FROM THE CHANNEL TO THE ATLANTIC

During the first edition in 2016, the DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE went from La Trinité-sur-Mer to Roscoff, in 2018 the fleet set sail to the Cotentin and Cherbourg, with the city welcoming the 76 participants of the 2nd edition.
Since 2020, the race will start in the Channel and end in Morbihan, with the DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE competitors starting in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and arriving in La Trinité-sur-Mer. We will be back in July 2024 !

Flashback to the 4th édition in 2022

The 4th edition of La Drheam-Cup – Grand Prix de France de Course au Large has kept all its promises: outstanding weather in Cherbourg-en Cotentin and La Trinité-sur-Mer, varied and complex with light winds and heavier breezes, high level professional and amateur competitors, and an organisation that has been unanimously hailed by the sailors… Finally, the race is gaining international appeal, with victories by Swiss (IRC Crewed) and British (Ocean Fifty) crews.

Class40: 36 boats lined up on the starting line in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, including many recently launched boats and many skippers from the Solitaire du Figaro. During the race, which is also a qualifier for the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, the heavyweights such as Antoine Carpentier (Redman), Corentin Douguet (Queguiner-Innoveo), Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkea), Ian Lipinski (Crédit Mutuel), Simon Koster (Banque du Léman), Amélie Grassi (La Boulangère Bio) as well as Xavier Macaire (Groupe SNEF) competed as fiercely as ever in a sustained breeze off the beam after passing the Fastnet. In his first solo race on his brand-new scow-bow Class 40 Groupe SNEF, Xavier Macaire’s speed
stood out, as did the quality of his trajectories, leading the majority of the race and finally increasing his lead towards the end of this 980-nautical mile “Figaro race leg”, before finally winning the race in 4 days, 3 hours and 7 minutes, ahead of Corentin Douguet, Swiss skipper Simon Koster, Yoann Richomme and Amélie Grasset, the only woman entered, and who sailed a brilliant race.

Figaro 3: His name is Basile Bourgnon and he is carving out a first name for himself. On Edenred, with Mediterranean sailor Robin Follin, the son of the late Laurent, who trajically disappeared during a diving accident, was astonishing, leading the race from start to finish over the 600 miles of a course marked by tricky weather after the West Shamble mark to the South of England. He arrived ahead of the young Laser sailor Paul Morvan (Foricher – Fleur d’Ajonc) who was sailing his first race on the Beneteau one design with his father Gildas, known as the “green giant” and the up-and-coming Charlotte Yven (Team Vendée Formation-Botte Fondation), who chose to race the Drheam Cup solo.

IRC Crewed: When you look at the CVs in Swiss boat Kuka 3, a Cookson 50 built in New Zealand, sailed by a crew of mainly Italians as well as the Australian Mitch Booth, two-time Olympic medallist and skipper of the giant Comanche, it isn’t really surprising that the boat has won everything in IRC has added the Drheam Cup to its achievements. Its owner and skipper Franco Niggeler wanted to add this now classic event to his programme and was delighted by the organisation, the weather and the race, before announcing that he will be back to defend his title. French sailors Nicolas Groleau (BT Blue) and Philippe Frantz (Albator) shined and joined Kuka 3 on the podium ahead of 23 crews.

IRC Double handed: They claimed to be less at ease than the Bretons and Normans in the rocks and
currents. Despite this, Marseille sailors Ludovic Gérard and Nicolas Brossay (Solenn for Pure Ocean),
recent winners of the 1st edition of the Cap Martinique last May, once again raced perfectly on their JPK 10.80, leading the race ahead of Louis-Marie Dussere and Bruno James (Raging Bee 2).

Ultime and IMOCA: Following the withdrawal of Thomas Coville’s Sodebo Ultim 3 and Charles Caudrelier’s Edmond de Rothschild two days before the event, SVR Lazartigue, skippered by the young Tom Laperche, replacing François Gabart who has Covid, completed the 1000-mile course at a great average of 18 knots.
Louis Duc (Fives – Lantana Environnement), who spent his childhood in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, couldn’t
imagine not taking part in the Drheam-Cup / Grand Prix de France de Course au Large, even if he was the only Imoca.

Multi 2000: Ten years ago, Oren Nataf had never set foot on a boat before. For his 1st Drheam Cup
/ Grand Prix de France de Course au Large, this complete amateur who also competes in classic car races, not only won the race in his category, but also gained lined honours. He was very well surrounded, with amongst others, Sidney Gavignet, one of the most experienced French sailors on two or three hulls, as crew.

Multi Rhum:
It’s one of the only clouds in the picture of this 4th edition of the Drheam Cup / Grand Prix de France de Course au Large. Loïc Escoffier, who was leading the race on his ORC 50 catamaran, capsized off the Fastnet Rock after his autopilot failed. The Saint Malo native was airlifted to safety by the Irish coast guards in difficult weather conditions. And finally, one the veterans of the French offshore racing scene, Marc Guillemot on a 50-foot catamaran that he built using parts recycled from old offshore racing boats, won.

