Mid-April is typically a period synonymous with the relaunching of offshore race boats after a lengthy winter refit tucked safely away in yards. This year though, due to a Jules Verne Trophy attempt, the upcoming programme for Gitana Team and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is not following the traditional route. Hauled out late last week, on Thursday 13 April, the flying maxi-trimaran is finally ready for her spring refit! For the next three months then, the recent winner of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe will be examined in great detail by the members of the five-arrow team. Amidst maintenance, development and making her reliable, the jobs list is both substantial and ambitious, and the same is true of Charles Caudrelier’s sports programme for the second half of the season.

Having cast off from Lorient in the early hours of this Sunday morning, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the start line off the island of Ushant at 13h 9 min 30s UTC in her attempt to secure the Jules Verne Trophy. At the helm of the 32-metre giant, Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their four crew are taking on the prestigious round the world race against the clock. The aim: to beat the record of 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes set in 2017 by Francis Joyon and the men of IDEC. To achieve this, Gitana Team will have to make it back to Brest and the Le Créac’h lighthouse before 25 March 2023 at 12h 38min 59s UTC. Though rather unique, the weather window on offer to the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is certainly worth a go, as there might well be a series of great opportunities for the five-arrow crew to snap up along the way.

Docking out from Lorient this morning and gently crossing the line off the island of Ushant early this afternoon, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and her men have kicked off their latest attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy! Though it’s an atypical weather window, the six sailors of Gitana Team were focused, determined and very enthusiastic at the prospect of finally setting out on this race against the clock to beat the record of 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes set in 2017 by Francis Joyon - IDEC SPORT and his men

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and her crew put an end to their weather standby this Sunday 12 February by setting sail on the Jules Verne Trophy shortly after 13:00 UTC. Sun and some unseasonably mild weather conditions accompanied Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their four crew off the island of Ushant as they headed off into the open ocean. Despite this, the difficulty of the challenge undertaken today by the men of Gitana Team cannot be overlooked as they try to break the record of 40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes, owned by IDEC since 2017.

Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their crew left the port of Lorient at daybreak this Sunday 12 February to make for the Jules Verne Trophy start line offshore of the island of Ushant. On standby since late December, the men of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have decided to try their luck, despite the rather atypical weather window. Gitana Team is preparing to take on an almighty challenge: to beat the famous record set by IDEC (2017) in 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes. Always an exciting and emotional moment, the passage across the line is scheduled for midday this Sunday. The timing will be tweaked during the delivery trip to Ushant in consultation with Marcel van Triest, router for the five-arrow team.

Currently awaiting favourable weather conditions to set sail on the quest for the Jules Verne Trophy with the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Charles Caudrelier is closely monitoring progress in another round the world: The Ocean Race. For eight years, the race formerly known as the Volvo Ocean Race was part of his life and saw him secure two wins out of three participations. He discusses his memories and his take on the new formula and the skippers who dream of succeeding him on the winners’ list.

Having arrived at the Marina du Château in Brest last Friday for a potential departure, the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild are heading back on the return trip to Lorient this Wednesday morning, where they will tie up alongside later today following an offshore training session. The complexity of finding a favourable sequence of weather systems between the North and South Atlantic means it is not yet possible for the men of Gitana Team to pinpoint the right timing to set sail on the Jules Verne Trophy. However, Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and all the Team will remain vigilant and on their toes as they continue to monitor any evolution in the weather conditions.

Record hunting is a tremendous lesson in patience! Indeed, the various weather briefings scheduled since this morning have been discussed at great length between the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and their onshore router, Marcel van Triest. A weather window did indeed open this afternoon to set sail on the quest for the Jules Verne Trophy, the round the world record under sail, but the latter is not entirely satisfactory for the men of Gitana Team. The big question and the primary reason for hesitation notably revolves around the forecasts for the South Atlantic and the passage time at the Cape of Good Hope. Shortly after 17:00 hours local time, a collective decision was finally made to let this first opportunity go by and wait for a better sequence of weather systems and a window that lives up to their expectations and to the potential of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.

