May 18, 20235 min read

SKIPPER MACIF, VICTORY AT THE END OF THE SUSPENSE!

©Alexis Courcoux

The night was particularly emotional in the port of Gustavia. After 18 days of racing, the Transat Paprec ended with a fireworks display at sea for most of the fleet. Charlotte Yven and Loïs Berrehar (Skipper MACIF) won (before the jury) brilliantly with only 16 minutes ahead of Région Bretagne – CMB Performance (Gaston Morvan/Anne-Claire Le Berre) and 58 minutes ahead of Mutuelle Bleue (Corentin Horeau/Pauline Courtois). For their part, Guillaume Pirouelle and Sophie Faguet arrived at daybreak in 5th position. At 2:00 p.m. (metropolitan time), there were four boats still at sea, including two expected that day in Saint-Barthélemy.

The time has finally come to relax and forget everything. The stress, the fatigue, the repeated efforts, the squalls, the uncertainties and that damned concentration to keep at the highest level at all times... Everything is relegated to a corner of the mind to make way for the deliverance and the little pleasures of returning to land. And the first to offer themselves this joy are Charlotte Yven and Loïs Berrehar. At 02:03 (local time), 08:03 (metropolitan time), they were the first to see the lights of Gustavia, to feel the excitement of the pontoons and to cross the finish line.

Charlotte and Loïs, the deliveranceThey then fell into each other's arms before turning towards the objectives and savoring the moment, their greatest victory of their life as skippers. Charlotte and Loïs, it's the story of a duo who fought and this already well before the start of the race. They spent the winter together, roommates for a few weeks, to get to know each other, at sea and on land. A 100% MACIF duo taking on the Atlantic who were among the great animators of the race. They took control south of Portugal, in the trade winds for a handful of days and in the final hours of the race, especially, and never let go. The suspense was unbearable, impressive, gripping. And you had to read the counters to realize it: only 16 minutes separated them from their first rivals, Gaston Morvan and Anne-Claire Le Berre (Région Bretagne - CMB - Performance). Despite their disappointment, they who presented themselves as "rookies" before setting off had an impressive race. They managed to keep up the pace after hitting a UFO (Unidentified Floating Object) which damaged their rudder on the 11th day of the race. This did not prevent them from getting involved in the final fight and offering this breathtaking suspense. "We dreamed of first place for a long time but it remains our first transatlantic," explained Gaston Morvan.

©Alexis Courcoux Gaston Morvan - Anne-Claire Le Berre (Région Bretagne - CMB – Performance)

Behind, it is Mutuelle Bleue who completes the podium. Corentin Horeau and Pauline Courtois congratulated each other in turn. On their faces, as for the first two duos who preceded them, fatigue surfaces behind the emotion of the moment. The intensity of the past fight is read as much on the faces as in the words. "It was hard mentally because we always had people next to us", confides Corentin. "I don't even know if there were long moments without seeing friends", laughs Pauline.

If Skipper MACIF, Région Bretagne - CMB Performance and Mutuelle Bleue set the tone for a day dedicated to arrivals, we had to wait for the sun to rise over Gustavia to welcome the following ones: Région Normandie. Sophie Faguet and Guillaume Pirouelle admitted to having "lost patience a little at the end" but assure "to have had a lot of fun". Camille Bertel and Pierre Leboucher (Cap Ingélec) complete the ‘top 5’. Next up are Région Bretagne – CMB Océane (6th), AGEAS - Ballay - Cerfrance - Baie de Saint-Brieuc (7th), EDENRED (8th) and MonAtoutEnergie. fr (9th) who should cross the finish line in that order during the day.

©Alexis Courcoux Corentin Horeau - Pauline Courtois - Mutuelle Bleue

Paprec and Halchimy congratulate the winners

While the sailors who had already arrived in Gustavia came to congratulate their competitors on the pontoon, the race partners also wanted to salute the sailors' performance in this 16th edition of the race, starting with Paprec, Title Partner of the 100% mixed transatlantic duos. "The Transat Paprec is the first major mixed offshore race. The high level of this race, the quality of the battle between these pairs taking on the Atlantic on equal terms confirm the success of this format and I am very happy about it. On behalf of the Paprec Group, I would like to congratulate the winners and their runners-up, who showed courage and fighting spirit during these 18 days at sea. I am also very proud to note that four of the first six finishers have already sailed under the Paprec colours! This confirms the important role of our company in this sector of excellence that is sailing. The arrival in Saint-Barthélemy is particularly symbolic for us because we built and manage the plant that recovers the island's waste into energy to produce drinking water and develop its energy independence. What our Ouanalao ecocentre is doing is exemplary in this area. See you in two years for the next Transat Paprec! », declares Sébastien Petithuguenin, Managing Director of Paprec.

For its part, Halchimy, Official Timekeeper of the Transat Paprec, also congratulates the winners of this 16th edition of the race. For this innovative company in its field, this partnership is an opportunity to highlight its commitment to excellence, performance, reliability and precision, values that it shares with the Transat Paprec. But also to make itself known to enthusiasts looking for timepieces that are much more than a watch. "In the heart of the ocean, heroes have emerged, driven by passion and guided by time. Halchimy, privileged partner of the Transat Paprec, salutes the winners of this epic crossing", comments Nicolas Oualli, co-founder of the young French watchmaker Halchimy. Two watches (GMT model) from the “Intuition 2012” collection will be awarded to the winning duo of the Transat Paprec.

Ranking at 2:00 p.m. (metropolitan time), 8:00 a.m. (local time):

1er : Loïs Berrehar - Charlotte Yven - Skipper MACIF - 19/05/2023

Heure d'arrivée (métropole) : 08 heures 03 minutes 33 secondes

Temps de course : 18 jours 19 heures 01 minute 33 secondes

2e : Gaston Morvan - Anne-Claire Le Berre - Région Bretagne - CMB Performance - 19/05/2023

Heure d'arrivée (métropole) : 08 heures 20 minutes 06 secondes

Temps de course : 18 jours 19 heures 18 minutes 06 secondes

3e : Corentin Horeau - Pauline Courtois - Mutuelle Bleue - 19/05/2023

Heure d'arrivée (métropole) : 09 heures 02 minutes 30 secondes

Temps de course : 18 jours 20 heures 0 minutes 30 secondes

4e : Guillaume Pirouelle - Sophie Faguet - Région Normandie - 19/05/2023

Heure d'arrivée (métropole) : 11 heures 24 minutes 10 secondes