France’s Horeau takes Route du Rhum on debut

France’s Corentin Horeau sailed his monohull MACSF to victory yesterday in his first appearance in the Route du Rhum, dominating the transatlantic race to take his first International Monohull Open Classes Association (IMOCA) class win.

The 37-year-old skipper crossed the finish line in Pointe-a-Pitre at 1:14am yesterday, completing the 3,542-nautical-mile (6,560km) race from Saint-Malo to Guadeloupe in 9 days, 17 hours, 12 minutes and 9 seconds.

Horeau took the lead during the second day of racing before opening up a gap off the Azores.

French skipper Corentin Horeau celebrates winning the Route du Rhum aboard his IMOCA monohull MACSF in the French overseas island of Guadeloupe yesterday.

Photo: AFP

He also benefited from his rivals’ misfortunes.

Jeremie Beyou, skipper of Charal and winner of last year’s Transat Cafe-L’Or, dropped out last week while second in the IMOCA fleet after suffering a head injury and several vertebral and rib fractures.

Italy’s Ambrogio Beccaria, one of the main contenders after his maiden IMOCA win at the Vendee Arctique — Les Sables d’Olonne in June, also retired on Thursday last week due to severe back pain after a fall on board his Allagrande Mapei boat.

Horeau is emerging as a serious contender for the next Vendee Globe, which is scheduled to start in November 2028.

He has mastered his 18 meter monohull, which finished second at last year’s Vendee Globe when sailed by Yoann Richomme under the Paprec Arkea name.

The Frenchman was so dominant in the 13th edition of the Route du Rhum that he finished just two minutes behind the first Ocean Fifty — the 15m multihulls considered faster than the IMOCAs.

The transatlantic race in the IMOCA class was also marked by the first major setback of Violette Dorange’s young sailing career.

The 25-year-old skipper, who became the youngest competitor to finish the Vendee Globe last year, withdrew on Friday last week, five days after a collision with Romain Pilliard shortly after the start.

France’s Tom Laperche, skipper of SVR-Lazartigue, won the ULTIM class of the race on Sunday last week in record time.