Friday the 13th, a lucky day? The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild left her base in Lorient to head for Brest shortly after 12 noon local time today. Objective number one for Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their four crew is to get as close as possible to Ushant and the start line for the Jules Verne Trophy, which Gitana Team once again has her sights on. Indeed, a weather window seems to be opening over the next few days but, given the sea conditions expected at the north-west tip of Brittany over the weekend, the team who were victorious in the recent Route du Rhum is playing it safe and will tie up alongside in the Marina du Château for a few hours or days… The jury is still out with regard to the exact timing of their departure, but the next weather files will enable them to refine both their strategy and the all-important launch slot.

One week ago to the day, in the pitch black of a night in Guadeloupe after 6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds of intense effort, Charles Caudrelier realised a childhood dream by securing victory in the 12th Route du Rhum- Destination Guadeloupe. At the helm of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the first maxi-trimaran of her generation to pave the way forward for oceanic flight, the sailor from north-west France scored a double victory. Not only did he outdo his rivals to take the win, he also improved on the 2018 event record by nearly a day.

It’s already been a week since Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line in the 12th Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe as champions. To relive this momentous occasion and the fabulous transatlantic passage that culminated in victory, we are treating you to 6 minutes of on-board footage and private moments from

He’d dreamed about it… and now it’s a done deal! Charles Caudrelier has become part of the Route du Rhum legend by securing a masterful win in the 12th edition of the most famous of France’s singlehanded transatlantic races. Indeed, the skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild led the way from beginning to end, only relinquishing the top spot on the very odd occasion. The solo sailor crossed the finish line in the bay of Pointe-à-Pitre on Wednesday 16 November 2022 at 5h02 (local time), 9h02 UTC, completing the theoretical 3,542-mile course between Saint Malo and Guadeloupe in 6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds. It was by posting an average speed of 21,6 knots along the direct course, or 26,9 knots over the ground that Charles Caudrelier and the flying maxi-trimaran made butterfly island.

He’d dreamed about it… and now it’s a done deal! Charles Caudrelier has become part of the Route du Rhum legend by securing a masterful win in the 12th edition of the most famous of France’s singlehanded transatlantic races. Indeed, the skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild led the way from beginning to end, only relinquishing the top spot on the very odd occasion.

Aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Charles Caudrelier is beginning his final day at sea in this Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe. Indeed, according to the latest estimates from his routing cell, the leader of the Ultims is expected to make landfall at the Tête à l’anglais, to the north of the island, this evening local time, which equates to the middle of the night in Europe. However, that won’t be the end of the race for the solo sailor, quite the contrary in fact. A tough and much dreaded exercise will commence at that point as he launches onto the circuit around the island of Guadeloupe. Over these last few miles, around fifty nautical miles in all, the hierarchy was completely turned on its head four years ago, offering Francis Joyon a memorable victory. Taking the competitors along the west coast of butterfly island to hunt down a mark at Basse-Terre, the course then snakes around the southern tip of the island and into the Canal des Saintes, with the finish line set in the bay of Pointe-à-Pitre.

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is still heading the race after 5 days at sea, with skipper Charles Caudrelier holding onto the lead thanks to an impressive display of commitment and mastery. Indeed, the past 24 hours have been incredibly intense...

Setting sail from Saint Malo on Wednesday, this is the 4th day at sea for the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe. The fleet was well and truly pummelled yesterday in the boisterous conditions synonymous with a front rolling through, with multiple retirements to lament following a series of dismastings and the capsize of an Ocean Fifty. Among the Ultims, all eight contenders are back out on the racetrack since Armel Le Cléac’h was able to head back out to sea at midday after the replacement of his broken centreboard. At the top of the leader board, Charles Caudrelier is continuing to post a stellar performance in his Route du Rhum, still leading the way to the West Indies, even though he has been joined over the past forty-eight hours by François Gabart. The two sailors are involved in a fierce duel and Thomas Coville is also on the hunt around a hundred miles in their wake, poised to pounce on the duo for the final sprint. On today’s programme, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and her other two playmates in the breakaway group should finish circumnavigating the Azores High and will finally be able to latch onto the trade wind, which is expected to fill the sails of the five-arrow giant tomorrow. These downwind conditions should then propel them towards the finish.

