Défi Azimut: a promising 4th place just weeks before the Vendée Globe
Early Saturday morning, Team Holcim-PRB gathered in Lorient La Base to welcome its skipper, Nicolas Lunven, after 48 hours of solo racing. With just a few weeks to go until the Vendée Globe, this race was a general rehearsal for the entire team. After an exhilarating race in varied conditions, Nicolas Lunven crossed the finish line in an impressive 4th place. A promising result in the build up to the solo around-the-world race, set to start on November 10.
Valuable lessons before the world tour
As of the very first hours of the race on Thursday, Nicolas Lunven positioned himself in the leading group, fiercely competing against the latest generation boats. The 48-hour close-contact regatta left little respite for the solo sailors. Upon arriving at the dock, Nicolas said:
I’m really happy with my race, it was really fun. We’ve been battling with the same group of boats throughout the race. It was intense but super interesting, with a lot of learnings. We had good weather conditions: wind at the beginning, then a calm period, which required lots of maneuvers and constant adjustments. We didn’t get much sleep, but we didn’t get bored for a second!
This regatta was not only an opportunity to compete against the other skippers but also to test the latest technical improvements made to the boat during the summer refit, such as a new set of foils. Pleased with the performance gains observed, the skipper explained:
With this type of boat, every navigation is a learning experience. It’s all the more rewarding when you face the competition. We installed new foils two weeks ago, so this was a great opportunity to test them and compare our performance against other boats.
The Défi Azimut was the final rehearsal for the entire Holcim-PRB team before the Vendée Globe.
I’m taking away a lot of positive points from this race. From a technical standpoint, it was a valuable final rehearsal before the Vendée Globe, but it also strengthened the team. Being in a race configuration, with a perfectly prepared boat, creates a very positive dynamic.
After a season marked by two transatlantic races, this 4th place gives Nicolas and his team a confidence boost. In a month’s time, the green and blue IMOCA will head to Les Sables d’Olonne, where it will remain until the grand start of the Vendée Globe on November 10.
