The double winner of the Solitaire du Figaro and the Tourdumondiste won in their category in this tour of Europe.
After three offshore stages and as many coastal regattas, most often contested in complicated weather conditions, The Ocean Race Europe came to an end on Saturday. By the success of the Offshore Team Germany, which by one end of the bow ahead of the LinkedOut of Thomas Roût (for second place behind the 11th Hour Racing Team), won this Tour of Europe in the Imoca category , that of the Vendée Globe boats. The oldest boat of the five Imoca and not equipped with foils, the sailboat led by Robert Stanjeka surprised the more recent foilers. Benjamin Dutreux, 9th in the last Vendée Globe and member of the crew, confided his joy after this surprise victory: “ I am initially very happy to have lived this human adventure with this crew. It was unbelievable. I also discovered The Ocean Race and now I’m addicted to it. The victory was the icing on the cake. The end was incredible. There is always a winner and losers but I think that with 11TH Hour (2nd) and LinkedOut (3rd), we all enjoyed the game on this last race, it kept us all at our best. Our goal was to get the team ready for The Ocean Race and in the end it was really good. They called me for my experience in Imoca and we learned so much as we went. On board there is a large mix of cultures. We each brought our contribution to the building. »
On the Ves VO 65 side, the usual crewed round-the-world boats, Yoann Richomme won at the helm of Mirpuri Foundation, confirming his status as favorites. To the delight of the double winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, who dreams of competing in the next Vendée Globe in 2024. “ The months of work and training in Cascais paid off. Today, this victory, it rewards all these months of effort of many people. Until the last day, we questioned everything, we kept improving. The secret of our success is that we have been very serious and professional. It’s a long and difficult event and we have stayed focused on our goal. You had to stay fresh and motivated to have a huge focus on this victory. Today it is the satisfaction of having succeeded in leading a crew. It was not an easy exercise for me. Rather, I spent the last ten years doing solo or doubles, so there was a pretty significant personal challenge. I have the satisfaction of having chosen the right people in this crew and I will leave with all of them. »
Imoca Ranking
1. Offshore Team Germany — 16 points
2. 11th Hour Racing Team — 15 points
3. LinkedOut — 14 points
4. CORUM L ‘Epargne – 7 points
5. Valley Office – 5 points
Rating VO65
1. Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team — 21 points
2. Sailing Poland – 17 points
3. AkzoNobel Ocean Racing — 17 points
4. Team Childhood I — 12 points
5. The Austrian Ocean Race Project — 10 points
6. Viva México – 9 points
7. AmberSail-2 – 9 points
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