After setting sail from Saint Malo early Wednesday afternoon, the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe fleet is beginning its 4th day at sea. And whilst he was hoping to make the switch into downwind conditions in the trade wind, Charles Caudrelier is actually spending his Saturday close-hauled and negotiating another front. Indeed, yesterday the skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and his routing cell attempted a S’ly option in a bid to try to slip under the Azores High, but the timing proved too tight and the door slammed shut in front of the five-arrow giant. A frustrating scenario then, which has resulted in a lot of extra work for the leading solo sailors caught in the clutches of some particularly shifty and light weather conditions for most of the night.

Still close-hauled, but now with no penalty looming, Charles Caudrelier is continuing his race at the head of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe fleet. This 3rd day at sea is shaping up to be a strategic one for the Ultims, who will have to negotiate their first passage through a front over the coming hours.

Since Wednesday at 14:15 hrs, Charles Caudrelier, deemed to have crossed the start line of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe too early, was the subject of a procedure. The latter was lifted last night.

Since setting sail from Saint Malo yesterday afternoon, the bulk of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe fleet has already rounded the north-west tip of Brittany this Thursday morning, washing their hands with the copious passage out of the English Channel by way of an introduction. The first to pass the island of Ushant yesterday evening, shortly before midnight, and make the transition into the Bay of Biscay, Charles Caudrelier was still leading the Ultims at 09:00 UTC, with a lead of over 16 miles in relation to Thomas Coville. And in order to hold onto the top spot secured at the start, the skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has spared no effort.

After a very physical night linking together tack changes, firstly along the coast and then in the Bay of Biscay, Charles Caudrelier is heading the fleet of Ultims after 24 hrs of racing in the Route du Rhum and took some time out to send us his first images from the open ocean...

The start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe was a long time coming, but this Wednesday, at 14:15 hours, the 138 sailors competing in the 2022 edition set off at quite a lick. Upwind in a WSW’ly breeze of around twenty knots, Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild powered off at the front, immediately taking control of the fleet of Ultims.

The start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe was a long time coming, but this Wednesday, at 14:15 hours, the 138 sailors competing in the 2022 edition set off at quite a lick. Upwind in a WSW’ly breeze of around twenty knots, Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild powered off at the front, immediately taking control of the fleet of Ultims. After a tack offshore and a little over an hour’s racing, the skipper of Gitana Team treated himself to first honours at Cap Fréhel, some eight minutes or so ahead of second placed Armel Le Cléac’h. A single sour note still hangs over this very fine start to the race by the five-arrow maxi-trimaran. Indeed, the Race Committee believes that the sailor was too early on the line. This mistake, which incurs a severe 4-hour time penalty according to the Sailing Instructions, is currently being contested by the skipper, who may request a redress. Watch this space…

It's finally the big day! The start of the Route du Rhum will be given this Wednesday at 14:15. The 138 boats involved in this 12th edition will set off from Saint-Malo to head for Pointe-à-Pitre. The departure, initially scheduled for Sunday, November 6 at 1:02 pm had to be postponed due to the very difficult weather conditions at the beginning of this week. We give you here all the means to follow Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild before they take off towards Guadeloupe.

The three-day delay announced by Race Management last Saturday, due to poor weather conditions at the start of the course, was undoubtedly a very good and wise decision. However, these extra hours on land have seemed mighty long for the solo sailors competing in the legendary transatlantic race. At least, that’s the case for Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, who made no secret of how eager he is to finally be taking the start of his first Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe. Tomorrow, at 14:15 hours local time, the 138 contenders will finally be able to bid farewell to the corsair city and point the bows of their boats towards the open ocean! It is on a beat, zigzagging their way forward that the large fleet in the 12th edition will set a course for Pointe-à-Pitre. It’s a passage which is shaping up to be quick for all the classes, with the Ultims potentially able to make landfall in the West Indies in just six days!

