— 11. 04. 2024
— 11. 04. 2024

100 sailors ready to take on the Atlantic.

To note in this press release:
– The Cap Martinique sets sail this Sunday from La Trinité-sur-Mer, Brittany
– ETA at the finish from 4 May in Martinique (Port de l’étang Z’abricots)
– 60 boats and 100 sailors at the start
– Video: Interviews with the competitors 

The second edition of the Cap-Martinique sets sail this Sunday from La Trinité-sur-Mer. Sixty boats and a hundred sailors are participating in this 100% amateur transatlantic race. A studious atmosphere permeates the pontoons because everybody is on the same page with regards the infamous ‘to do list’, which needs everything ticking off before start day. In the meantime, camaraderie reigns with the skippers sharing tools, helping one another out and also giving each other tips on how to set sail in the best possible conditions.

Interviews

Ludovic Sénechal (FOP France):
“Noël and I have been sailing together for the past 14 years. We have two very separate tasks aboard. Noël is taking care of the strategy and navigation and I’m on deck getting the boat running on all cylinders. We’re pretty complementary. What’s good about the Cap-Martinique is that it’s raced in one hit. There are no stopovers or stand-bys. The aim is to leave as many boats behind us as possible (laughs). We’ll try to play around with the key movers and shakers but everyone is keen to do that. We’re racing for FOP France (Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, a rare musculoskeletal condition, which creates a second ‘skeleton’ of extra bone making movement impossible. It’s a disorder that a friend’s daughter suffers from. They’ll be in attendance this week and we’re delighted to be racing for them.”

Philippe Benoiton (Passe Coque):
 

“Taking the start of this Cap-Martinique is a dream come true. I’ve been imagining this for the past forty years. I’ve known lots of people who have done transatlantic passages and today it’s my turn. It’s a sheer delight. I’m really eager to have some fun and to do it with a great group of people. I’m representing a local association in Saint Philibert called Passe Coque. In a port like this, there are lots of boats which serve no purpose now and are rotting away. The association takes over the boats, restores them and gifts them to other associations. As far as I’m concerned, a successful Cap-Martinique would involve making the finish just after the arrival of my wife and daughters who will be in Fort-de-France.”

Bertrand Fourmont (Alpha Sablé):
“It’s my third transatlantic, but it’s my first in solo format as I don’t want to make any compromises. That adds another dimension because you have to deal with everything yourself and make all the decisions. For me it’s the culmination of everything that we’ve been gearing up for, whether it be working, training or racing. Pulling off such a challenge single-handed is awesome. The societal commitment of the Cap-Martinique really appeals to me. I am already committed to the Rotary Club and when it came down to choosing an association, I immediately thought of Alpha Sablé, which devotes its time and energy to helping those in the region who are from overseas to improve their literacy. It’s been a daily commitment because I’ve been giving groups of 25 students 90-minute lessons. I’ve talked a lot about boating and this race with them. They are not the words they will use every day but they’ve been really interested in it. They came along last week and had the chance to have a tour of the boat.”

Alexandre Ozon 
“It’s my second edition of the Cap-Martinique and I won the first one. Two years ago, it was a bit strange as we were only just coming out the other side of COVID. We linked together the Transquadra and the Cap-Martinique. The schedule meant that the two races could be completed one after the other, so we spent a lot of time on the water. I hadn’t done any specific training for the Cap-Martinique. The first edition was relatively easy as we had some sunshine, which was great! Two years have elapsed since then and though you don’t forget everything you’ve learned, the preparation is completely different. It feels like you’re starting from a clean slate, which is quite bizarre.
I would really like to finish in the top three of the solo sailors all the same. I’ve set myself a goal because that always gives you a boost. That said, I’m setting sail on a 20-year-old boat and I’ll be slugging it out against some ultra-honed hulls. I said to myself: “Go for it, it’s a challenge. I’m sailing on a good old boat.” It won’t be easy as there are quite a few solo sailors, and double-handed ones too, but that’s another story.”

Miguel Antao (Dessine moi la High Tech)
“I’d dreamed of doing a transatlantic race from France. There are two amateur IRC transatlantic races, and the Cap-Martinique has the benefit that it can be completed all in one go, which means you don’t have to manage your race over several phases, like stopping over in Madeira between legs for example. I thought that was the best option. I really had to mull it over and I examined and monitored the first edition carefully. The idea of supporting a cause along the way inspired me even more. I think it ticks all the boxes as a race.”

