Armel Le Cléac'h, one of the most brilliant sailors of his generation, has never won the Route du Rhum, a race that has made him dream since his childhood. He will be on the starting line again on November 4 in Saint-Malo. It is also in the out-series of Ouest-France "legendary Skippers", on sale in all press points, here is an excerpt.
2006, a first
This Sunday, October 27, a stone's throw from the ramparts of Saint-Malo, a passenger boat begins to roll edge on edge. Brit Air, the small airline of Morlaix, become partner of Armel Le Cléac'h, was filled with family, friends, pilot and hostesses, come to support their foal.
The native of Saint-Pol-de-Léon, great French hope of offshore racing, won his first Solitaire du Figaro in 2003, at the age of 26 by styling for 14 seconds Alain Gautier, who will enter two years later, on the circuit of oceanic multihulls. The adventure will end with a perilous capsize on the Transat Jacques Vabre at the end of 2005.
Ten months after throwing in the towel with Foncia , for refusing to continue on the circuit Orma multihull he found "too dangerous", the "Jackal" is found on the starting line of his first Route du Rhum. "From my first transat solo alone! "He recalls. More adept at the monohull and dreaming of Vendée Globe, he was almost naturally chosen to be at the heart of this project "made in Morlaix Bay".
To quickly align with the queen of sunbeds, the Brit Air team, with limited means, rented a boat. This is the former Sodebo Thomas Coville on the Vendée Globe 2000. A boat that is already eight years old, proven, solid, but has the serious handicap of having a fixed keel, when the new boats have a swivel. Behind Roland Jourdain, winner, Jean Le Cam brilliant dolphin, and Jean-Pierre Dick, who won the Vendée Globe, ten years later, yet won a very beautiful 4th place that confirms its full potential.
2010, already second
When he moored his 60-foot monohull in the Vauban basin in October 2010, Armel Le Cléac'h knows he has changed his status. His 2nd place on the Vendée Globe 2008 passed by.
Unlike his first Route du Rhum, Leonardo now has a competitive boat in his hands. His Brit Air 2 , a 2007 Finot-Conq plan, is not the fastest on the circuit, but can still play the victory. "I'm completely confident in my boat," he says before departure. I know him very well. I have almost two laps around the world with him, and he is reliable. It should not be hidden, the training, we saw small differences between boats on certain paces. It would be a pity for the new boats that they do not go a little faster. But afterwards, in the race, it's you who sends back the canvas or not. "
Quickly after the gun, a waterway problem occurs on board. "A cork of the desalinator was gone. When I realized it, at the level of Bréhat, there was already 50 cm of water inside. It took me a few hours to solve the problem, but I was late. "
For a long time fighting with Roland Jourdain, he let him escape at the cost of a jibe a bit too late off the Azores, and cut the line in 2nd position eight hours behind the one who had already won in 2006. " There is nothing to say, Bilou was the best, he made no mistake, " he admits disappointed, but handsome player.
2014, the tile
Beaten by François Gabart for 3 hours on the Vendée Globe 2012, Armel Le Cléac'h who has conquered victories in Figaro, still chasing a victory on a big boat. For a bit, it would even stick to the label of Poulidor racing offshore. He hates obviously.
On his return from his world tour, his sponsor offered him the passage to higher class, buying the former Groupama III of Franck Cammas, winner of the Route du Rhum 2010. The year 2014 begins at best for the one whose experiment on three hulls had turned short end 2005 in Orma. On his maximum of 31.5 m, he breaks the record of the Discovery Road solo between Cadiz and San Salvador and also beats the distance record in 24 hours solo (673 miles).
It is in big favorite of Route du Rhum 2014 that it leaves on vacation during the summer. But here is the tile. The huge tile itself. While cleaning his car in a washing station, he opens his hand on a cutting grid: tendons and nerves cut, announced package.
"It's a terrible disappointment to have had this accident. We were well prepared for this Route du Rhum, I felt ready for this beautiful challenge but it's like that ... ". His replacement, Loïck Peyron, does not quite have the ideal physical condition to lead the machine to 100%. But, finally routed by the one who gave him his place and Marcel Van Triest, he will offer 55 years, a prestigious victory that will do well the business of the sponsor, Banque Populaire . "This is probably the best scenario for me too, recognizes Armel le Cléac'h, the arrival of his replacement in Pointe-à-Pitre. Victory was the goal we set for ourselves. I was very disappointed, a little deep in the hole, I had the impression to have put the whole team in the mouise with my accident, they who dreamed so much. Already the fact that Loïck accepts, it reassured me. The fact that he wins ... But for me, it will remain a big regret. It could have been me ... " This is probably only part of the delivery ...
2018, the uncertainty
When Banque Populaire IX hits the water for the first time, on October 30, 2017, its skipper has banana. Happy, proud and full of ambition. His new plan VPLP, last born Ultimate, intended to fly offshore, is a gem. A launch two years before the great adventure of the world tour alone, called Brest Oceans. Two years that will not be too much to develop it, master it, and make the most of it.
First step checked on the road of Brest 2019, Saint-Malo, November 4, 2018 and the first big confrontation expected with Macif of François Gabart, and Edmond de Rothschild of Sébastien Josse.
Meanwhile, Armel Le Cléac'h garners the miles, a transat and back to Pointe-à-Pitre, but crewed, and a beginning navigation in solo condition, towards the Mediterranean, for the departure of Nice Ultimed. But here again, the spell is on the Jackal. On April 13 off Casablanca, an oversold has the trimaran suddenly shine, the skipper manages to shock the mainsail, but that is not enough and Banque Populaire IX is on the roof. The crew is safe and sound, but the boat is seriously damaged and has no mast.
A race against the clock commits to repatriate him in Brittany, to restore it and as soon as possible to the water. It will remain less than two months to the entire team to give Armel Le Cléac'h a chance to finally hang the Route du rhum to his name. This transat which refuses to him for 12 years.
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