Launched: Retour À La Base
In less than 20 years, Lorient’s La Base has established itself as the essential hub for competitive sailing enthusiasts. Now it attracts the cream of skippers from all around the world. But for all that the facilities are second to none and the local area is an epicentre for ocean racing in France, supporting an impressive competitive sailing business ecosystem, no major solo race has finished into the harbour there in recent years.
That will change in December when the first edition of Retour à La Base, a solo transatlantic race from Martinique which starts on Sunday 26th November will finish into Lorient. The race, which is a key qualifying event for the Vendée Globe, has attracted 40 solo skippers, a record for a solo IMOCA race to date.
The race was launched at an official press conference mid September in Lorient.
“How lucky we are to have a race that finishes back at home, it should be quite emotional,” sums up Clarisse Crémer, who will be on her first solo race since the 2020 Vendée Globe taking on the Retour à La Base in her new colors of L'Occitane en Provence. And many French skippers echo Crémer’s sentiments, delighting in the “home” arrival, even shared among the 15 international skippers from Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Japan, China, New Zealand, England, Italy and Hungary, some of whom settled in Brittany a long time ago.
AN “OUTSTANDING” SPORTING CHALLENGE
The sporting challenge is outstanding. There will be five women competing and 35 men, all aged between 22 and 64 years old, Jean Le Cam being the oldest with his new boat.
“The North Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay in December can be as challenging as the big south,” highlights Antoine Mermod, president of the IMOCA Class, “This is an extraordinary challenge as befits our highly talented skippers looking to qualify on these incredible boats.”
“It’s a scary Transat for sure, are you sure you want to go there?” Yoann Richomme, skipper of Paprec Arkéa said, teasing his fellow competitors, “…especially as we will have less than ten days to rest after the finish of the Transat Jacques Vabre!”
Richomme’s quip does not worry the skippers, not least the 14 who have not yet been able to meet the qualifying requirements for the 2024 Vendée Globe, and so they do have to start in order to make the qualifying criteria as soon as possible. This is notably the case for almost all new IMOCAs, including the big names Thomas Ruyant (For People) and Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance). Four IMOCAs will even sail in delivery mode to Martinique only to compete in this key qualifying race back to France.
A POPULAR SHOWCASE FOR THE LORIENT REGION
All these ingredients combine to render Retour à La Base as “ a success which already exceeds our expectations”, according to Jean-Philippe Cau, president of Lorient Grand Large, the association organizing the event.
The intention is to transform the sporting challenge to become a “a beautiful popular celebration”! for the local area. The organization is thinking big with special initiatives to integrate local schools in the region and the French Sailing Federation. “The aim is to show the richness and vitality of our area ” underlines Cau.
For Lorient ocean racing has become a vital economic sector, providing alone some 1,000 direct jobs. “Today, it is part of our identity, and we hope that our residents can share this feeling of belonging with pride!” recalled Patrice Valton, vice-president of Lorient Agglomération, which finance the event along with the Morbihan Department and the Brittany Region.