After being on-site in Lorient for this year's Defi Azimut, it was an incredible experience to be on the pontoon as Macif, the winner, arrived at the waiting crowd after crossing the finish line.
Congratulations to Charlie Dalin and his team for an outstanding race and a well-deserved victory.
1st: Macif - Santé Prévoyance (Charlie Dalin) - 1D 18h 14min 32s
2nd: Vulnerable (Sam Goodchild) - 1D 19h 56min 47s
3rd: Charal (Jérémie Beyou) - 1D 20h 10min 25s
4th: Holcim PRB (Nicolas Lunven) - 1D 20h 22min 06s
5th: Initiatives Coeur (Sam Davies) - 1D 20h 25min 41s
Macif also dominated the Azimut Runs speed trials, claiming the top spot once again:
1st: Macif Santé Prévoyance (Charlie Dalin) - 28.6 knots
2nd: Charal (Jérémie Beyou) - 26.7 knots
3rd: Vulnerable (Thomas Ruyant) - 25.6 knots
4th: Vulnerable (Sam Goodchild) - 25.4 knots
5th: Initiatives Coeur (Sam Davies) - 24.5 knots
Under a clear blue sky and light, fickle winds, Sunday's Tour de Groix was shortened due to conditions better suited to sunbathing. Even so, Charal’s crew clinched victory by the narrowest of margins.
1st: Charal (Jérémie Beyou)
2nd: Fives Group - Lantana Environnement (Louis Duc)
3rd: Malizia – Sea Explorer (Boris Herrmann)
4th: Coup de Pouce (Manuel Cousin)
5th: TeamWork-Team SNEF (Justine Mettraux)
As the last major test before the Vendée Globe, these races gave the teams invaluable insight into whether their recent adjustments have delivered the performance gains they were hoping for.
Some names are beginning to show strong form and consistent results, and these might just be the boats to watch in the 2024 Vendée Globe.
For a full breakdown of race reviews and updates, visit - https://www.defi-azimut.net/en
