The Ultim 32/23 class brings together the “giant” trimarans taking part in very high-level offshore races, such as Brest Atlantiques, La Route du Rhum, or Nice Ultimed. Find the latest news and investigations from Tip & Shaft on the subject.
Tip & Shaft spoke to Armel Le Cléac’h, just over two weeks before the start of the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest, the first ever single-handed Ultim round the world race. An event that the skipper of Banque Populaire XI is approaching with ambition, desire and, inevitably, a little apprehension.
Ariane de Rothschild, president of the Edmond de Rothschild Group, and Cyril Dardashti, managing director of the Gitana Team, officially announced on Thursday in Paris the launch of a new Ultim, designed by Guillaume Verdier and built by CDK Group. Tip & Shaft was present and tells you more about this new project.
Since Tuesday and the departure from Le Havre of the Imoca boats, the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie-Le Havre has resumed its ‘normal’ course, with matches in all four classes. Tip & Shaft takes a look at each of them (to be followed on our website), accompanied by Pierre-Marie Bourguinat, the editor covering the race for the organisation, the routers Jean-Yves Bernot and Marcel Van Triest for the Ultims, Martin Le Pape for the Imocas, Daniel Souben for the Ocean Fiftys and Bruno Jourdren for the Class40s.
For its 30th anniversary, the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie-Le Havre has had an eventful week, from a stopover in Lorient for the Class40s and Ocean Fifties, to a stoppage in Le Havre for the Imoca boats, with only the Ultim boats following the planned programme. Tip & Shaft takes a look at the sequence of events, with the key players involved.
After looking at the Class40 and Ocean Fifty fleet, this week, Tip & Shaft is examining the 5 Ultim and 40 Imoca boats that will be lining up on Sunday at the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie-Le Havre. We are focusing on the favourites in these two categories along with the Race Director, Francis Le Goff, the President of the Imoca class, Antoine Mermod, the Director of the Finistère Course au Large training centre in Port-la-Forêt, Jeanne Grégoire, the skipper of Holcim-PRB, Nicolas Lunven, the Race Directors of the 2024 Vendée Globe, Hubert Lemonnier and the 24-hour Ultim, Gildas Morvan, and the journalist, Jacques Guyader (Ouest-France).
Second last weekend in the 24h Ultim finishing just 3 minutes behind Banque Populaire, Charles Caudrelier now heads to the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie-Le Havre, with his co skipper Erwan Israel, then to the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest, a unique new solo Ultim race around the world which will start on January 7. He spoke to Tip & Shaft.
After racing the third leg of the Pro Sailing Tour on Viabilis with Pierre Quiroga, Pascal Bidégorry is training this week with Tom Laperche on SVR Lazartigue whilst also awaiting the launch of Macif, Charlie Dalin’s new Imoca, at the end of June. He will sail with Dalin this season, notably on the Transat Jacques Vabre. Tip & Shaft spoke to him this week.
Last Wednesday the SVR-Lazartigue team held a press briefing at the Maison de la Bretagne in Paris to announce that, in early 2024, it will be the young Tom Laperche who will compete in the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest as François Gabart chooses to focus on double handed and crewed sailing with the boat. And at the same time they talked of integration back into the Ultim 32/23 class, as we announced two weeks ago.
The General Assembly (AGM) of the Ultim 32/23 class took place on Friday in Paris. There the class announced the inclusion now of the SVR Lazartigue team which has finally agreed to modify François Gabart’s trimaran to comply with the rule. A four-year calendar has also been unveiled which includes the return of the Transat Jacques Vabre this year, upsetting the Imoca class. Tip & Shaft tells you more.
At one year before the start of the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest which will start on January 7, 2024, the Ultim class has appointed a new general secretary, Stéphane Guilbaud. It is a good chance for Tip & Shaft to take stock of the priority issues awaiting the latter.
After the 2022 season which ended with third place in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe in the Ultim class, Thomas Coville has been back on the water during this first week of the year. The crew of Sodebo Ultim 3 is now ready to take on the Route of Discovery record between Cadiz and San Salvador (Bahamas). The record of 6 days 14 hours and 29 minutes has been held since 2013 by Spindrift 2. Tip & Shaft spoke with Coville.
After an impressive 2022 season on the Figaro Beneteau circuit which was marked by four victories from four solo races, including winning the pinnacle Solitaire du Figaro and the title of French Elite offshore racing champion, Tom Laperche is preparing to compete on The Ocean Race with the crew of Holcim PRB before he then continues the 2023 season on François Gabart’s Ultim SVR Lazartigue. That is quite the programme for a 25-year-old sailor who talks to Tip & Shaft.
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