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The handover is complete
After a year of double-handed sailing, Samantha Davies hands over the helm of the IMOCA Open 60 Initiatives-C?ur to Violette Dorange. A powerful gesture in a project that combines sporting commitment, human adventure and a cause of solidarity.
Samantha Davies, with four Vendée Globes under her belt, took the time to involve Violette Dorange in this culture of detail. Their double-handed sailing in the Transat Café L'Or in 2025 was part of this technical handover process. The result: a promising sixth place and, above all, a real-life experience.
At the helm of this transition is Ronan Deshayes, now in charge of the project's technical team. The choice of an experienced-coached pairing is not insignificant. It reflects an underlying trend in ocean racing: that of sporting companionship in high-potential teams, inspired by the Anglo-Saxon model.
Violette Dorange: a coherent career path, from mini classes to IMOCAs
Trained as a teenager in light sailing, Violette Dorange made a name for herself at an early age. She crossed the English Channel single-handed at the age of 15, winning podiums in dinghies before branching out into ocean racing. Mini Transat, Solitaire du Figaro, then IMOCA, with a first loop completed during the Vendée Globe 2024.
In just a few years, she has risen through the ranks, always working on structured, technical projects. Taking the helm at Initiatives-C?ur is a logical extension of this dynamic. While his style is more offensive, his project management and communication skills are already well established.
Her profile is of interest to sailors and shipyards alike: she's as good at the helm as she is at preparing files.
An IMOCA born and bred, with a few changes in store?
Built on a reliable platform, the IMOCA Initiatives-C?ur has benefited from the constant developments driven by Samantha Davies and her teams. With its latest-generation foils, semi-enclosed cockpit and optimized electronics, the boat is one of the top performers.
But with a view to the Vendée Globe 2028, changes are to be expected. The current campaign will enable us to refine our choices: new foils, optimized ballast tanks, a reworked hull? The updating process remains open. The technical team, now headed by Ronan Deshayes, will have the task of validating priorities according to resources and the sporting program.
A human chain of sailors committed to a cause
Since its inception, the Initiatives-C?ur is based on a collective dynamic. Tanguy de Lamotte, initiator of the project and skipper from 2012 to 2017, has laid the foundations for a lasting commitment, with 126 children saved through donations to his credit. He has been joined on some races by François Damiens, co-skipper on the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre.
Thomas Pesquet, the boat's godfather, also crossed the Atlantic in 2019 aboard the yacht between Salvador de Bahia and Lorient. Alongside them, other big names such as Paul Meilhat, winner of the Route du Rhum 2018, Nicolas Lunven, two-time winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, and Jack Bouttell, co-skipper of Samantha Davies on The Ocean Race 2023, have all contributed to raising the profile of this solidarity adventure. Each, in his or her own way, has contributed time and visibility, and enabled several children with heart defects to undergo surgery.
Objective Route du Rhum 2026, Vendée Globe 2028 in sight
The roadmap is clear: line up at the start of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe in 2026, then qualify and prepare for the Vendée Globe 2028.
The schedule imposes a steady tempo: transatlantic races, technical sailing, test campaigns and experience sharing.
But the foundation is solid. The project relies on an experienced team, a competitive boat and a determined skipper.
Watch this space carefully, as this type of successful handover is still rare at this level.
