There is a flow of IMOCAs moving into Lorient at the moment, as several teams are based there. The Initiatives-Coeur team welcomed Maître CoQ on Wednesday. Taken apart in the shed, she will be given a complete overhaul. While she will remain essentially red, she will be given the colours of the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque charity with the face of the young girl from Congo who was operated on last year in France, Ardacha, on the mainsail. As for the former Initiatives-Cœur, she is to be handed over to her new owner, Yannick Bestaven, who will take her on new adventures.
Tanguy: “Maître CoQ, the best compromise to make progress without taking too many risks.”
Tanguy talked enthusiastically about his new boat. “Maître CoQ will be checked over, re-decorated and relaunched in late April. This period will simply allow us to get to know her, which is important to understand and analyse her. We have been working hand in hand with Jérémie (Beyou)’s team for two months. We knew after the New York – les Sables that we wanted this boat. She is the best compromise to make progress without taking too many risks. She’s a very good boat that was acquired at a reasonable price. She showed her potential once again by making it to the podium for the second time in the Vendée. Our first trips are scheduled for the week of 8th May. I’m really excited.”
© Martin KeruzoréThe Transat Jacques Vabre double-handed with Sam Davies
As in 2015, Tanguy has chosen to set sail with Samantha Davies in the Transat Jacques Vabre between Le Havre and Salvador da Bahia. “I’m pleased that Tanguy has invited me to sail again with him in this race. We’re a great duo and it worked well in 2015, when we finished fifth. We’ll do better this year. We each know each other’s strengths and know how we can work best together and we have a very good boat. It’s the first time I have sailed on one of the favourites, so I feel lucky. At last, a woman can show what she can do.”
An IMOCA on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower
Tanguy de Lamotte was in Paris yesterday evening to celebrate the end of the Vendée Globe with all those involved in the project. The meeting took place in arather special place, as fascinated by his charitable work, the company that runs the Eiffel Tower contacted his team a few months ago to suggest a challenge: raising the boat up to the first floor of the Tower. Tanguy and his sponsors, always ready to take up a challenge, accepted. The IMOCA on display at the Vendée Globe Village was transported to Paris and at night lifted up by crane to the first floor. A first and a spectacular sight.; Visitors from around the world will have six weeks to see the boat and discover more about the work done by the charity Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. In addition to this promotion of their cause, the association received a cheque from the Vendée Globe appeal. The sum of 613,845 euros will enable 51 children to be saved. In spite of being forced to retire 21 days into the race, visitors continue to look at the website and the Facebook page, Initiatives-Cœur. A fantastic consolation prize for the skipper, who was worried about letting people down.