Upon reading the grib files, the echoes around the docks were proving to be increasingly insistent over the past 24 hours. Francis Le Goff, Race Director of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe, put an end to the suspense this Saturday morning during the briefing, which gathered together all the solo sailors competing in this 12th edition of the legendary transatlantic race. Despite what is deemed to be a manageable start tomorrow offshore of Saint Malo, the weather is set to deteriorate very quickly at the north-west tip of Brittany. With very meaty winds and particularly heavy seas, conditions for the first few days at sea were believed to be too dangerous, prompting the decision to delay the start. It’s a tough but brave decision, which was welcomed by Charles Caudrelier and the majority of his fellow skippers. A start late Tuesday through into Wednesday morning was mentioned.

According to the initial schedule, the giants of the seas were due to lead the way out onto the moorings off Dinard from midday tomorrow. However, the elements might decide otherwise with a fairly meaty NNW’ly wind set to gatecrash the party. With three days to go until the start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe, the weather trends starting to come together and a windy 2022 edition on the cards, on shore the pace is ramping up. Now very much into his race, Charles Caudrelier is dividing his time between his routing team, with whom he has multiple meetings to analyse the various scenarios, and the members of Gitana Team, to tick off the final details on his checklist. The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is ready to go and keen to do battle in the legendary transatlantic race, which is due to set sail this Sunday.

After a rapid time-out with family, Charles Caudrelier is back in the Corsair city this Wednesday. Now just four days away from the start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe, the safety briefing, which gathered together the one-hundred and thirty-eight sailors competing in the 2022 edition, set the tone. This Sunday, at 13:02 hours local time on the dot, the solo sailors will set sail on their transatlantic sprint with a weather situation that is already far from the norm, with the trade wind currently proving somewhat elusive along the southern route. The trains of low pressure systems sweeping across Brittany this week also point to a lively start to the race. However, between now and Sunday, there is still time for the forecasts to evolve and the weather models to reach an agreement. Familiar with this pre-race atmosphere, the skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is gradually getting into his own little bubble, surrounded by the routing cell, with whom he is now collaborating on a daily basis to mull over the different course choices, which are opening up in front of the five-arrow giant.

In less than five days, on Sunday 6 November, Charles Caudrelier will take the start of the legendary Route du Rhum. Despite a career in offshore racing spanning 20 years, which has been as diverse as it has varied, coloured by some prestigious victories, whether it be in singlehanded or crewed format, in monohull or in multihull, the native of Beg-Meil in Brittany will be participating in his very first transatlantic race between Saint Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre. As such, he will be a rookie in the very closed circle of maxi-trimaran skippers flying Ultims! For this major meet, which he describes as a lifelong dream, nothing has been left to chance. In addition to the fine-tuning of the 32-metre giant fitted out by Ariane de Rothschild and the crucial solo sailing passages offshore, which have punctuated his season, Charles has surrounded himself with experts to hone his preparation. These include a physical and mental coach, a sleep specialist… as well as a top-level athlete with a rather special profile. Arnaud Jerald, a prodigy in the domain of freediving, a reigning recordholder and a World Champion in the discipline several times over, is supporting the sailor from Gitana Team in his quest for the holy grail.

Flying Offshore has coloured the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s signature since it was created, on 17 July 2017. Indeed, from the outset, the ambition of Ariane, Benjamin de Rothschild and the Gitana Team through this project has been to construct and fine-tune the first flying maxi-trimaran for offshore racing capable of pulling off the incredible technological challenge of circumnavigating the planet. This title came about fairly naturally as a way to embody Gitana Team’s documentary series.

At sunset yesterday, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and her skipper Charles Caudrelier made their grand entrance into the Bassin Vauban. This arrival in Saint Malo was accompanied by a passage through Le Naye lock, enabling them to come alongside at the foot of the ramparts surrounding the walled city. An eagerly awaited moment, as it triggers the launch of the countdown to the start, it is also a period tinged with dread for the shore teams. Indeed, involving a passage through a marine corridor measuring some 150 m long and 25 m wide, with Gitana 17 measuring 32 m long by 23 m wide, suffice to say that things were pretty tight! However, the operation went like clockwork and today a steady stream of visitors and enthusiasts of the sea and offshore racing began to flock to the docks of Saint Malo to come and admire the giants of the seas.