DUOS: 
Amalric Pierre-Henri, Sallé de Chou Bruno (L’Envol /Figaro 2 )
Amedeo Jacques, Tailliandier Brice (Solidarité paysans / JPK 110 )
Antao Miguel, Carpentier Patrice (Dessine-moi la High Tech / Figaro 2)
Apolda Jérôme, Ayrault Stéphane (Echo Mer / JPK 10.30)
Baseden Harold, Cathelineau Thaïs (Vaincre la Mucovicidose / JPK 10.10)
Bastard Eric, Castelnau Alexandre (L’Arche La Belle Porte / JPK 10.10)
Bihan-Poudec Hervé, Prigent Christophe (Association Préventions / J 99)
Bondonneau Alexandre, Hurdiel Rémy (Sleep Sailing Lab – Fonds USS/ Sun Fast 3300 )
Branchet-Allinieu Jean-Christophe, Le Guern Francois ( Rêve de clowns / Sun Fast 3200)
Charmy Laurent et Letouzé Pierrick (?/ Sun Fast 30 OD)
D’Aboville Vianney, Ropartz François (Parrains Marins pour Enfants du Mékong/ JPK 960)
Darnaudguilhem Michel, Bru Christophe ( 9 de Coeur / A35R)
Dumortier Amaury, Thiriez Geoffrey ( Terre d’enfants/ Figaro 2)
Follin Adrien, Garetta Pierre ( SNSM Saint-Tropez / Sun Fast 3300)
Foucart Michel, Gindre Yann (A Chacun son Everest/J 97)
Geraud Hervé, Jarrousse Emmanuel (Namasté/Sun Fast 3200)
Gerin Victor, Gerin Oscar (Planéte Urgence/ JPK 960)
Graffan Bernard, Strube Nicolas (EHPAD Saint-Léger / JPK 10.10)
Grimaud Nicolas, De Fougerollles Thierry (Institut Pasteur/Figaro 2)
Grippon Pierre, Pinta Guillaume (Aura France/Pogo 30)
Lecat Ivan, De La Rivière Gwendal (Le Rocher/Pogo 30)
Le Trequesser Yvan / Comelli Samuel ( Tooth Colibri / Sun Fast 3200)
Lollier Christophe, Lecoq Armand (Coco an Dlo / Sun Fast 3200)
Lunven Olivier, Lunven Vincent ( Association FERDINAND /J 99)
Manuel Joseph, Manuel Edouard (? / Sun Fast 3200 )
Merette Paul, Seeten Joé ( La Table Ronde / MARE 35)
Montécot Jacques, Lafite Samuel ( Loire Odyssée / Figaro 2)
Mora Christine, Vernhet Didier (un palier deux toits/ Figaro 2)
Motte Gauthier, Tesson Pierre-Antoine (Sauvegarde / 56-MC 34)
Pejoan Sébastian, Pejoan Marine ( EndoFrance/ Bongo 9.60)
Quenot Gerard, Daniels Bertrand (Association Neurofibromatoses et Recklinghausen/JPK 10.30)
Racine Noël, Senechal Ludovic (FOP France Maladie de l’Homme de Pierre/JPK 10.30)
Ravel d’Estienne Alexis, Prevost Jean-Baptiste (Initiatives Grand Largue/ Ofcet 32)
Riché Stanislas, Leblanc Marc (Artic /Ofcet 32)
Robin Daniel, Cossais Laurent (Association Martial Caillaud / J 99)
Rosen Jacobson Robert, Mac Donell Finlayson Calanach (SNSM La Trinité-sur-Mer / Sun Fast 3300)
Semaille Bertrand, Debry Tristan (ASA Madagascar / JPK 10.30)
Van Gaver Paul, Van Gaver Arnaud (Les Emplaqués / JPK 10.10)
Willame Marc, Jeu Antoine (Fédération Française des Diabétiques /JPK 960)
Wolfe Christina, Wolfe Justin (Sailors for the Sea /Sun Fast 3300)
 

● SOLO SAILORS: 
 
Aubry Hervé (Des pieds et des mains /JPK 10.30)
Benoiton Philippe (Passe Coque / JPK 10.30)
Bory Cabaud Laurent (TANJOMOHA /Figaro 2)
Coret Pascal (CDC Développement Solidaire / Pogo 30)
Fourmond Bertrand (ALPHA Sablé /JPK 10.30)
Froment Quentin (Fidesco / Sun Fast 3300)
Gaudru Philippe (Camino de l’Espoir/Sun Fast 3600)
Gerard Ludovic (Fondation Pure Ocean/JPK 10.80)
Hamon Jean François (Pour Aster/Sun Fast 3300)
Houchard Pierre-Marie (Les Dotis/A35)
Job Even (Epilepsie France/Figaro 2)
Kuttel Adrian (Sentinel Ocean Alliance/JPK 10.30)
Lebas Julien ( Le Havre Zéro Déchet / Bongo 9.60)
Libeau Hervé (Abilis /JPK 10.30)
Mangione Paolo (MABAM / Sun Fast 3600)
Ozon Alexandre (Trophée Estuaire Rose / Bepox 990 )
Paul Maxime ( Ehpad Sainte Bernadette / JPK 10.10)
Rigalleau Jacques ( ORA /Sun Fast 3200)
Triem Philippe (Pour un Sourire d’Enfant / Sun Fast 3600)
Vian Régis (Ecole Jules Verne /JPK 10.10) 

Finish info:
The competitors are expected from 4 May in the Port de l’Etang Z’abricots.
________
 
60 competing boats
100 sailors at the start
7 nationalities (FRA, USA, BEL, POR, GBR, RSA, NED)
20 solo sailors
40 double-handed sailors
2,500 m2: surface area of the start village
14 April: start date for all 
4 May: ETA for the first boats
19 to 22: the number of days at sea for the majority of competitors 
30 to 40 feet (around 10 to 12 metres): length of the boats

3,800 miles (7,000 km) to sail non-stop

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+ d’actualités

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