News

From Lorient to St-Barth in a 23-foot trimaran

Published on July 17th, 2015

Lorient, France (July 17, 2015) – Vincent Beauvarlet and Vincent Lantin will attempt a historic transat between Lorient, France, and St-Barth, on a Multi 23 trimaran with no cabin and no assistance. The two sailors intend to complete the 3,800-nautical-mile crossing in 20 days and do what no other sailor has ever tried before.

“It’s a challenge that will push us well beyond our physical and mental limits, in constantly changing sea conditions,” says Beauvarlet. “The boat will be put to test during this transat, although we have reinforced and solidified it to make it suitable for an ocean transat.”

Departure from Lorient today is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time at Cité de la voile. Weather conditions will be changing, with thermic winds at the start, a lot of transitions before Cap Finistère and very little wind in the Gascogne Gulf. The conditions should get better as the sailors move towards their final destination.

Team details – Tracker

Team Background:
VINCENT BEAUVARLET is a jack of all trades, always pushing the boundaries of everything he takes on. The talented windsurfer from Guadeloupe was world champion in RaceBoard in the 1990s.
VINCENT LANTIN has been active in offshore racing for 15 years. A 100% self-taught master-of-all-trades, he has collaborated with a number of with skippers, including those of ORMA trimarans. He recently sailed on his first Route du Rhum in Class40.

UPDATE: (July 19, 2015) – They had set sail in Lorient on July 16, but sailors Vincent Beauvarlet and Vincent Lantin were forced to stop their transat in the port of Gijon tonight due to unfavorable weather and navigation conditions. The conditions have drastically changed in the last 10 hours, with the shift in winds hitting sooner than expected.

“Last night, the sailors had to face sustained winds of 25 to 30 knots from the South West. The conditions at sea rapidly deteriorated, heavy swells submerging the boat at times forcing the two sailors to head South earlier to preserve boat and crew “, explained router Michel Meulnet.

The rough night and head winds playing against them, the sailors have decided to come to full stop in the port of Gijon to settle the boat and plan for next steps. They arrive in Gijon, Spain at around 10 p.m. UTC. Currently, the wind at shore are weak, from 3 to 5 knots.