Transat Jacques Vabre: the happiness of the first to arrive while waiting for the coronation of the Ultimes

Europe 1 with AFP 6:55 am, November 23, 2021

Their nerves put to the test for two weeks, Sébastien Rogues and Matthieu Souben crossed the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre on the night of Monday to Tuesday at Fort-de-France in Martinique, to win in the category 15m multihulls, before the super stars of the race, the Ultimes, whose course is longer.

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Sailors emptied but happy

Rogues and Souben (Primonial), emptied but happy.

The tandem, associated for the second time in the doubles race, burst into joy after being the first of the 75 boats still in the race (out of 79 at the start) to cross the line in the bay of Fort-de-France, at 9:54 p.m. Monday local time (2:54 a.m. Paris time).

They thus won the race in the Ocean Fifty category (15m multihulls), one of the four classes of sailboats entered in the race.

The organizers have set up three different routes depending on the class of the boat to allow a relatively grouped arrival.

"It's a lot of happiness, we are happy with the efforts we have made for two weeks. It's brilliant! It's rare moments in a life, and that is priceless", a smiled broadly at Rogues, who answered reporters from his boat moored at the pontoon lit by the full moon and in the absence of the public due to the curfew in effect in Martinique.

"Chess"

The two sailors arrived before the fastest boats in the world, the Ultimes (32 m long flying maxi-trimaran), which have a course a third longer than the Ocean Fifty, and whose current leader, the tandem Franck Cammas / Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) is expected from midday Tuesday (Paris time). "It's always nice to arrive before the Ultimes, I have to say it! They really didn't have the same course as us and, anyway, it's still the most beautiful boats in the world with the best sailors in the world. That will not change. But there is little chance in life where you can win the Jacques Vabre and even less win it in front of the Ultimes so maybe this one will be the only one in our life ", s' is delighted Rogues.

The race was grueling, physically but also psychologically because of the strategic dimension that prevailed from the start from Le Havre and for the entire fleet of this fifteenth edition.

"This Transat Jacques Vabre was longer than expected, we were all a little surprised, it was a lot of psychological commitment. We did not have the big storms of November to cross in the Bay of Biscay but on the other hand it was very strategic, the game of chess on the Atlantic started in Ouessant, so very early. Suddenly, we left a lot of energy in there ", summarized Souben.

The second and third of the Ocean Fifty class (seven boats) are also expected overnight from Monday to Tuesday.

Reinforced security measures

Once the sailors disembark, the boats are put to safety in a place other than the race village following a decision taken Monday evening by the general manager Caroline Caron. "We had an alert emanating from a possible gathering which could potentially see degradations which perhaps will never exist because, as we see, it is very calm, we have no emergency signals" , explained Ms. Caron.

The decision was taken following the demonstration which took place, without incident, on the island on Monday, at the call of trade unions protesting in particular against the compulsory vaccination of caregivers.

Some demonstrators in particular entered the village of the race.

The installation of the arrival village of the Transat Jacques Vabre in Fort-de-France had been the subject of criticism from anti-colonialist movements.

After the Ultimes, the spotlight will be on the Imoca (the Vendée Globe boats, 18 m monohull), whose podium will be played a priori on Thursday, then on the Class 40 (12 m monohulls), expected on November 30.