Nicolas Lunven crossed the finish line of The Transat CIC, ensuring his qualification for the Vendée Globe
Team Holcim-PRB crossed the finish line of The Transat CIC. It took Nicolas Lunven 10 days, 8 hours, and 55 minutes to cross the Atlantic.
Despite the damage that occurred on the IMOCA's bowsprit on the 5th day of the race, the skipper made every effort to successfully reach New York. For his second solo race at the helm of Team Holcim-PRB’s IMOCA, the skipper took 14th place and ensured, above all, his qualification for the Vendée Globe.
This solo transatlantic race left no respite for the sailors as they faced extreme weather conditions. Right from the start, Nicolas was aware of these challenges and was eager to return to the helm of Team Holcim-PRB. The skipper quickly found his rhythm in the leading pack, as he explained after crossing the finish line.
I had a pretty promising start of the race. I was in the game. I took a little time to finetune the boat, but my pace was strong from the start. I was sailing close to Paul Meilhat, Sam Davies. Moving further north, there was MACIF and Paprec Arkea. I felt good on the boat.
Unfortunately, the damage on the bowsprit meant that Nicolas could not continue this exciting match at the head of the race.
Then I discovered the damage: one furler had broken off in the bad weather and had been banging the bowsprit for several hours. From there, the race took another turn. As I could not use all the sails, my speed was compromised and I lost my position in the front pack. I discovered the damage when the wind was softening, and I was going to need the J0. But I'm happy to arrive in New York. It’s a great adventure sailing here on the north face of the North Atlantic!
While Nicolas admits a little frustration, he insisted on continuing the race until the end to continue to familiarize himself with the boat he will take around the world in a few months. Despite the damage, Nicolas ended the race with a good feeling about all the learnings he had.
We had challenging conditions with strong winds at the gate, from the short sea. It was interesting to sail with the boat in these conditions over several days. The big plus is that we didn’t have any major issues. There are inevitably many small points of improvement that can only be seen while sailing offshore for a longer period of time. So it’s good to know them now.
Now qualified for the Vendée Globe (Nicolas had to start this race to validate his qualification), the skipper of Team Holcim-PRB and the shore crew will work to repair the damage before the next race: the Transat New York-Vendée, which will start on May 29. A race that he will approach with even more enthusiasm.
We set things up with the team to give ourselves the means to leave New York with a boat in very good condition. I will have the knife between my teeth to do better to get to Les Sables d'Olonne.
