Holcim-PRB set off on the Course des Caps
by Team HOLCIM - PRB 30 Jun 08:14 NZST
29 June 2025
Holcim-PRB starts the Course des Caps Boulogne sur Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord © Jean-Louis Carli
Today at 2:00 PM (French time), the IMOCA Holcim-PRB set off on the Course des Caps Boulogne sur Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord, a challenging route of over 2,000 nautical miles around the British Isles.
Nicolas Lunven, skipper for this race, is joined by four highly skilled sailors: Dutch sailor Annemieke Bes, Briton Alan Roberts, and Frenchman Franck Cammas. Onboard reporter Anne Beaugé will be in charge of sharing the crew's performance and mindset throughout the race.
This week, the crew experienced the incredible enthusiasm of the people of Hauts-de-France, who came out in large numbers on the village to admire the eleven IMOCA boats making up the lineup for this first edition of the Course des Caps Boulogne sur Mer - Banque Populaire du Nord. It was a welcome burst of energy before embarking on this exceptional route that will take the fleet as far north as the Shetland Islands, at 60 degrees north.
Right from the start, the team had to stay focused, as light wind conditions await the Holcim-PRB crew during the early days of the race, as Nicolas Lunven explained: "the start and the entire exit from the Channel, even the crossing of the Celtic Sea up to Fastnet, will be calm or even sluggish. According to the forecast, we might only reach Fastnet by Wednesday morning. We're not likely to break any race records. As we sail up along the west coast of Ireland, we'll face a high-pressure ridge, meaning more light winds and upwind sailing. Forecast models aren't very consistent after that. We're looking at a race that's not expected to be very fast. At least we won't be hit by bad weather."
Before docking out at midday, Nicolas, Franck, Annemieke, and Alan were all smiles. They're ready to face the challenge and form a united team, driven by a shared desire to succeed in what promises to be a demanding race: "The conditions we're expecting will tend to even out the performance gaps between boats. What will really matter is how we sail them... Tactical and strategic decisions will be key. It's going to be an interesting race. It'll be nerve-wracking because of all the changes in conditions," adds Nicolas, who anticipates a race duration of between seven and nine days.
This event serves as the final full-scale rehearsal before The Ocean Race Europe, which will start on August 10 from Kiel, Germany.