In the early hours of this Sunday 2 October, guided by the light of the Pen-Men lighthouse at the western tip of Groix Island off Lorient, Charles Caudrelier treated Gitana Team to another victory. This is his seventh win in a row since he joined the team in 2019, but his first singlehanded at the helm of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild! Leading the fleet out of the starting blocks some twenty hours or so earlier, the skipper of the five-arrow racing stable demonstrated great mastery out on the racetrack, never letting his rivals catch up with the flying maxi-trimaran. Beyond the result, this course spanning five-hundred nautical miles and the race format were the perfect preparation with one month until the start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe. It’s all systems go now then, and Charles Caudrelier is eager to get down to action on 6 November.

Since the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was relaunched back in May, the members of Gitana Team, like her skipper, have been making the most of every opportunity on the event schedule to develop, validate and make the Verdier design even more reliable prior to the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe. In this way, over recent weeks Charles Caudrelier has been able to tick off his qualifier for the legendary transatlantic race. A week ago to the day, the five-arrow giant and her crew also managed to secure victory in the Finistère Atlantique - Action Enfance after an epic six-day sprint between Concarneau, the Canaries and the Azores, which involved a bitter duel with Banque Populaire XI. However, time is ticking by very fast, too fast even, and with just over three months until the main event in Saint Malo, the schedule is very tight. As such, just back from a double-handed 48-hour sea passage, it has finally been decided not to make for Cherbourg and the start of the Drheam Cup, but rather to continue training and testing in solo configuration, with a focus on autopilot matters.

On Friday 1 July, at 11:00 UTC, the Finistère Atlantique Challenge Action Enfance fleet, made up of four Ultims, set sail from Concarneau in Brittany. Six days 5 hours 28 minutes and 38 seconds later, the men aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild were first across the finish line to take outright victory. This latest win had a rather special flavour with the sailors of Gitana Team embroiled in an incredibly intense duel with the crew of Banque Populaire XI led by Armel Le Cléac’h. This first place is the fourth consecutive win for this crew and the sixth for the Caudrelier Cammas pairing.

FINISH NEWSFLASH - After a stunning finale, which kept enthusiasts spellbound, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild secures victory in the Finistère Atlantique - Challenge Action Enfance. The five-arrow giant took line honours this Thursday 7 July at 16:28 UTC after 6 days 5 hours and 28 minutes of racing. The crew of Gitana team covered 4 132.48 miles at an average speed of 27,65 knots. Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas, Morgan Lagraviere, Erwan Israel, David Boileau and Yann Riou outpaced the men on Banque Populaire XI, who are expected across the line in a few minutes.

Just a matter of hours from the outcome of the Finistère Atlantique Challenge Action Enfance, the end result is still far from certain. The duel continues between the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and Banque Populaire XI and the shore teams await them with bated breath. Though Charles Caudrelier and his men are still hanging onto a lead of around twenty miles over Armel Le Cleac’h and his crew, the sailors that make up Gitana Team are keeping a cool head and are solely focused on getting 120% out of the five-arrow giant’s potential. However, they are all too aware how lots of tiny details could still turn the situation on its head. As such, the watchword over the final hours of racing has to be concentration! The latest ETAs suggest a finish between 16:00 and 18:00 UTC this Thursday.

The top duo in the Finistère Atlantique - Challenge Action Enfance is treating us to a thrilling denouement to the race. Currently battling it out at the latitude of Cape Finisterre, both crews were brought up on a diet of one-design competitions as past Figaro sailors, which means that racing with daggers drawn is very much part of their DNA. Despite radically different options yesterday after the Azores passage, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild opting for a N’ly option whilst Banque Populaire XI favoured the east, the two giants are now side by side again for less than 600 miles from the finish. At the 17:00 UTC position report, Charles Caudrelier’s men had snatched back control of the fleet, just 5.5 miles ahead of their closest rival.

Despite the intensity and engagement that are prerequisites in the current racing offshore of Cape Finisterre, there’s a good atmosphere among the sailors on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. With less than 600 miles to the finish, which should be decided tomorrow evening in Concarneau, the match with Armel Le Cleac’h’s crew is still being just as hotly contested.

