Video Interview with Loick Peyron in which he discusses his experience in the Route du Rhum

Route du Rhum, Maxi trimaran Banque Populaire VII powering along with Loick at the helm

Route du Rhum update, A good article with more details by Loick Peyron on his race winning effort on Banque Populaire VII

From the following article on the Route du Rhum website:

http://www.routedurhum.com/en/s03_actualites/s03p02_detail_actualite.php?actu=757

Thirty two years after the first of his seven attempts, French ocean racing star Loick Peyron won the mythical Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe this Monday morning (TU) when he crossed the finish line of the solo race from Saint-Malo France to Pointe-a-Pitre at 04:08:32 TU/05:08:32 CET/00:08:32 local

The lone skipper of the 31.5m (103ft) Ultime trimaran Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII completed the 3542 miles course in 7d 15h 8m 32s.

His elapsed time is a new outright record for the course passage which was first raced in 1982, breaking the 2006 reference time set by Lionel Lemonchois (7 days 17 hours and 9 mInutes) by 2hrs 10mins 34secs.

Peyron sailed the 3524 NMs theoretical course at an average of 19.34kts. In reality he sailed 4199NM at an average of 22.93kts.

Looking relaxed and on good form physically, Peyron acknowledged, pledging to be back in four years time on the little yellow boat:

read more here


Passage de la ligne d'arrivée du maxitrimaran... by routedurhum

Route du Rhum, Loick Peyron victorious on Banque Populaire VII and sets new record time.

guadeloupe 1ere en direct sur le net by guadeloupe1ere

Route du Rhum update, Loick leads the Ultime fleet in impressive fashion

 Loick is doing well out the front of the fleet, BPVII is a more wieldy boat from a solo perspective than Spindrift 2 but if Yann can get some more stable weather he might be able to exploit the power of the boat a little better. The big story for me is how well Sebastian Josse is doing on the modified MOD70 Edmond de Rothschild he is punching well above his weight to hold onto a solid third in the Ultime class.

In the Multi50's some strategic positioning by Lalou Roucayrol on Arkema has seen him take the lead. Lalou's early strategy saw him go for a more Westerly route initially and has given him sea room and kept him out of the worst seastates that the boats went inshore had to deal with. Team Actual has to drop into Cascais for repairs to their wind instruments which will allow FenetreA Cardinal to sneak away into a more solid second place.

In the Rhum Class Route du Rhum veteran Anne Casaneuve is the leading multihull second behind the powerful canting keel monohull Vento di Sardegna.

The Route du Rhum news coverage and tracker is excellent so I will just give a summary each day and wont attempt to repost all the news here best to just visit the Route du Rhum website for full updates:

http://www.routedurhum.com


Jour 2 : rock'n roll ... by routedurhum

Route du Rhum update, Loick Peyron in the lead on Banque Populaire VII and retirements Sodebo Ultime and Multi50 Maitre Jacques

Currently Loick Peyron on Banque Populaire VII is leading the field in the Route du Rhum. 

http://www.routedurhum.com/fr/s02_corporate/s02p08_cartographie.php

Thomas Coville on Sodebo Ultime has been forced to retire after suffering float and main hull damage after a collision with a cargo ship.  Skipper is uninjured and coaxing the boat to the Port of Roscoff:

a rough bing translate of the article here:

http://www.routedurhum.com/fr/s03_actualites/s03p02_detail_actualite.php?actu=448

Sunday, November 2 at 11: 30 pm, the Cross has informed the direction of the Route du Rhum race - Destination Guadeloupe than Sodebo Ultim' had collided with a cargo ship and its skipper was unharmed. The trimaran was almost out of the rail and sailed under 3 reefs and ORC, progressing at a speed of 15/18 knots in Active grains by 30 knots of wind Southwest.
In the clash, the trimaran has lost forward of the starboard float until the link arm. The central hull seems to have been also damaged at the front. Sodebo Ultim' is headed for the port of Roscoff, crosswind, under reduced sail, supported on the port float. Currently forward in a dozen nodes. In approaching the coast of Brittany, the wind will ease and the sea is mellowing. Its technical team which was on standby in Brest will travel at night to Roscoff where the trimaran is expected in the morning.

