Like the rest of the Idec Sport trimaran team, Corentin Joyon is looking forward to new maritime adventures after the end of his father Francis' sponsorship. He presents us his sailing and racing projects in the coming months.
Corentin, what is your background in ocean racing?
My name is Corentin Joyon and I am 30 years old. During my childhood, I sailed a lot in cruising with all the family, most of the time on rather fast boats. I did some windsurfing. Then I started my professional career working at Incidences sailmakers in Brest. Then I was very lucky, joining the Idec Sport team in 2015, as a préparateur. I did a lot of convoying of the trimaran. Then the boat won the Jules Verne Trophy, and I joined the permanent sailing team. I took part in the Asian Tour, where we broke many records.
After 20 years of partnership, Idec has decided to stop its collaboration with the current team. What will you do?
Indeed, at the beginning of March, we learned that the partnership between Idec and our team was ending. We had to move forward to find new projects. I decided to launch a Class 40 project, with the aim of starting the Transat Jacques Vabre at the end of October in Le Havre. Class 40 is very active, because there will be more than 50 competitors on the starting line. The level is very high.
How does the experience on a giant trimaran help you on a Class 40?
In the projects led by Francis, we always worked in a very small team. We had to do everything, so it was very instructive. Each sailor has to be a technician when the boat is docked. We are the only "Ultim" team that works like this. It's been a good school.
In addition to this very advanced technical aspect, I have sailed 40,000 miles on the trimaran in races or on delivery trips. We won the Tea Route, a half-circumnavigation between Hong Kong and London. We also set several reference times in the Indian Ocean, between Mauritius, Ho Chi Minh and Shenzhen. I have sailed four transatlantic races, including two as skipper.
What is the progress of your project?
We are actively seeking funding and financial partners. We will start with a recent and reliable VPLP plan, which has the potential to make a result.
To start the double-handed season, we will be lining up for the Les Sables âeuros Horta qualifying race, which offers a round trip to Horta, in the Azores. This 2450 miles race will serve as a trial run to get the hang of our Class 40.
Who are you going to embark on this double-handed transatlantic race with?
My co-skipper for this Jacques Vabre will be Antoine Blouet, whom I have known for a long time. Like me, Antoine has a great experience on the Idec trimaran. We had the same initiatory course within Idec Sport, and he is someone I know well because we were already sailing together before joining the trimaran's staff.
