THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Pierre-Louis Attwell (Vogue avec un Crohn) : "the chance to do a great job"
"I was super happy to learn that I had won the championship and I am so very proud. It really rewards my drive and aspirations. I did everything I could to compete in as many races as possible. That's why I chose the Niji40 over The Transat CIC so that I could then compete in the Atlantic Cup. It's a great satisfaction because it's still a small project and we have to keep stepping up our efforts. I would like to thank everyone who supported me, including Maxime Bensa who sailed in all the races with me. Our modest performance in the CIC Normandy Channel Race (14th) reminds us that we have to be humble and continue to work to stay at the level we are at. We mustn't rest on our laurels after a good result. I'm going to savour this with my sponsors, some of whom have supported me for over 7 years.”
“But I'm still missing a first race win and I hope I'll have the opportunity to remedy that in 2025. I look forwards to a great and beautiful season (see his programme below). We are very lucky to have such a great job. The level is very high and very consistent, the boats are evolving and there is always a great atmosphere between us. Personally, I also appreciate the initiatives we take through Vogue avec un Crohn's. I meet patients, doctors - we're also going to relaunch the screening tour with the film retracing my Route du Rhum - and it allows us to convey messages, to do beautiful things. I'm very attached to it."
His boat :
Vogue avec un Crohn's (n°195).
Manuard Mach40.5 design, JPS Production shipyard, launched in 2023
Results in 2024:
3rd in the Niji40 (with Maxime Bensa and Sophie Faguet)
2nd in The Atlantic Cup (with Maxime Bensa)
3rd in the Transat Québec Saint-Malo (with Maxime Bensa, Michael Lemer and Malko Szekely)
14th in the CIC Normandy Channel Race (with Maxime Bensa)
THE PODIUM OF THE CLASS40 CHAMPIONSHIP:
1- Pierre-Louis Attwell (Vogue avec un Crohn, n°195), 920.5 pts
2- Fabien Delahaye (Legallais, n°199), 906 pts
3- Erwan Le Draoulec (Everial, n°177), 791 pts
2024 Class40 Championship ranking : championnat2024.pdf
CHAMPIONSHIP, THE 1st ‘POINTY’ (non-scow) BOAT
Jules Bonnier (Nestenn – Entrepreneurs pour la planète), a great enthusiasm
“The goal of the season was to finish first pointy and I am very happy to have achieved it. It was a slightly different season, without a transatlantic outward journey since the boat had stayed after the Transat Jacques Vabre. I competed in the RORC Caribbean 600 (5th), The Atlantic Cup (7th) and the Transat Québec Saint-Malo (16th) where the match between pointies was very close. I am happy to see that there are more and more pointies returning to the circuit. It is a great alternative to scows, a little less expensive and more accessible. Next season, I hope to continue in Class40 and if possible now in scow. I had the chance to do the CIC Normandy Channel Race with Guillaume L’Hostis (Alternative Sailing – Constructions du Belon, n°196, 5th) and I loved the sensations. The idea is to take a new step and aim for podiums. So I am looking for partners to embark on this new adventure!”
His boat:
Nestenn-Entrepreneurs pour la planète (n°153)
Manuard 40.3 design, built by JPS Production, launched in 2018
His results in 2024:
5th in the RORC Carribean 600
7th in The Atlantic Cup (with Julie Simon)
16th in the Transat Québec Saint-Malo (with Julie Simon and Yaël Poupon)
MEDITERRANEAN TROPHY
Mikael Mergui (Centrakor), a season full of different colours
"I am very happy to win the Mediterranean Trophy! Given that we had decided not to compete in the Atlantic races, it was the major objective this year with the Med Max I Occitanie - Saïda Resorts and the Middle Sea Race as the highlights of the season. It was a very nice year with many events and great sporting battles, especially with Matteo Sericano (Tyrolit, n°180). I also discovered very lovely places like Valletta, Stromboli…
This Trophy also shows the vitality of the Class40 in the Mediterranean. The more the years go by, the more boats there are in the Med. What is interesting is that we have conditions that make the game very open between the scows and the pointies. Personally, I really had the impression of progressing, of learning more about the boat. Next season, I hope to find a co-partner. I'm sending out a message in a bottle: I have the boat and half the budget, if a skipper takes the other half, we could do the season together! The goal would be to go back up in June for Les Sables-Horta then the 40 Malouine Lamotte and finish with the Transat Jacques Vabre! »
His boat
Centrakor (n°183)
Lift V2, Lombard Yatch Design design, built by Grand large Composite, launched in 2022
His results in 2024
1st in the Porquerolle Race
1st in the Paprec 600 Saint-Tropez (with Richard Robini)
1st in the Massilia Cup Offshore (with Richard Robini)
3rd in the Med Max I Occitanie - Saïda Resorts (with Corentin Douguet)
2nd in the Middle Sea Race (with Richard Robini and Ludovic Mechin)
The podium
1- Mikael Mergui (Centrakor, n°183), 665 pts
2- Matteo Sericano (Tyrolit, n°189), 595 pts
3- Anthony Streicher (Phenix, n°142), 449 pts
2024 Mediterranean trophy ranking : mediterraneantrophy24.pdf
EUROPEAN TROPHY
Louis Mayaud and Alexandre Bellangé (Belco CEC), More than sport…..
