Friday, 23 May 2014

Spindrift Racing update, the latest edition of 40 metres solo explores Yann Guichard's sailing career and celebrates his 40th birthday

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/05/spindrift-racing-series-40-metres-solo-episode-16-happy-40th-yann-guichard/
 
Not for Yann Guichard any crisis on turning 40. The skipper of Spindrift 2 celebrates his birthday today and just feels happy, surrounded by his loved ones and at the top of his sporting career. We caught up with him  on the dock at La Trinité-Sur-Mer, Spindrift racing’s home port.
 
Guichard has sailed on almost all types of multihull on the professional circuit. From the Tornado (the 6-metre Olympic catamaran) to the 40-metre maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2, Guichard’s life has been played out balancing between air and water.
 
At 10 years old: Ile-aux-Moines, La Rochelle, Optimist Competitions
With three boys and three girls, the Guichard tribe is a large one…who have enjoyed moving around a bit. Settling in Paris, then Perros-Guirec and La Rochelle, the family liked to come together in the holiday home of the Ile aux Moines, in the heart of the Gulf of Morbihan. Between each cruise on his father’s boat, the children spent their time on the water. An independent spirit, Guichard followed his big brother into Optimist competitions. Jacques, the younger brother, chose windsurfing. He now designs the sails for Spindrift 2 and sails on board the maxi-trimaran. In sport studies from the 6th grade to the final year at school in La Rochelle, Guichard took the classic route and quickly shone.
 
At 20: In the 470 and then the Olympics in the Tornado
He got used to his oilies in the Optimist and then the 420. He learned his trade well. In 1994, he became vice-champion of the world in the 420 in Plymouth with his teammate Pierre Pennec. On their return, the duo did not want to continue on to the 470, they were looking for a boat that was more fun, one that could ‘glide’. There was a Tornado at the sailing club. One test was enough. Guichard and Pennec joined the ENV (France’s national sailing school) in Quiberon with the French team and began preparing for the Olympics, which concluded with a fourth place at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
 
read more here
 

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