First to make the Action Enfance Azores gate offshore of the island of Santa Maria last night, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has begun her climb up to the finish in Concarneau, but there is still a way to go yet. Indeed, since Cape Finisterre, Charles Caudrelier and his men have been embroiled in an intense battle with Banque Populaire XI skippered by Armel Le Cléac’h and his crew, both of them constantly jockeying for the top spot.

As the Finistère Atlantique fleet tackles its fourth day at sea this Monday afternoon, offshore the battle is raging. At the front of the pack, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and Banque Populaire XI have been caught up in a merciless duel for the past 24 hours, which is as spicy as it is thrilling. The crews have given up their offshore watch system to switch to full-on, close-contact race mode, slugging it out in a quest for the top spot. At the 17:00 UTC position report, Charles Caudrelier and his men had the edge once again, having regained some precious miles to snatch back control of the race by late morning.

Overnight from Sunday 3 to Monday 4 July, the Ultims competing in the Finistère Atlantique had to negotiate the Challenge Action Enfance Canaries gate; a narrow passage of around ten miles between the south of Lanzarote and the northern tip of Fuerteventura. Added to that, it was moonless in a pretty lively breeze of up to 24-25 knots, according to the sailors’ on-board accounts, as the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild ticked off this course mark in 2nd place. Indeed, the men on Banque Populaire XI pipped them to the post by just 38 seconds! Earlier in the day, the two giants became embroiled in a real mano a mano as they dropped down towards the Spanish archipelago. However, the duel clearly reached a head at the Lanzarote passage: intensity and engagement were the words which best described the moment for Morgan Lagravière, who took control of the helm of the Maxi with Franck Cammas during these high-speed phases. As a bonus in this latest video are some stunning new drone images by Yann Riou!

Last night, at 02:36 UTC, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild cleared the Challenge ACTION ENFANCE Canaries gate, a virtual line between the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Charles Caudrelier and his men made the turn in second position, just a few seconds shy of Banque Populaire XI. Franck Cammas, David Boileau and Morgan Lagravière tell us the tale of this epic passage, at very high speed in the pitch black. Since then, the five-arrow giant has set a course for the north-west and Santa Maria in the Azores, the next course mark.

Aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the third day of racing in the Finistère Atlantique did not get off to the best of starts. Whilst Charles Caudrelier and his crew had been leading the way since the race start in Concarneau, by early this afternoon they’d lost the top spot to Armel Le Cléac’h’s men. Indeed, the latter are more at ease and quicker in the weather conditions currently being negotiated by the head of the fleet on the approach to Madeira, namely on a downwind point of sail with a dying breeze fluctuating between 11 and 14 knots. As such, after forty-eight hours at sea, it’s game on again for the top two boats, with Sodebo still in contact just thirty or so miles astern of them.

Since setting sail from Concarneau yesterday, Friday 1 July at 11:00 UTC, the Finistère Atlantique Challenge Action Enfance fleet has had a varied first day at sea. Though the first few miles had to be negotiated in light airs, conditions which are always tricky and dreaded by sailors, the large trimarans were able to quickly accelerate away, gaining ground to the west where the four competing crews could hunt down steadier winds at the tail end of a front. Getting off to a brilliant start in the bay of Concarneau and following an initial winning option down the inside track at Glénan, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild led the fleet offshore. After 24 hours at sea, Charles Caudrelier’s men have managed to hold onto their lead, but behind them the hunt is on, with the fleet making a high average speed of 30 knots as it makes towards the north-west tip of Spain. From there, they’ll launch onto another round in what promises to be much more boisterous wind and sea conditions.

This Friday 1 July, as the epic cycle tour kicks off in Denmark, the giants of the Ultim class gathered together in one of offshore racing’s favourite spots, the bay of Port la Forêt, offshore of Concarneau in Brittany. At 11:00 UTC sharp, pushed along by a timid SW’ly breeze of 6-8 knots, the 32-metre giants set a course for the Glénan archipelago before heading out into the Bay of Biscay. Though renowned for being the heaviest boat of the fleet, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild proved to be particularly agile and quick in the light airs. Indeed, Charles Caudrelier’s crew got off to the best start, leading the race from the first few hours at sea.

