Sailing: “I give myself a good grade,” says Yoann Richomme, winner of the Transat CIC

The connection was difficult to establish. “I’m in a bank of fog in the middle of nowhere,” commented Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa), during a videoconference, a few minutes after winning the Transat CIC, a legendary race better known as the English transatlantic race. “It’s a crazy, historic transatlantic race, the one that shaped the history of ocean racing with Tabarly,” he added. I'm super happy and it's a lot of pride to cross the line first. It’s quite a symbol for me, having lived in my youth here (in the United States) and it’s nice to find a country where we lived when arriving there by sea.”

And the double winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, who beat Boris Herrmann, admitted his satisfaction at having won the last two transatlantic races contested in an Imoca monohull, this transat between Lorient and New York and last November the one returning to France after having competed in the Transat Jacques Vabre in doubles which he finished in second place: “it is not a neutral achievement to win two transats in a row. I am very proud to bring back a good result.”

And after thanking and congratulating his team, he admitted to having experienced a difficult start to the race: “well, I had a slightly average start with a tricky start time. And inevitably this raises doubts. Mentally the first 2-3 days were difficult. And I had no questions about the choice of sails. Ultimately they were effective. And I was happy to keep pace with Charlie Dalin. I was also proud of the gull-wing trajectory as we approached Newfoundland. And I give myself a good rating. I experienced 2 or 3 stages of the Solitaire du Figaro in one race. It was intense. And in the end, it was hard to see Boris (Herrmann) come back. Last night, the boat lay on its side and I didn't hear anything because I was so sleepy. I’m really burned out, I know because I can’t stop eating,” explained the 40-year-old sailor, determined to rest during the three weeks that separate him from the start of the Transat New York-Vendée. “I'm going to go see the wolves and bears in Yellowstone Park and enjoy New York and my team,” he concluded before starting his transport to the Statue of Liberty, the finish line. having been landed 110 miles from New York for security reasons.