Sailing: Class 40 sailors will (re)sing Belle-île-en-mer Marie-Galante

The refrain has already rocked the sailors of the Figaro Bénéteau circuit twice, in 2007 and 2009. Fifteen years later, it is the sailors of the Class 40 monohulls (12 meters) who will be able to hum Laurent Voulzy's hit released in 1985. Belle-île-en-mer Marie-Galante, two islands which marked the successful singer for life and could do it again with the 13 crews of three sailors announced to depart from Brittany on April 7.

The 3,470 mile (6,425 kilometer) route promises to be strategic, like all transatlantic crossings, and highly flammable given the proposed plateau. Among the favorites, the trio Erwan Le Draoulec - Thomas Rouxel - Corentin Horeau (winner of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2023) promises to be formidable on the Everial monohull.

“With my sponsor, we are delighted to find ourselves at the start of this transatlantic which is heading towards the West Indies. It's a destination that I appreciate and which is successful for me because it's almost on the same course that I won the Mini Transat a few years ago. I take very complete runners with me. I hope to learn from their experiences in different mediums. They are both discovering the Class40, a boat on which I have sailed a lot, their outside perspective will do the crew a lot of good,” explains Erwan Le Draoulec.

No doubt for Gildas Morvan, former renowned Figariste, and race director of this “Niji 40 Belle-Ile-en-mer Marie-Galante”, the regatta promises to be lively, even agitated, and the match without respite in the trade winds . “There is a really good general level. There are only very good ones everywhere. If the conditions are right, they will bomb. Under a three spinnaker, it can move a lot aboard these increasingly powerful Class40s,” analyzes the “Green Giant,” who has designed a course open to all winds, and with the only obligation to leave to starboard the island of Santa Maria (Azores). For the rest, all options will be possible for this two-week open sea regatta obviously sponsored by Laurent Voulzy.