Born to win
Built by the CDK yard in Port-la-Forêt, this Farr model with straight daggerboards was designed for Michel Desjoyeaux after his first Vendée Globe victory in 2004. Powerful and light, it won the 2007 Transat Jacques Vabre with Emmanuel Le Borgne. A favorite for the 2008 Vendée Globe, Michel returned to Les Sables-d'Olonne shortly after the start due to a crack in a ballast tank that damaged the onboard electrical system. He set off again forty hours after the fleet, thus avoiding a low-pressure system which caused some of the favorites to dismast.
With a spectacular comeback, Michel overtook all the competitors to take victory in Les Sables-d'Olonne, improving the record by more than three days despite his delayed start and a course lengthened by safety gates.
A wealth of experience around the world
Like many Farr models of this generation, this 60-footer was taken over by a Spanish team for the Barcelona World Race 2011. Renamed MAPFRE, it enabled Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez to finish 2nd in this edition.
Under the colors of Maître Coq, she was taken over by Jérémie Beyou for the 2012 Vendée Globe, but had to retire near Cape Verde due to a broken keel head. In 2013, Jörg Riechers acquired the boat and carried out major modifications to the hull, modernizing the bow. However, his round-the-world project is cancelled following the withdrawal of his sponsor.
Bernard Stamm takes over the boat in 2014 and gives it a complete overhaul, including a new keel and reconfigured ballast tanks. With Jean Le Cam as teammate, he wins the Barcelona World Race 2014.
Pairing up with Jean Le Cam
Jean Le Cam took over the boat in 2015 and finished 6th in the following Vendée Globe. In this edition, three competitors finished in under three hours: Jean-Pierre Dick (4th), Yann Eliès (5th) and Jean Le Cam (6th) on Finistère Mer Vent.
Jean Le Cam then took part in tests of the "Solid Sail" folding sail developed by Chantier de l'Atlantique. In preparation for the Vendée Globe 2020, a major refit was carried out on the boat, named YesWeCam. Among IMOCA models, this boat is one of those which has covered the most miles and benefited from evolutions. The aim of the project was to reduce weight: the engine, survival pack and hydraulic power unit were moved aft, the daggerboards were lightened and the central ballast tanks were replaced by side ballast tanks.
An ideal boat for Violette Dorange's first Vendée Globe
Taken over by Violette in 2023, she has benefited from the expertise of Jean Le Cam's stable to bring her project to fruition. Having already undergone extensive optimization for the 2020 edition, the main criterion for this proven IMOCA was reliability. With Damien Guillou as boatcaptain, this former Vendée Globe winner is considered one of the most reliable boats in the fleet, making it the perfect support for a first round-the-world experience.
