With precisely six months to go before the start of the Vendée Globe, British skipper Alex Thomson has published a picture of his monohull on his Facebook page. A nice occasion to find out about Hugo Boss' new look. 

Like four other competitors of the upcoming Vendée Globe, Jean-Pierre Dick is currently training in real race conditions. He left Port-la-Forêt on board Virbac-Paprec 3 on Sunday, heading for Barcelona for the start of the Europa Warm'Up. The journey is offering a great opportunity to work on some adjustments but, above all, to get used to life on board in « quasi-solo » again. 

As Guillaume - a crew memeber on board Virbac-Paprec 3 with Jean-Pierre Dick - explains: « Tea, coffee, fruits or dehydrated food, what we eat or drink depends on the mood and habits of each of us. So far, we still haven't managed to eat a warm meal in the current conditions: 30 knots of wind, a changing sea, clouds and rain with frequent showers, it's not the kind of weather that makes you want to stay outside. We're all looking forward to have a calmer sea again, to be on a flat boat and to take off our waterproof fleece jackets. We may be sailing south, but we haven't seen the sun yet! »

Marc Guillemot and his monohull Safran won Act 2 of the Grand Prix Guyader in Douarnenez this past weekend. It is indeed quite logical that Marc finished first in the IMOCA class, ahead of Arnaud Boissières (Akéna Vérandas) and Jérémie Beyou (Maître CoQ). The Brittany-based yachtsman had actually had extra training as he had participated in Act 1 of the race (finishing 3rd, tied with PRB, 2nd). Besides, better-prepared boats such as Macif, PRB and Banque Populaire were not racing in Act 2. His two direct competitors, equipped with new masts, were therefore not as advanced in their preparation.

It is therefore an important win, one that should be taken into account when trying to compare to the skippers engaged in the next Vendée Globe. Safran finished first in all three legs raced over the weekend, which were either offshore races or simpler runs, all in sometimes difficult weather conditions. As early as the week before the competition, Marc Guillemot was clear about his expectations regarding the outcome of the race: « We are staying to compete in Act 2 of the Guyader Grand Prix because I think it is a really good preparation as it will allow us to sail some more nautical miles in competition mode with a crew. The actual result does not really matter even though, needless to say, we’ll do our best to win. » Mission accomplished for the Safran team.
 

Groupe Bel skipper Kito de Pavant trained hard for the Vendée Globe and part of that physical preparation was completed with the Montpellier handball players, who just won the French Championship. It therefore does not come as a surprise that de Pavant invited some of the team players to join him for a sailing session on Saturday. 

Michaël Guigou and Nikola Karabatic came on board and operated the boat with the rest of the crew. Karabatic, who will be part of the French handball team at the London Olympics in August, explained how impressed he was with the skipper's work: « I am in awe when I imagine Kito controling this huge machine alone in the middle of an ocean while facing the tough elements. It feels great to be at the helm and it's amazing to see the sails are almost as big as a handball court! Our sports are different but we are both at the highest level, where success always depends on team work because the group is what really counts in our athletes' lives »

After announcing he will race in his third Vendee Globe more than three months ago, Jean Le Cam has scheduled to christen his monohull on May 25 in Lorient. Jacqueline Tabarly - the widow of Eric Tabarly - is SynerCiel’s godmother and will attend the ceremony. So will the other godfather, Philippe Monloubou - EDF director in charge of business. « ‘’A boat that has never tasted wine will taste blood” goes an English saying that explains the origin of boat christening. I, myself, have never sailed on a boat that hadn’t been christened. Why is that? Well, I happen to have an amazing godmother: Jacqueline Tabarly. She’s christened all the boats I’ve sailed on, it’s a tradition that can’t be ignored », tells the skipper who finished second of the 2004-05 Vendée Globe. And there is no way he can make an exception to the tradition before starting a third solo round-the-world race.

The schedule of skippers of the upcoming Vendée Globe features several races before the big start on November 10. Among other events, François Gabart will compete in the Europa Warm'Up, starting in less than three weeks in Barcelona, Spain. In that context, the MACIF skipper will have prestigious crewmates as, for the first leg of the race, he will be joined by Emmanuel Le Borgne and Michel Desjoyeaux, the boat's godfather who has already won the Vendée Globe twice.

« What an awesome crew we'll have to take advantage of all of MACIF's potential power, says an enthusiastic Gabart. I will have Emmanuel Le Borgne on board, who just won the Jules Verne Trophy and who will share that unique experience with us. Our boat's godfather Michel Desjoyeaux, who I have huge respect for, will be there too, obviously making ours a even better crew. »