At the end of a well-run race, which he has dominated since last Sunday, the skipper of Paprec Arkéa offered himself a prestigious victory this Saturday, December 9 afternoon by crossing the finish line in the lead. Return to the Base. He won his first solo IMOCA race and added a line to an already extensive track record which includes two Solitaire du Figaro and two Route du Rhum. Enough to build confidence with the whole team before a high-flying 2024 season which will end with its big objective, the Vendée Globe.
It's a matter of details like a permanent game of chess. Pay attention to the slightest adjustments, anticipate the weather conditions, be daring, find the few extra miles to leave your rivals behind... Offshore racing is a work of art and Yoann Richomme demonstrated this spectacularly throughout. throughout this race between Fort-de-France and Lorient. There were the knitting edges under Martinique, the rush towards the North to not give up despite the crossed seas and then the audacity. After having bypassed the anticyclone and benefited from the depressions coming from the East, Paprec Arkéa was in fact the boat which pointed furthest to the North. Enough to benefit from slightly stronger conditions than the rest of the fleet and to gradually get ahead.
First Solo IMOCA Victory
Last weekend, Yoann took control of the race and he never left it. As the days went by, he discovered the harshness of life alone, adapted to sleeping so little, and held on as soon as conditions deteriorated. At the end of the race, true to form, he limited conversations to stay focused until the end, resisted a final depression, dips of 6 meters and gusts approaching 40 knots in order to consolidate his victory.
After 9 days and 03 minutes at sea, Yoann Richomme has just won the only solo race contested this season in IMOCA. This victory adds to a particularly extensive track record, making Yoann one of the most prolific solo skippers. So, in the space of seven years, he has completed two Solitaire du Figaro Paprec (2016, 2019) and two Route du Rhum in Class40 (2018, 2022). It is therefore within a new class that he shines by winning Return to Base.
Two and a half years of teamwork
This success is the result of an incredible collective adventure, a project born in 2021. In the space of two years and a handful of months, a team was formed under the colors of Paprec and Arkéa, a Class40 dominated the 2022 season, an IMOCA was designed, made reliable and placed at the forefront of each of the races. “We've been working on this project for two years, it's been nine months since the boat was launched... We spent a lot of time in the hangar repairing teething problems,” Yoann savored at the pontoon.
The Paprec Arkéa season is indeed a model of regularity. 2 nd in the Rolex Fastnet Race this summer, 2 nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre this fall, Yoann has a great victory to end the year. This is an achievement in an ultra-competitive class with more than forty projects fighting tirelessly to qualify for the Vendée Globe.
If Yoann does not hide his ambition by contributing to the motivation of the entire team, he regularly repeats his pride in evolving with such caring partners and such an involved team. The release of energy and the work provided by the team during ten days in Martinique, before the departure, was particularly valuable in the construction of this victory. The success also validates the thinking of the design office when designing the boat, like this cockpit with an innovative design which protects the work area. “The design of this boat is exceptional, it is above what has been done elsewhere. We are able to push it further and put the cursor further than the others, it’s an opportunity,” explains Yoann.
If Yoann does not hide his ambition by contributing to the motivation of the entire team, he regularly repeats his pride in evolving with such caring partners and such an involved team. The release of energy and the work provided by the team during ten days in Martinique, before the departure, was particularly valuable in the construction of this victory. The success also validates the thinking of the design office when designing the boat, like this cockpit with an innovative design which protects the work area. “The design of this boat is exceptional, it is above what has been done elsewhere. We are able to push it further and put the cursor further than the others, it’s an opportunity,” explains Yoann.
This victory comes at the right time at the end of this particularly rewarding year. Now all eyes will be on next season. On the program: a construction phase, two transatlantic races (The Transat CIC, New York - Vendée) before the big objective, the Vendée Globe, the departure of which will take place on Sunday November 10, 2024. A season which therefore promises to be particularly intense and which Yoann will approach true to his state of mind: with humility, ambition and the desire to involve as many people as possible in his incredible adventures.
“This race was a great moment. I'm super proud to be there, super proud to finish in first place! It mainly came down to the tactical shift that I was able to make and which served me throughout. We have a boat that is designed to go in the breeze, in more sea than the others. I might find it easier to put the cursor a little higher. In the end, I enjoyed sailing even though they are tough boats. They are committed boats but they pay you back. There are some crazy surfing moments but you have to hang in there! At Back to Base, I don't think anyone pretended. At one point, I said to myself that we would never last ten days like that. The boats have suffered a lot, we have a lot of lessons to learn about how to handle them. We can't lead them 100% all the time otherwise we'll ruin everything! I have a thought for Charlie (Dalin) who was not with us, for Thomas (Ruyant) and Jérémie (Beyou) who had technical problems. There, we're going to enjoy... I want to party!"
