Retour à la Base: a success for Nicolas and Team Holcim-PRB!
For his first solo race as the skipper of Team Holcim-PRB, Nicolas Lunven sailed a truly great race with the kinds of twists and turns that remind us why we love this sport so much.
During the first phase of the regatta he held a strong position in the top 5 of the fleet. However, as he reached the Azores archipelago a gale hit, and so Nicolas decided to take a more southern route with less strong winds and calmer waters. Bringing the boat and himself safely back to France was Nicolas’ number one priority, and he still finished the race in the top 10.
Completing 4,609 miles during the race with an average speed of 18.33 knots and returning to Brittany with the boat in good condition brings Team Holcim-PRB one step closer to qualifying for the Vendée Globe 2024. But most of all, these 10 days at sea – just Nicolas and the boat – boosted his knowledge of the vessel and, above all, his confidence!
I am happy to be back on shore and to have sailed a good first race at the helm of Team Holcim-PRB. It was important for me to complete this race as it gets me one step closer to qualifying for the Vendée Globe. I didn't play the competition to the hilt, but I achieved my goal. I gained confidence on the boat and I needed that.
With the Retour à la Base done, Team Holcim-PRB completed a successful year of sailing. And though the new skipper duo was appointed only in September, they’ve already managed to enjoy some fantastic first sailing adventures aboard the monohull and are looking ahead with confidence.
I couldn’t have done this without my incredible team who has been working hard to get me here, from preparing the boat to the delivery training to Martinique. Nor could I have done this without my great skipper Rosalin, and a strong on-shore team.
Heading into the new year, Nicolas is very excited to continue sailing around the globe to spread the GO CIRCULAR message and create a positive impact together.