More bad news with the Multi50 Maitre Jacques being forced to retire with starboard float damage:

http://www.routedurhum.com/fr/s03_actualites/s03p02_detail_actualite.php?actu=446

rough bing translate below:

To 11 pm this Sunday, the starboard float of Maître Jacques broke. He then was in 4th position of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, in the category of Multi 50. Loïc Féquet was about to wrap the tip of Brittany, and was sailing near the coast. It is not in danger, there is no risk of Dismasting, but the boat is not operating.

A tug of the SNSM comes from sailing to tow it to the nearest port, it should be on area about 2 o'clock in the morning.

Loïc Féquet, skipper of the Multi 50 master Jacques: "there were 25-28 knots and seas, but I wasn't to attack, on the contrary! I was under two ris staysail. I hit nothing. It broke exactly at the same place as last year *, but this time, the float is brand new... »

The master Jacques skipper has secured his boat. It is only 7 miles (13 km) sides and derivative at two knots approximately to the North. Loïc is inside his boat while awaiting relief.

Defi Azimut, Sebastian Josse wins Ultime class in a light air race

Seb Josse led home Sidney Gavignet on Musandam-Oman Sail followed by Loick Peyron on Banque Populaire V.  Class debutante Yann Elies on Paprec Recyclage kept the rest of the field honest coming in fourth with a good performance only 7 minutes shy of Loick.

The final results:

Loick Peyron steps in to skipper maxi trimaran Banque Populaire VII in the Route du Rhum

From the following press release (in French) on the Banque Populaire Sailing website:

http://www.voile.banquepopulaire.fr/Armel-Le-Cleac-h/LOICK-PEYRON-REMPLACERA-ARMEL-LE-CLEAC-H-POUR-LA-ROUTE-DU-RHUM-10167.html#suite

The rough bing translate is below:

LOÏCK PEYRON WILL REPLACE ARMEL LE CLÉAC ' H FOR THE ROUTE DU RHUM
Thursday, September 04, 2014 - 09 h 15
Armel Le Cléac ' h, skipper of the Maxi Solo Bank Populaire VII, severely wounded in the hand and forced to forfeit for the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2014, will be replaced, the time of this race, Loïck Peyron. People's Bank, in perfect harmony with its skipper, naturally turned to the browser from La Baule, a great connoisseur of multihulls which won the Jules Verne trophy aboard the Maxi Bank popular V in 2012.

Loïck Peyron, quickly seduced by this opportunity, took time to reflect before agreeing to this challenge. Navigation test aboard the Maxi Trimaran with the Team Banque Populaire allowed him to judge the intrinsic frame and, it is excited by this great challenge posed by participation in the Route du Rhum in the final category, that it will align at the start of the most famous of the transatlantic with the trimaran wearing the colours of the Bank of the sail.

Armel Le Cléac ' h, which control perfectly its support, will accompany Loïck Peyron in his preparation for him deliver all his experience gained in 4 transatlantic and 2 records carried out aboard the Maxi Solo Bank Populaire VII.
At the same time, in agreement with Banque Populaire, which he retains all his confidence, it will focus during this period forced ashore on the construction of the new monohull Banque Populaire for the Vendée Globe 2016-2017.

Interview by Fred Eagle on Catsailingnews with multihull maestro Loick Peyron

Loick Peyron is a great ambassador for multihull sailing and has also been involved in the highest level of the sport for many years.  In this wide ranging interview by Fred Eagle he discusses the future, past and his current projects.

Thanks to the excellent Catsailingnews blog:

http://www.catsailingnews.com/2014/06/honoring-past-foiling-cup-interview.html

America's Cup update, Team Artemis video Loick Peyron on upgraded AC72 #1

The Artemis Team have released this video update on their progress.  Their upgraded AC72 #1 catamaran is now out and sailing on San Francisco Bay. 

Banque Populaire V in the 2011 Fastnet Race

A huge credit to the UK sailing scene is the integration of ocean racing multihulls into large offshore races.  This video shows the all conquering record machine Banque Populaire V in the 2011 Fastnet race in which they set a new course and outright record of 1day 8hrs 48minutes.