They were 2nd in the Europe Trophy this summer but then took over the lead in the final straight. Louis Mayaud and Alexandre Bellangé (Belco CEC, n°147) are rewarded for their consistency over the season. They competed in four races and finished three times in the 'top 10' (see below). That is enough to allow them to win the Europe Trophy aboard a cutting-edge boat, quite an achievement!
"It's a nice surprise and good news," smiles Louis. “Being 1st is the cherry on the cake!" Their project is a story of a friendship between Louis, a former Mini racer and Alexandre, co-founder of the Belco company which imports and distributes coffee. Together, they "engaged in a two-year project", with the Transat Jacques Vabre 2025 in their sights. "We love sailing together", explains Louis.
"We really enjoy developing the project, building our duo, refining our automatisms," Louis explains. "And the fact that the results come really increases the pleasure!" Alexandre, who notes that the project "takes up 30% of his time". He says he appreciates "setting goals, managing to keep improving and making progress". They also wear the colours of the Convention of Businesses for the Climate which helps to "work towards a more sustainable future".
"Our goal is to inspire them, to show them that it is possible, that we can embark on this path without necessarily knowing what to expect". Another observation from Alexandre: "the more we advance, the less the doors are closed". The beautiful story continues, both offshore and on land.
Their boat:
Belco CEC (n°147).
Drakkar40 plan, designed by Mabire-Nivelt, built at Mora-Shoreteam-V1D2, launched in 2016
Their results in 2024:
17th in the CIC Normandy Channel Race
7th in the Drheam Cup
2nd in the Armen Race
5th in the Spi Ouest France BPGO (with Damien Jenner, Claire-Victoire de Fleurian, Thibault Flinois)
THE PODIUM
1- Louis Mayaud (Belco CEC, n°147), 353.5 pts
2- Emmanuel Hamez (Viranga, n°173), 347 pts
3- Greg Leonard (Swift, n°206), 343 pts
2024 European Trophy ranking : 2europeantrophy24.pdf
AMERICAN TROPHY
Lennart Burke et Melwin Fink (Sign for Com), winners of US Trophy !
"We are super happy to win the US Trophy title. We did not even really know it was a ‘thing’. It was such a good experience, it was amazing to be racing on the other side of the Atlantic. We did the Caribbean 600 and the Atlantic Cup and we wanted to try and do the Quebec Saint Malo but we broke our forestay just three days before we got there. And it was not possible to get a new one. We ordered a new one and it got stuck in Paris as the airline forgot it and then it was stuck in customs in Quebec for three days. It was unbelievable.
We then brought the boat to Germany to do a big refit. We took the keel off and updated it. We have tried to change the system for the J1, thinking to change from a furling jib to a standard sail. Our boatyard is growing all the time, we have so many nice projects in and more and more people are getting to know us through our racing. Now we have ten people working for us. We are supporting a new Judel/Vroljk 53 and other cool projects. It is so great to have our own yard and our own Class40 programme. We now also have a MiniTransat project with a young skipper and we are doing a selection. Would you believe we got 47 applications from young German skippers.
Then we are planning to the TJV next year but all our sponsor contracts finish this year so we are looking for new partners. So meantime we are going for the Round Denmark record soon, it is 760 miles and the record is 72 hours, it is held by Bouwe Bekking and the crew of Childhood.”
Their boat :
Sign for Com (n°189). Pogo S4, designed by Guillaume Verdier, launched in 2022
Their results in 2024:
2nd in the RORC Caribbean 600
6th in The Atlantic Cup
Non-starter in the Transat Québec Saint-Malo
THE PODIUM OF THE US TROPHY:
1- Melwin Fink and Lennart Burk (Sign for Com, n°189), 232 pts
2- Jules Bonnier (Nestenn – Entrepreneurs pour la planète, n°153), 208 pts
3- Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestran – Seafrigo, n°197), 148 pts
2024 American trophy : 1americantrophy24.pdf
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