With five months to go until the start of the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe, Charles Caudrelier has secured his entry ticket for yachting’s main event of 2022. Taking advantage of the long weekend to set sail singlehanded, the skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild went way beyond the 1,200-mile qualifying passage required by the event’s Race Management team in what proved to be varied conditions conducive to high speed. In addition to the qualification, this four-day offshore passage is also very much in line with Gitana Team’s training programme and served as the perfect opportunity for the sailor to rekindle his ties with solo sailing. In nearly three weeks, in crewed configuration this time, the Ultim trimaran teams will rediscover the thrill of competition in a long 3,500-mile looped circuit around the North Atlantic.

Relaunched a fortnight ago after a demanding winter refit, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and her skipper are now getting down to the nitty-gritty! Kicking off the week in crewed format to prepare for the Finistère Atlantique (start on 1 July from Concarneau, Brittany), Charles Caudrelier cast off from the Lorient base in false solo mode on Wednesday for two nights of offshore sail training. Accompanied by the five-arrow team’s trusty media man Yann Riou he set a course for the south of Ireland and the legendary Fastnet Rock. The aim was to hunt down more sustained breeze than there is along the French coast right now and hence conditions more suited to his first training session in Route du Rhum configuration.

Early yesterday morning, the large doors to the Gitana shed were opened to release the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild from her five-month refit. Enjoying a ringside seat, her skipper, Charles Caudrelier, looked on attentively, though his mind is already geared towards the open ocean and the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, the major meet in the team’s 2022 race schedule. For its 12th edition, the legendary transatlantic race between St Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre, due to set sail on 6 November, is booked out with an unprecedented line-up of over 138 sailors! The five-arrow giant will be one of the eight pretenders in the Ultim category. In the run-up to the event, the winner of the 2004 Solitaire du Figaro plans to get as much time on the water as possible to develop his automatic reflexes as a solo sailor so he can post the best possible performance in November. The Rhum may well be a singlehanded race, but it is as a team, with a particularly strong entourage, that Charles Caudrelier intends to raise his game over the coming months.

16 days 1 hour 49 minutes and 16 seconds is the time it took for Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier to take the win in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021 in the Ultime category. The skippers of Gitana Team invite us to climb aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild for the duration of the 7,500 theoretical miles that make up the course between Le Havre and Fort-de-France, via Brazil. Talented sailors, we discover them just as at ease behind the camera as they take us behind the scenes of their fabulous sporting performance.

They waited for the sun to shine over Martinique before lining the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild up with Diamond Rock and taking full advantage of their crushing victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre. At 10 hours 16 minutes et 16 seconds locale (14 hours 16 minutes et 16 seconds UTC), Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier crossed the finish line set between the Trois Ilets and Fort-de-France marina. Sailing a masterful race, the skippers of Gitana Team win the star category in the Coffee Route, utterly dominating play in the Ultime fleet to leave their competitors trailing some 100 miles in the wake of the five-arrow flying maxi-trimaran.

This Tuesday 23 November at 14:16 UTC, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line in the Transat Jacques Vabre. After more than 16 days at sea and a race finish which was particularly gruelling for the nerves, Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier were finally able to express their delight and savour their dazzling victory. These unique and intense moments were shared with the members of Gitana Team. Everyone was keen to dedicate this victory to Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, who passed away early this year. Heir to the Gitana lineage and founder of the Gitana Team 20 years ago, Benjamin de Rothschild was a passionate and visionary owner without whom none of this would have been possible.

Boats are making faster and faster headway...Offshore flight, through its ability to release boats from friction and contact with the water, has undoubtedly contributed to acceleration in the quest for speed on the oceans. However, speed also brings with it technical constraints and limits, which teams like Gitana team are striving to free themselves of on a daily basis. Cavitation of the appendages is one of the key topics for the five-arrow racing stable right now. Through this new video mini-series, we hand you over the keys to a greater understanding of this phenomenon.