Holcim-PRB, 11th in the New York – Vendée Les Sables Transat
Departing from New York on May 29th, Nicolas Lunven arrived in Les Sables d’Olonne today after 13 days, 18 hours, and 20 minutes of racing. He finished 11th in this second edition of the solo transatlantic race New York – Vendée Les Sables. The completion of this challenging transatlantic crossing with a broken bowsprit is testament to Nicolas's resilience and skillfulness.
The skipper of Holcim-PRB had to revise his ambitions from the third day of the race. After suffering a new bowsprit breakage (Nicolas had already dealt with the same type of damage in The Transat CIC), he managed the race like an excellent sailor to avoid further damaging his IMOCA and still finishing just outside of the top 10.
Nicolas never gave up and continued to fight in this transatlantic race, which was the last major offshore rehearsal before the Vendée Globe next November. Initially battling neck-and-neck with MACIF Santé Prévoyance in the early days of the race, Nicolas inevitably felt some regret at the finish for not being able to continue this battle all the way to Vendée.
After the bowsprit broke, it was a big disappointment. It was a blow, especially since it was the second time. I had a down moment, but I got back on track. There was no question of stopping just like that. I found myself with many other boats not far away, so I got motivated to sail properly. 11th is not the result I expected, but I still learned things. I gained a lot of experience, which is always enriching. And above all, I had a lot of fun.
Proof of this resilience, the skipper put on a show this afternoon in front of the immense beach of the Vendée Globe city, ending this transatlantic race in the best possible way. He crossed the finish line at 14:20 aboard a boat sailing at full speed and flying above the water. The breathtaking spectacle thrilled the entire technical team present to welcome Holcim-PRB. A few hours later, around 18:00, as he sailed up the famous channel of Les Sables d’Olonne, Nicolas could feel what awaits him in a few months...
On November 10th, the sun will likely not shine as brightly as today, but the fervor of the thousands of people who will be gathered to cheer on the sailors departing for their solo, non-stop, and unassisted round-the-world race will be enough to warm Nicolas and the 39 other competitors expected in the 2024 Vendée Globe. Until then, the technical team will take care of Holcim-PRB during a scheduled refit period lasting a little over two months.
