The Bridge / MACIF wins the Centenary Transat

At 1.31pm and 20 sec (7.31 pm and 20 sec, French time), this Monday, July 3rd, 2017, the MACIF maxi-multicoque crossed, under the Verrazano-Narrows bridge in New York Bay, the finishing line of the Centenary Transat, a 100% ultimate trimarans race, celebrating 100 years of friendship between the France and the United States, as part of THE BRIDGE.

Crédit : Th Martinez

Ultim / One month until celebrations start of The Bridge

On Thursday a press conference was held in Paris to mark the launch of The Bridge, an event that commemorates the centenary of the first landing in France of American soldiers in June 1917.

crédit : Th Martinez

Ultim / Francois Gabart takes line honours in The Transat bakerly 2016 and wins the Ultime class

Francois Gabart, the young heart-throb of French solo offshore sailing, completed his first solo win on board his new 100ft trimaran, Macif, today when he crossed the finish line of The Transat bakerly off New York.

Crédit : Lloyd Images

Jacques Vabre / François Gabart and Pascal Bidegorry, Kings in the Land of the Giants

When MACIF finished first in Match of the Giants, as the first Ultime to finish the Transat Jacques Vabre two handed Transatlantic race from Le Havre to Itajaí, Brasil, co-skipper Gabart completed ocean racing’s Triple Crown, adding the Transat Jacques Vabre title to Route du Rhum and Vendée Globe wins. He becomes only the second sailor after Michel Desjoyeaux to collect all three titles.

Images / Macif 100's François Gabart on the road in Brittany

#RDR2014 / Quality IMOCA fleet for La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe

Current and past champions of the non-stop solo round the world race, the Vendée Globe, will feature highly in the IMOCA Open 60 class in the upcoming Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe which starts from Saint Malo on Sunday 2nd November. 

#TJV2013 / IMOCA Leader MACIF Dismasted, François Gabart second time unlucky

Whilst leading the IMOCA Open 60 Class of the Transat Jacques Vabre two handed race from Le Harvre to Itajai, Brasil MACIF was dismasted around 0000hrs UTC on Wednesday (into Thursday) night whilst sailing some 140 miles from Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. 

Credit : françois Gabart / Macif

French co-skippers Francois Gabart and Michel Desjoyeaux immediately informed Race Direction. Both sailors are reported to be safe and sound and have secured the boat by cutting away the rig. They are headiing towards Salvador de Bahia. 

Transat Jacques Vabre / Portuguese Pit Stop for François Gabart et Michel Desjoyeaux

Leaders of the IMOCA fleet in the Transat Jacques Vabre double handed race from Le Havre MACIF, sailed by Vendée Globe winners François Gabart and Michel Desjoyeaux, were making a technical pit stop in Peniche, 87 kms NW of Lisbon, Portugal this afternoon after damage to their starboard rudder was discovered last night.

credit : Macif

Video / Fastnet Race, Imoca's skippers are talking about the famous race

Edmond de Rothschild and Macif take line honours in the Artemis Challenge (ITW)

The seventh edition of the Artemis Challenge at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week this year undoubtedly boasts its most prestigious line-up of offshore racing superstars – François Gabart, Michel Desjoyeaux, Alex Thomson, Dee Caffari, Vincent Riou, Jean Le Cam, Seb Josse, Brian Thompson, Sidney Gavignet – to name a few. The fleet of two huge multihulls and six IMOCA 60 monohulls today raced in The Solent in a tightly fought battle to claim their share of the £10,000 charity prize fund.

Credit : Macif

Europa Warm'Up / Winner, Vincent Riou :"The level has never been higher"

It was the final night which decided the outcome of the inaugural edition of the Europa Warm’Up and it was Riou on PRB which proved slightly quicker and smarter to hold off the hard driving Gabart who has shown a maturity beyond his years in how he paced himself and pushed on this second leg.

Credit : O.Blanchet/Europa Warm'Up

Europa Warm'Up / A Figaro Finale to La Rochelle ?

Though the passage past the Fastnet light was inspiring it was perhaps a little too quiet for Vincent Riou, the leader of the Europa Warm’Up Race. The PRB solo skipper saw some of his hard won lead melt away to the pursuing second placed boat, now Francois Gabart on MACIF who won the solo transatlantic BtoB in December.

Credit : V.Curutchet/Macif

Europa Warm'Up / Vincent Riou :"I managed to gain a bit on my opponents"

The Fastnet Rock is one of sailing mythical milestones. It was in 1847 that the decision was taken to build a lighthouse on the lonely rock off Cape Clear, as much as the result of an American ship hitting West Calf Island in the thick mist and causing the death of over

Credit : J.Vapillon/SeaandCo

Europa Warm'Up / PRB leads the Fastnet charge

Vincent Riou on PRB retains his lead at around 18 miles this morning with around 650 miles to sail to the famous Fastnet Rock light, but it is Bernard Stamm on Cheminées Poujoulat which has revelled in the strong downwind conditions, but it is extremely close between St

Credit : Macif

Europa Warm'Up / Leading, Vincent Riou :"We’ll see in a few hours"

Vincent Riou himself is no stranger to enforced Azores stops, having been forced to retire into Horta out of November’s Transat Jacques Vabre, but he made the best of the strategic options passing to the west of Sao Miguel today to gain more breeze and a better angle on the downwind leg towards Fastnet Rock. Since he passed Santa Maria, Riou has gained more than 30 miles on his nearest rivals and this afternoon leads the race, ahead of Armel Le Cléac’h by 11.5 miles. That choice is all the more clever given that commonly used software routing indicated the easterly option to be preferred.

Credit : PRB

Europa Warm'Up / Leading, JP Dick :"You have to be on deck a lot"

Easy, fast miles proved a gentle return to solo ocean racing for the seven Europa Warm'Up skippers after they left Cascais Sunday, but a high pressure ridge is slowing the leaders and setting the first strategy puzzle.

Credit : A.Le Cleach/Banque Populaire

Imoca / Europa Warm’Up Leg 2, now in Solo, the seven skippers left Cascais today

The seven Europa Warm’Up skippers left Cascais, Lisbon today at 1600h local time, setting course on their IMOCA Open 60’s for the open Atlantic ocean, ready to tackle the second of the two stage race, a 2.300 miles long passage which they know will be their the final racing test before November’s Vendée Globe.

Credit : J.Vapillon

Imoca / Virbac Paprec 3 wins Leg 1, first reactions

It was as close a finish as many would have wished for, just over seven minutes separating first placed Virbac-Paprec 3 and third placed PRB. Jean Pierre Dick’s crew, with back to back Route du Rhum winner Roland Jourdain among them, lead all the way down the Mediterranean only to surrender their lead to PRB at the gateway to the Atlantic, the Strait of Gibraltar. But through the last 24 hours of the 800 miles first stage which started on Saturday in Barcelona, Virbac-Paprec 3 fought back to hold a tiny lead over Francois Gabart and crew on MACIF, with Vincent Riou’s PRB taking third.

Credit : R.Pinto/Europa Warm Up