- 42 boats: half of the fleet of the “Route du Rhum”!
- Sailing's biggest stars and newcomers
- 15 boats in contention for the podium places
- 13 very recent boats and some Class40 vintage still competitive
- But the Class40 is also and primarily
For this « Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe », the Class has just taken a further step. With more than 40 bateaux registered it is becoming an increasingly attractive Class.
The Class40’s fleet is always rich in its diversity: skipper from Imoca or “amateur”, ex-mini-sailor, youngest skipper of the race and pioneers of the Class.
Class40 is also an innovative technical platform with 13 new boats with an excellent level of competition.
Each skipper with his different abilities, in one same spirit, through an enriching diversity allows the Class40 to have a very competitive fleet…
Solo-handed races are quite rare in Class40, and the « Route du Rhum » has a real power of attraction.
The fleet which will cross the start line in St-Malo has never competed all together especially as there will be no less than 7 brand new boats.
Many skippers can perform well because nobody knows how the new boats will behave and the parameter "solo" is to take into account.
A few favourites … and some serious outsiders
After two very good seasons (only victories), Sébastien Rogues (GDF SUEZ) is favourite: he controls his Mach40 (Manuard design) almost perfectly and after several years in “Classe Mini”, he feels comfortable sailing single-handed.
The name of the excellent Spanish racer Alex Pella (Santander 2014 - Botin design), in also mentionned.
The talented skipper, Halvard Mabire (Campagne 2 France) will sail the brand new Pogo S3.
Yannick Bestaven (Le Conservateur) has to qualify his new Verdier Design.
Conrad Humphreys (Cat® Phone), newcomer in Class40, could be on the podium at the helm of his Akilaria 2013.
Kito de Pavant (Otio - Bastide Médical), also newcomer, choosed Bruno Jourdren’s Verdier design.
Bertrand Delesne (TeamWork40) talended ex mini-sailor very discreet but very well prepared.
Intensive preparation also for Pierre-Yves Lautrou (L’Express – Trepia) and his Pogo S3.
Nicolas Thomas (Guadeloupe Grand Large) 2nd of « La Qualif’ » with his Mach 40.
Marc Lepesqueux and his Sabrosa just launched, Damien Seguin (ERDF - Des pieds et des mains),
Miranda Merron (Campagne de France), Stéphane le Diraison (IXBlue – BRS) comes back in Class40 with legitimate ambitions, Giancarlo Pedote (Fantastica) and Pierre Brasseur (Matouba) talented ex- mini sailors, Arnaud Boissières (Aerocampus - du Rhum au Globe), will sail a first generation boat, the racer Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en peloton), Jean-Christophe Caso (Picoty – Lac de Vassivière), Brieuc Maisonneuve (Groupement Flo), Louis Duc (Advanced Energies – Carac), journalist Fabrice Amédéo (SNCF Geodis - Newrest)…
In short, about fifteen competitors could finish in the top 3 of this “Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe”, and about twenty in the top 5 à 10...
That’s great!
But, Class40 is more than a victory, a podium or a top ten! Class40 is an adventure… for half of the fleet, this « Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe » is a real challenge.
As for, Paul Hignard (Bruneau) 19 years old, the youngest skipper of the race, the famous vaulter Jean Galfione (Serenis Consulting) who participate in his first solo-handed Transat, Juliette Pétrès, veterinarian who stopped working for a year to prepare this race, Emmanuel Hamez
(Terranga) engineer who lives in Dakar, Valentin Lemarchand (Maison Tirel Guerin) selected among several young people from Saint Malo, Alan Roura (Exocet) ex mini-sailor from Switzerland, Olivier Roussey (Obportus 3) from Lorraine who prepared a program of races over 3 years, Maxime Sorel (MS Saling Team) and Antoine Michel (Setti LTD) who will be in competition for the vintage ranking, Dominique Rivard (Marie-Galante), Michel Kleinjans (Visit Brusails), Vincent Lantin (Chagabang) and Rodolphe Sepho (Voile 44 AAEA Cava)...
