15th Défi Azimut Lorient Agglomération - Speed Runs
by Azimut 19 Sep 00:59 NZST
15th Défi Azimut Lorient Agglomération © Jean-Marie Liot
Une Battle commenced today in the 15th Défi Azimut Lorient Agglomération with a spectacle guaranteed from the get-go. Speed runs left, right and centre in the Courreaux de Groix, followed by a grand parade around the harbour by an 11-strong fleet of IMOCAs to delight the crowds.
Designed to be sailed around the globe single-handed, these boats are also works of art whose crews understand just what it takes to really put on a show.
With their foot to the floor, the duo of Sam Goodchild and Loïs Berrehar were the first to fully power up and fire Macif Santé Prévoyance down the course for the speed runs between the Ile de Groix and the Pointe du Talut. Hot on her heels was Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière's Charal.
With stopwatches at the ready, the showdown began with these two speed demons, eager to show off their true potential as they tore down the course at full pelt. With their co-skippers renowned for posting highly polished performances on these superbly designed racing steeds, it didn't take much to get the boats galloping across the water.
Ultimately, after six to seven attempts apiece, victory in these Runs Azimut 2025 went to Macif Santé Prévoyance, who put up an impressive performance thanks to her extremely stable flight both in terms of altitude and trajectory. Alongside Lois Berrehar, Sam Goodchild, who had already bagged the best time on his previous IMOCA last year, repeated the performance today with an average speed of 25.9 knots.
11 boats, 61 attempts
In the rocky shallows off Lorient, the initially timid S/SW'ly wind finally decided to put in an appearance. Dishing up 12-15 knots of breeze, the sea was almost flat aside from a very slight chop.
Great conditions then for the duos and their guests to put pedal to the metal down the racetrack and link together a series of runs. The nine other foilers and the Archimedean daggerboard boats also relished the opportunity to sprint across the water and show what they were made of. After three hours of racing against the clock, the eleven crews racked up 61 attempts in all, every one of them carefully timed by the president of the Race Committee, Gilles Bricout. A rare opportunity for a bit of competitive fun for the crews of these exceptional sailboats.
Among them, it would be impossible not to highlight the fantastic performance posted by Armel Tripon's brand-new boat, Les P'tits Doudous, in what was her very first competition. Recognisable
by her unique livery created by artist Cyril Kongo in a gentle nod to the hospitalised children for whom this boat is an ambassador, the latest addition to the IMOCA fleet made an outstanding debut. After two warm-up laps, the skipper from Nantes, together with sports coach Tanguy Leglatin, secured the third fastest time of the day, just 20 seconds behind Macif Santé Prévoyance, which was unbeatable in these speed runs.
Just seconds apart
Astern of the top trio was a group of boats boasting very similar performances, each of them eager to outpace the other. As such, the suspense surrounding the scoreboard reigned right to the last on the waters off Lorient.
Of particular note in this group was a fabulous run by Fortinet-Best Western skippered by Romain Attanasio and Maxime Sorel, who lost out on the podium for the day's best time by just one tiny second. A stellar performance by a boat whose hull dates back to 2015!
Parade from Lorient La Base to Péristyle
After the speed runs, it was over to the grand parade this evening. For the very first time, the fleet sailed right to the heart of the city of Lorient at the foot of the peristyle and the Maison de l'Agglomération. With the ladies invited to go first, Initiatives Cœur helmed by Sam Davies and Violette Dorange, kicked off the exhibition sailing at 16:30 hours.
A choreography under mainsail, Race Director Francis Le Goff naturally set the rhythm for the parade having already masterfully taken on the role in 2024 during the opening ceremony for the Paris
Olympics on the River Seine. In harmony with the organiser Azimut's ethos of bringing people together in a spirit of creativity, the boats rounded the Pointe de Bernoulli, a site that has witnessed the transformation of the former submarine base into a living space geared towards offshore racing, to the uplifting musical accompaniment provided by local artist and trumpeter Youn Kamm. A wonderful symbol then to round off this day of exhibition racing, at the heart of a region with a strong maritime character, prior to tomorrow's 48H race, the main event of the Défi Azimut Lorient Agglomération, which is shaping up to be more tactical than ever.
Rankings
1. Macif Santé Prévoyance: 02'19"
2. Charal: 02'27"
3. Les P'tits Doudous: 02'49
4. Fortinet - Best Western: 02'50
5. Bureau Vallée: 02'53"
6. 4CAD - La Mie Câline: 02'55'
7. Initiatives Cœur: 02'56"
8. Teamwork - Team SNEF: 03'00
9. Coup de Pouce: 03'37"
10. Fives Group - Lantana Environnement: 03'44"
11. Café Joyeux: 03'46"