Richomme and Horeau 10th

They faced a real test of mental and physical resilience, not least having to punch through a first big low pressure with some 50 knots of wind and big seas which stood in their way. They battled tirelessly, the weather rarely in favour of a catch up, and last night finished inside the Top 10 in….tenth. Clearly one of the important dynamics of their race was the transference of knowledge and practical experience with the boat which Horeau takes over now, but they had a whole lot of fun and sailed the boat fast and hard.

Details :

10^th Paprec Arkéa, Yoann Richomme Corentin Horeau, finished 03:00:19hrss UTC 10/11 (23:00:19 local) elapsed time 14d 13h 30m, 2 d 17h 45m 1s after winners. Sailed 5979.03 nms at 17.11kts average

Here are the duo on the dock last night...

Yoann Richomme: We gave it our all from the restart in Le Havre and we never had a chance to catch up. As you saw, it wasn't possible, but we still gave it our all. I think we're better now (in sailing the boat together) than at the start and we both had a lot of fun, even if the atmosphere isn't the same, it's a bit long. You get slammed around quite a bit on these boats. I prefer getting tossed around when we're at the front of the pack. For the last two or three days, we were getting a bit fed up.
Even Corentin was starting to get tired of it. We really gave it our all and we've managed a top 10 finish, which is a great story.

Corentin Horeau: After that pitstop we had to give credit to the Dream Team who managed to repair the boat in less than 24 hours. It was pretty incredible. I can still picture myself coming back the next morning after a good night's sleep. There was a standing rigging damage, there was a foil, everything was there, and all we had to do was set off again. I don't think there are many teams capable of doing that. They deserve all the credit. And then I learned a lot. We were sailing upwind in 50 knots. It was scary at first, but we managed. I'm thinking that if happens on the Route du Rhum next year, I'll have already experienced it once with Yoann. So, there you go, it could be useful. Besides, I learned a lot. I think our speeds were pretty good. Even if the result wasn't there, it's because we came looking for it.

Personally, I've grown from this experience. I want to thank Yo-Yo. As he said, for the first two or three days after we set off again, things were a shade tense on board. We didn't really dare talk to each other because we knew very well that we weren't in our element (as ‘winners’.) As time went on, that changed. We found enjoyment elsewhere, sought performance, tried to learn about the boat. And then there were the nice little moments too, along the coast of Africa. We were very close to Africa, it was great. Because it's true, as he says, boats—I didn't remember them like that—but they're exhausting.

Even when you're asleep, you're not really asleep, your back is getting crushed. And actually, there are only two decent places on this boat. There's one seat and one bunk. After that, you're either on the floor, or... It's not ideal, but that's the price you pay for these high speeds.

How do you regain your fighting spirit?

Yoann Richomme: I think the team gave us that fighting spirit, because they really went all out. From the very first minute, we announced we had a problem, that we were going back to Le Havre. So they did an exceptional job that night to bring back the equipment, change everything on board, and allow us to leave at noon the next day. So that, in itself, gave us a real boost. It's true that a gale was forecast. So that was the element we weren't entirely sure how to handle. After that, I was confident. Unlike Coco, I'd already done the Route du Rhum solo in 50-60 knots. So it seemed more than manageable. The only unpleasant aspect was that I could see it was almost impossible to catch up with the top group. In any case, the weather wasn't in our favor. But hey, once you're off, it's done. And in the end, I think we worked really hard. I think we're even better on these downwind courses. We were practicing matching the speeds of Charal ahead. Because I think if there were two boats that had more or less figured out how to sail smoothly downwind, it was them and us. So we were a bit disappointed not to be testing it out at the front. Nevertheless, it really shows there was a lot of potential in these boats. And well, it's tiring, it's exhausting. Being in the lead makes it a bit easier to swallow. When you're cruising at the back, you give it your all, but there's no real pressure. It's tiring. But, yeah, it was great. Well, a top 10, yeah. Awesome.”

Yoann Richomme: Yes, there's definitely a bit of emotion involved in handing it over. We really like this boat, right Cyril? We've all put a lot of energy into it over the last three years. It's really paying off. I think it was quite a pioneering boat in its design and performance style. I think it sets the pace for the rest of the IMOCA class. And there you have it, it allowed us to win two Transatlantic races and finish second in the Vendée Globe. It's not something you give up so easily. Ultimately, with my other boats, I didn't do as much. I spent a few months on each one and did a Route du Rhum race. This one, it's true, has a longer history. Emotionally, yes, I'm fine. I'm just disappointed with how this Transat turned out, where in the end, we didn't have the race we wanted. But I'll get over it and move on. And we're already moving on, so it's not a big deal. But I'm still happy to have finished and not given up. It was true, turning left and going back to Lorient would have been the easy option, in a way. However, I think that having done it gives us both something extra for the future. And that's always good. And the hours of sailing on these boats are limited. Now, I'm going to be away from an IMOCA for a year and a half.

Corentin Horeau: Yes, of course, we should also congratulate the podium finishers. Charal, 11th Hour Racing too, who came in a fantastic second. They had a magnificent race, and then Macif. No, listen, for me, it's cool. It's true that the adventure, in quotes, with my new sponsor, won't really start until January. But hey, it's already almost as if... Well, I've been here for almost six months. So, it's like I got a little early. And with the learning, with the instruction manual, with everything we've discussed.

And yeah, I definitely feel ready. We had some minor technical issues during the race too. So, it allowed us to discover that aspect of the boat even more. Going into the inner workings, the oil leaks in the keel, etc. So, yeah, I'm starting to know this boat really well. Even if it's not mine yet, so that's pretty positive.

When will the new boat arrive?

Yoann Richomme: It's in a year and a half, in March 2027, roughly. Unless Romain has had some bad news for me, but... No, it's okay, it's not working out. So, yeah, a year and a half without a boat. Do you know what we're going to do for a year and a half or not? We're going to sail a really small boat, do some Figaro sailing. We're going back to do the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec next May or June. That's it, for now.

I might spend some time with Coco, we'll see. With his training or things like that.