Attractiveness is synonymous with loyalty
In the heart of the fleet, some pioneers of Class40 show that attractiveness is synonymous with loyalty
In 2006, they participate in their first “Route du Rhum”. Three editions later, they are still there, with the same sparkle in their eyes: Class40’s President François Angoulvant (Team Sabrosa MK2) and his new Sabrosa, Lionel Regnier (April / Formacoupe), Jean-Edouard Criquioche, Patrice Bougard (Kogane) et Thierry Bouchard (Wallfo.com).
They are not pioneers of the Class, but loyals since many years: the south African world-racer Phillippa Hutton-Squire, the most famous Guadeloupean skipper Philippe Fiston (Ville Ste-Anne Guadeloupe), Eric Darni (Sea Shepherd Fantronic).
Save the dates !
The 42 skippers of Class40 invite you on September the 25th in Paris for the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe » press conference and on October the 29th in Saint-Malo for a drink, and of course, from November the 2nd to live this « fierce and friendly » soloTransat.
13 new boats !... and 5 « vintage »
Despite the tough economic conditions, 7 boats join the Class40’s fleet in 2014 and 6 were launched in 2013.
And also: 3 boats from 2012, 5 from 2011, 6 from 2010, 6 from 2009, 3 from 2008, 4 from 2007, 2 from 2006.
With 13 new boats, the fleet has an exceptional architectural and technical interest (15 architects represented on the 42 registered).
François Angoulvant, Class40’s President: « With 13 news boats it’s a very competitive fleet. Each architect has explored different possibilities to provide a maximum power, it will offer new prospects …
But the other boats, optimized and perfectly controlled by their skippers, remain very good in terms of performance. We must not forget that in solo, the complicity between the skipper and his boat is a major asset.
The Class40 is continuing to develop well and, with about 15 new boats over 2 seasons and good performances of boats from 2010 – 2009 we can note that the Class Rules works well! »
The evolution of hulls has led the Class to create a « vintage » ranking to value the performances of racers skipping first generation boats. Five boats are concerned: n°10 - Eric Darni, n°22 - Rodophe Sepho, n°31 - Vincent Lantin, n°45 - Maxime Sorel and n° 57 - Antoine Michel.
The winner of this vintage ranking will receive a prize of de €2000.
François Angoulvant, Class40’s President: « 42 boats: it’s a great satisfaction:
- In quantitative terms, more than forty boats especially in the current context is one very great success and the proof of the attractiveness of the class.
- From a qualitative point of view: The level of competition due to the eclecticism of this fleet : experienced skippers like Kito de Pavant, Alex Pella, Halvard Mabire, Arnaud Boissières, Yannick Bestaven… talented ex-mini racers such as Sébastien Rogues, Bertrand Delesne… Expérience, talent, control of the boat, energy of young people, this led to a situation in which about fifteen boats can finish in the top three: who knows the 3 winners of this “Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe” in Class40 ! »
Some figures
The youngest skipper: Paul Hignard (Bruneau), 19 years old, from Saint Malo, he will skip a Mach40 from 2011…
10 skippers in their fifties : Thierry Bouchard, Patrice Bougard, Eric Darni, Kito de Pavant, Emmanuel Hamez, Michel Kleinjans, Halvard Mabire, Lionel Regnier, Olivier Roussey, Bruno Rzetelny.
12 newcomers in Class40 and Route du Rhum : Emmanuel Hamez, Paul Hignard, Conrad Humphreys, Vincent Lantin, Valentin Lemarchand, Antoine Michel, Giancarlo Pedote, Alex Pella, Juliette Petrès, Alan Roura, Maxime Sorel, Nicolas Thomas. Kito de Pavant participate in the“Route du Rhum” 2010 but not in Class40.
3 skippers from Imoca Class: Kito de Pavant, Arnaud Boissières, Yannick Bestaven.
11 skippers from « classe Mini » : Arnaud Boissières, Yannick Bestaven, Pierre Brasseur, Jean-Christophe Caso, Bertrand Delesne, Louis Duc, Pierre-Yves Lautrou, Stéphane Le Diraison, Giancarlo Pedote, Sébastien Rogues, Alan Roura.
15 architectes : Guillaume Verdier, Finot-Conq, Sabrosa rain, Sam Manuard, Conq, Marc Lombard, Botin partners, Farr Yacht Design, Elie Canivenc, Groupe Finot, Jacques Valer, Owen Clarck Design, François Lucas, Rogers Yacht Design, Humphreys Yacht Design.
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