. In any case, it's good to test solutions to get more girls on the circuit.
How do you feel about this choice of co-skipper?
Lois : I am living it well! We'll see when we arrive in Saint-Barth! It's really nice to work with Charlotte for many reasons. We're pretty good together, so it's a good sign for transatlantic sailing. On a human level, we agree on everything in life. That helps us not to get into trouble. On the boat, on the technical side, we haven't had any problems. The lights are green!
Charlotte : It's a desire of Macif, but also of us. We'll be sailing together on a Macif boat in all the double-handed races. For the Transat, we'll be on my boat and on Loïs' boat for the Tour de Bretagne at the end of June. Simply because his boat works better upwind and mine downwind, ideal for the Transat.
It will be your first big race in double, how do you apprehend it and what can we wish you?
Charlotte : This will be our second race as a duo after the Laura Vergne Trophy, on the Spi Ouest France, but the first transatlantic race for me and our first big race of the season. We have organized the watches, the roles on board, the strategies...
Lois i would say, only the victory is beautiful! Seriously, we have different objectives. Charlotte has never crossed and she will do it directly in the race. The position of favorite is a bit complicated. As for me, it's the third time I'm doing this race and my 8th transatlantic race. The last time I tasted the podium. I would be disappointed if I did worse, but if I did better, I would win. That's the best we can hope for.
Charlotte i think it's really cool and nice to go in that spirit. He knows what it's like to cross, to be at the front. I want to give my best and I want to enjoy the crossing.
