Mediterranean sailor Kito de Pavant and Christophe Carniel, CEO of VOGO Sport, are behind the MED MAX. Their ambition: to create an ocean race in the Mediterranean linking different continents. The response from sailors has been swift, with nearly thirty crews already registered in Class40 and Ocean Fifty boats, promising an intense sporting spectacle.
An original route
The crews will set sail from Port-Camargue, leaving the buoy in front of the Théâtre de la Mer on their port side, greeting the public in Sète, then sailing towards the Bouches de Bonifacio, between Corsica and Sardinia. The monohulls and multihulls will have to round Sardinia, with a descent to the island of Stromboli for the Ocean Fifty and a passage between Ibiza and Formentera before reaching Morocco via the Zaffarine Islands. This route, punctuated by strategic passages, will put each crew's skills to the test.
Competition between the Class40s
The Class40s will be at the heart of a fierce battle, particularly with a strong Italian presence. Mikael Mergui (Centrakor), Achille Nebout (Amarris) and Aurélien Ducroz (Crosscall) will be among the favorites, but will have to watch out for Italian rivals such as Ambrogio Beccaria (Alla Grande Pirelli) and Andrea Fornaro (Influence 2). Except that a few days ago, the former, engaged in the Transat Quebec Saint-Malo, was shipwrecked and lost his boat...
Behind them will be southerners Mathieu Foulquier-Gazagnes (Sotraplant TRS), Matthieu Claveau (Prendre la Mer âeuros Agir pour la Forêt) and François Verdier (Phare40), with older boats, but just as efficient. They will also have to compete with the Italians, such as the young Matteo Sericano (Tyrolit) or Marco Guerra (Imagine Act).
We'll also be counting on the "very enlightened amateurs" Benoît Garibal (Altair-Maiia), Laurent Camprubi (Glaces Romanes), Goulven Marie accompanied by Nador-born Nasser Arrais, on Qwanza Bexa, with a special mention for the lovely project by visually impaired Joël Paris (Rêve à perte de vue), and rookie Nicolas Toury (Hydra).
The Ocean Fifty in action for Act 4 of their tour
The 50-foot multihulls also promise a thrilling spectacle on this Med Max, which will be the 4th Act of their circuit. Erwan Le Roux (Koesio) and Thibault Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en Peloton), currently leading the Ocean Fifty series, will be the men to beat. However, competitors such as Baptiste Hulin (Viabilis Ocean), Fabrice Cahierc (Réalites), Luke Berry (Le Rire Médecin) and Christopher Pratt Wind of Trust âeuros Fondation pour l'enfance), the only skipper based in the Mediterranean, will provide stiff competition.
We'll also be keeping an eye on the newcomers, starting with the 100% female crew Upwind by Merconcept (Anne-Claire Le Berre and Elodie Jane Mettraux), as well as Laurent Bourguès and Clément Giraud (Mon Bonnet Rose) and Matthieu Perraut (Inter Invest).
