Team Maitre Jacques, Loic Fequet completes solo qualification for the Route du Rhum and then goes on (with crew) to take line honours and class win in the Record SNSM

The revamped Multi50 trimaran Maitre Jacques has proved to be a super performer with it's new floats.  Loic Fequet completed a solo qualification for the Route du Rhum and then with crew took line honours in the Record SNSM and a class win. 

a press release here (in French) on the Record SNSM:

the rough bing translate below:

Master winner Jacques Record SNSM 2014!

 It has not dragged! The 50 foot skippered by Loïc Féquet trimaran crossed the finish line at 11 h 43'52 ". He won so very beautiful way the Record SNSM in the Multi 50 category with a time of race of 20 h 11'52 ", at an average speed of 11.39 knots on the theoretical distance of 230 miles. Congratulations to Loïc and his team! The two IMOCA, Initiatives-heart (Tanguy de Lamotte) and Imagine (Armel Tripon) are expected late in the afternoon, at the same time as the Multi 2000 Restabern (Jean-Christophe Lair), leader of the 180-mile course.

"Spikes up to 24 knots"
 

Escorted by the SNS 125 featured "Admiral de Castelbajac" upon his arrival, the skipper Loïc Fequet displays its satisfaction: « very happy Yes! The aim was to earn miles. More on actually, better. And then the Record SNSM is for a good cause, rescuers at sea, so the joy is even greater! We met a flat sea. It lacked a little wind at the start, which explains that we have toiled to Quiberon. Then it hit more air, a ten knots, allowing us to accelerate. Then there has again been a little downtime in Sainte-Marine, because the wind was not well established in the Bay. On the other hand, back, up to the island of Yeu, it was very nice, with spikes up to 24 knots on a sea of oil! The buddies (the two IMOCA including, ndr)? On little saw them. They came back on us in the Bay of Quiberon, when there was no wind, but as soon as we had a little more air it has again left behind them. Appraisal: it was very nice, with a beautiful time in Saint-Nazaire. Despite the lack of wind, could test some things. Let's write a small list to the preparer of the boat... »

and on the 1000nm qualification run for the Route du Rhum:

Qualifying check!

Maître Jacques paré for @RecordSNSM Loïc Fequet has cordoned off this morning its 1000 miles qualifying in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe after 4 days and 4 nights in sea and positive technical assessment. Now place in the competition: the skipper Maître Jacques and his team are preparing now and already to play the Record SNSM, whose departure will be given this Sunday in Saint Nazaire.

Party Lorient Monday afternoon, Loïc arrived this morning to Saint-Nazaire... Its 1000 miles the Route du Rhum qualifier took place in excellent conditions. The skipper Maître Jacques was able to validate everything that there was to check on the boat following its big technical construction.

Replacement of floats has changed significantly the sensations of bar and the reactions of the boat: "there was a great job indeed, there is nothing to complain about".
Double satisfaction so the Team master Jacques who comes to qualify for the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe and find a boat ready to do battle.
These 4 days and 4 nights from sea also helped Loïc to recover in her bubble of solitary sailor: used to speed, to trust its automatic pilot...

This first step, Loïc will be able to address its training program and races, starting with the Record SNSM, as early as this weekend. Tomorrow, the Team master Jacques will be full in Saint-Nazaire. They all look forward to the red and white trimaran weapon of its new floats.
These 360 miles (666 km) consisting of two back and forth between the resident of Saint-Nazaire port and a brand of course located off the coast of Sainte-Marine in Finistère (North of the Glénan) will enable the crew continue validations technical and, of course, try a beautiful time!

Top departure Sunday at 3 p.m. off the coast of Saint Nazaire!

Loïc Féquet, skipper master Jacques: "the goal was really to qualify, I have therefore voluntarily not shot on the boat. But everything is perfect, the sensations are very good. It was also an opportunity for me to get used to the solitaire, at the speed of the boat, at night, to trust the driver!... The conditions were perfect for it. But the exercise will be to renew.
From a technical point of view, there is nothing to complain about. And other floats, everything else was already validated since last year. We will still do a complete check of the boat by receipt of consciousness, but it is ready to attack the Record SNSM and we also! » Multi50 official