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In Lorient, two trimarans and the same crew
Our day begins at the Sodebo Voile base, located at the Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly in Lorient. Before boarding, we tour the offices and workshops where the team prepares and maintains its boats.
The tour is led by Élie Canivenc, technical director. Here, two trimarans are based side by side: Thomas Coville?s Sodebo Ultim 3 and, since 2025, an Ocean Fifty intended for Léonard Legrand?s program.
At the dock, the difference in size is striking. Next to the 32-meter Ultim, the Ocean Fifty seems almost modest. Yet, with a length of 15.24 meters and a beam of 15.20 meters, it is by no means a small boat.
For someone new to this class, its size is already impressive. The cockpit, floats, and connecting arms are a reminder that this is a boat designed to sail fast.
Sodebo Fifty, a 2009 trimaran with an impressive track record
Behind its current livery, the Sodebo Fifty already has 17 years of history. Designed by the naval architecture firm VPLP Design and built by CDK Technologies, this trimaran was launched in 2009 under the name Whaou! Crepes 3 , for Franck-Yves Escoffier.
Its construction combines fiberglass and carbon fiber. Far from being a newcomer to the racing circuit, this boat has had several lives. As early as 2009, it won the Transat Jacques Vabre with Franck-Yves Escoffier and Erwan Le Roux.
Renamed FenêtréA-Cardinal , then FenêtréA-Mix Buffet , he continued his career with Erwan Le Roux. Notably, he won the Transat Québec?Saint-Malo in 2012, the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2013 and 2015, and the Route du Rhum in 2014.
It was then fitted with one-design foils developed by VPLP for the Multi50 class. After finishing second in the 2018 Route du Rhum, it went on to win the 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre under the name of GCA Group%E2euros%93A Thousand and One Smiles , with Gilles Lamiré and Antoine Carpentier.
In 2023, the trimaran becomes Wind of Trust , starring Christopher Pratt.
Sodebo purchased it in 2025 and began a refit during the winter of 2025?2026. The goal was to improve the boat?s reliability for its new racing program. It was relaunched on March 29, 2026, and was renamed Sodebo Fifty , with Léonard Legrand at the helm.
The boat we?ll be sailing on is therefore not a recently launched prototype, but a proven trimaran that has been regularly upgraded throughout its career. This is a key factor in understanding Sodebo?s decision: to have a platform that?s already proven itself in offshore racing, while giving it a new technical overhaul.
A crew with experience in offshore racing
On this outing, Léonard Legrand is joined by Élie Canivenc, Nicolas Troussel, and Thaïs Le Cam.
Léonard Legrand's career path is unique. He joined Sodebo Voile in 2015 as a work-study student in electronics, and today he is the skipper of the Ocean Fifty.
Nicolas Troussel brings a wealth of experience in offshore racing. Notably, he participated, alongside Léonard Legrand, in the Jules Verne Trophy record set in January 2026 aboard Sodebo Ultim 3. Led by Thomas Coville, the crew completed the round-the-world voyage in 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes, and 50 seconds.
Thaïs Le Cam, who is also a sailor, rounds out today's crew. So we're in good hands as we set out to explore a boat where everything?from steering to maneuvering?requires foresight.
Hoisting the mainsail: the first efforts
Once we?re all set, we leave Lorient and head for the island of Groix. The weather is pleasant: sunshine, calm seas, and a wind that reaches 15 knots at times.
Before we talk about speed, we need to set the sail. Hoisting the mainsail takes a real team effort. Here, there are no electric winches to make it easier: the maneuvers require the use of arms and legs. We understand a little better now why the team has a gym on its premises.
The sail bears the number 73, which also appears on the sail of the Sodebo Ultim 3. It?s a nod to 1973, the year the brand was founded.
We watch the crew prepare the sheets, adjust the settings, and organize the cockpit. Their movements are precise, and their exchanges are brief. Even on an introductory outing, maneuvers aren?t improvised.
First Time at the Helm: A Surprisingly Accessible Introduction
Then Léonard Legrand invites us to take the helm. This is probably the most eagerly anticipated moment of the day. Up until now, we?ve been watching the crew at work. This time, we have to hold a course and feel how the trimaran responds.
The first surprise is how easy it seems to handle. Despite the boat?s width and power, the helm doesn?t feel like it?s constantly battling the elements. The Sodebo Fifty accelerates, stays on course, and glides over an almost flat sea.
Once the sails are set, the trimaran quickly finds its rhythm. Under today?s conditions, we?re sailing at a speed of around twenty knots. Nothing unusual for an Ocean Fifty, but it?s an experience that shifts your perspective when you?re new to this type of boat.
What is most surprising is the platform?s stability and the apparent ease with which the boat handles. At the helm, under the watchful eye of Léonard Legrand, we gradually discover how the boat responds and the precision required to stay on course.
Of course, this impression should not be confused with true mastery. Staying on course for a few minutes, under the supervision of experienced sailors, is nothing like sailing an Ocean Fifty solo, at night, or in rough seas.
On board, you have to learn to look beyond the immediate
Speed rapidly changes the way we see the water. A fishing boat spotted in the distance approaches faster than we realize. The island of Groix, which seemed far away at first, gradually fills the entire view ahead of us.
It is therefore important to anticipate the paths of other vessels, especially when other boats are nearby. Constant vigilance is required, even under such favorable conditions.
The outing also provides an opportunity to witness several tacks and gybes. These changes in tack keep the crew busy, as they must coordinate the helm and the sail adjustments.
It's an interesting contrast: between maneuvers, sailing seems almost effortless. But as soon as a course change is needed, the boat's size, the tension in the sheets, and the importance of coordination become evident once again.
Back on land after an informative first experience
The trip is coming to an end. A RIB from the Sodebo Voile team is coming out to pick us up offshore. We take our seats in the jockey seats to head back to Lorient, leaving the trimaran to continue on its way.
Above all, this first experience changed our perception of an Ocean Fifty.
Seen from the dock, its size is impressive. During maneuvers, it reveals just how physically demanding it is to handle. And once at the helm, it surprises with its stability and apparent ease of handling under the conditions encountered.
What will stand out most about this voyage is not so much the speed as the experience of sailing a racing boat and the work required to make the most of it. Behind the fluidity of the maneuvers lie years of experience, meticulous technical preparation, and constant coordination among the crew members.
For Léonard Legrand and the Sodebo Voile team, their sights are now set on the Route du Rhum, which is scheduled to start on November 1, 2026. It will be a completely different experience?this time as a solo race?where he?ll have to maintain a steady pace for several days, manage fatigue, and take care of his equipment.
