The French duo cut the line at Fort-de-France the day after the arrival of three boats in the Ocean Fifty category, 15-meter-long multihulls which had a course a third shorter than the Ultimes (flying maxitrimarans 32 m long) during this double-handed race bringing together different types of boats.

Cammas and Caudrelier crossed the line at 10:16 am local time (3:16 pm Paris time) to win in 16 days and 1 hour, accompanied by dozens of small boats in a bay bathed in sunshine.

They arrived in Martinique twelve hours after the Sébastien Rogues / Matthieu Souben (Primonial) tandem, victorious in the Ocean Fifty class.

This is the first victory on a great classic offshore racing from this boat, launched in July 2017 and in the hands of Cammas and Caudrelier since summer 2019.

Cammas, a sailor of many exploits and the first skipper to tour the world within 50 days (Jules Verne Trophy in 2010), signed his fourth victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre (2001, 2003, 2007, 2021).

Caudrelier, winner of the crewed round-the-world race (Volvo Ocean Race in 2017/2018), won him a third success in the Transat Jacques Vabre (2009, 2013, 2021).

The two skippers largely dominated the race, occupying the lead of the fleet fourteen days out of sixteen.

The Ultimes have made their comeback on a great classic, three years after having experienced numerous breakages during the Route du Rhum 2018 (single-handed transatlantic), including the loss of a boat, that of Banque Populaire.

The sponsor is involved in the construction of a new machine (Maxi Banque Populaire XI), launched last April and still skippered by Armel Le Cléac'h, associated with Kevin Escoffier for this very first race.

The crew should arrive in Martinique on Tuesday around 6:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. / 12:00 a.m. Paris time) in a duel for second place with the latest addition to the fleet, helmed by François Gabart and Tom Laperche (SVR Lazartigue).

© 2021 AFP