Around the world or around the Mediterranean?
The highlight of the past week for ocean racing was undoubtedly the arrival of the Arkea Ultim Challenge sailors. By becoming the first winner of this solo round-the-world race on a maxi-trimaran, Charles Caudrelier is undoubtedly an XXL feat and anyone who has sailed her can only admire her. The performances of his runners-up Thomas Coville and Armel Le Cléac'h are equally impressive.
But at the same time, other feats were being written. Just a few days before Charles Caudrelier, Philippe Delamare completed a non-stop round-the-world race from La Coruña in 147 days on a 46-footer, which was certainly prepared, but not designed for ocean racing. On his side, Violette set off on her Hobie Cat mini trimaran for a Mediterranean raid . So many challenges that we're delighted to discover and share with you.
Ultim or not Ultim, that's the question!
Faced with such challenges, who can claim the right to define what is "ultimate"? If we know how important communication is, especially when it comes to finding several million dollars to build a giant trimaran, we may well wonder whether it is really necessary to enter the race for superlatives. IMOCA, Class40 or Mini are not names that seek to impose, and yet their sailors know how to impress. When Sir Francis Chichester set off on Gipsy Moth IV he too must have been thinking of taking on the "ultimate challenge". And since then, Violette, Philippe and so many other sailors have set themselves their "ultimate" challenge, a very personal notion for stories that fascinate all sailors. What's your ultimate sailing experience? Don't hesitate to tell us about it and share it with our passionate readership.