Rhum Monos: For her 60th year, Catherine Chabaud set herself a challenge: to compete in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, twenty years after stopping offshore racing. On Formatives Network, the boat on which she was the first woman to complete the Vendée Globe (in 1997), the European Deputy admitted to suffering during the 980-miles of the course. She qualified for the transatlantic race and also won in her class, ahead of Guy Pronier (Terranimo).

Large Monohulls: On her illustrious father’s impressive Pen Duick VI, on which she wishes to complete the round-the-world race celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Whitbread race, Marie Tabarly and her team of amateurs brilliantly won the Drheam Cup / Grand Prix deFrance in corrected time, ahead of Challenge Ocean skippered by Valdo Dhoyer.

All the results here

The winners of the Courses:
DC 1000 A: Sam Goodchild (Leyton)
DC1000 B: Xavier Macaire (Groupe SNEF)
DC600: Oren Nataf (Rayon Vert)

Winners by class:
OCEAN FIFTY: Sam Goodchild (Leyton)
Multi 2000: Xavier Macaire (Groupe SNEF)
Rhum Multi: Marc Guillemot (Metarom Group)
Ultime: Tom Laperche (SVR Lazartigue)
Class40: Xavier Macaire ( Groupe SNEF)
Figaro 3: Basile Bourgnon and Robin Follin (Edenred)
IRC Double handed: Ludovic Gérard and Nicolas Brossay (Solenn for Pure Ocean)
IRC Equipage: Franco Niggeler (Kuka 3)
IRC Overall: Franco Niggeler (Kuka 3)
Rhum Mono: Catherine Chabaud (Formatives Network)
Large Monohulls: Marie Tabarly (Pen Duick IV)

Special trophies
Sport Trophy: Pen Duick VI
Club Trophy: Société Nautique de la Trinité
Builder’s trophy: JPS Production

Flashback to the 3rd edition in 2020
A rich history

40 crews during the first edition in 2016, won in real time by Lalou Roucayrol on the Multi50 Arkema, 76 two years later, including 55 of the 123 future participants in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 2018, and winners as prestigious as Sam Davies in Imoca, Charlie Capelle in Multi 2000, Thibaut Vauchel-Camus in Multi 50 and Yoann Richomme in Class40; the DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE gained even more popularity in the third edition in 2020.

The first multi-class race organised in France after the lockdown attracted 95 crews that we delighted to experience the outstanding atmosphere of such an event again, despite the situation that made organising a race village impossible: “We can only thank the organiser and the city of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin for giving us the opportunity to see our racing friends again and enjoy pre-race stress with all the safety checks and analysis of weather files. It is really great to see each other again on the pontoons, we understand all the work that went into getting this race off the ground. We are finally going to race, which is what our boats are made for”, explained Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Solitaires en Peloton-ARSEP) the day before the race.

In this third edition, Jacques Civilise innovated again and came up with three courses, taking into account the speeds of the boats: the DC 400 course (IRC, OSIRIS, Mini 6.50, Multi 2000, Classic Yachts and Figaro Bénéteau 3, the first time they took part in this race), the DC 700 course (Multi50, Imoca, Class40 and large Monohulls) and the DC 1100 course, tailored to the Ultimes. Although weather conditions led to him reducing the last two courses (finally 550 Miles and 750 Miles), the DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE was an opportunity for very close racing in all series, which finally rewarded talent and diversity.

The first over the line in La Trinité-sur-Mer was Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, raced by the duo Franck Cammas/Charles Caudrelier, who added a victory in the DRHEAM-CUP/GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE to their name for the first time, after a little under two days at sea (18.64 knots average speed). In Multi50, Solidaires en Peloton-ARSEP won themselves a second victory, as did Charlie Capelle in Multi 2000 on A Capella Proludic, winning in corrected time. The real time victory in that class came to the 100% disabled crew of Team Vent Debout (Fabrice Payen). As for the monohulls, a fierce battle was fought in Figaro Bénéteau 3, with at the finish a great first victory for British sailor Sam Goodchild on Leyton, as well as in Class40 – a victory for Crédit Mutuel (Ian Lipinski) – and in IRC, Expresso (Guy Claeys/Luce Molinier) won in double handed, Lann Aël 2 (Didier Gaudoux) in the crewed class.

All podiums (in real time)

DRHEAM-CUP 1100-Ultims (750 miles) :
Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Franck Cammas/Charles Caudrelier) 1 day 21 hours 30 minutes and 33 seconds
Sodebo Ultim 3 (Thomas Coville) 1 day 23 hours 27 minutes and 53 seconds
Actual Leader (Yves Le Blevec) 2 days 3 hours 25 minutes and 19 seconds

DRHEAM-CUP 700-Multi50 (615 miles) :
Solidaires en peloton-ARSEP (Thibaut Vauchel-Camus) 2 days 26 minutes and 24 seconds
Leyton (Arthur Le Vaillant) 2 days 2 hours 53 minutes and 30 seconds
Ciela Village (Erwan Le Roux) 2 days 5 hours 58 minutes and 33 seconds

DRHEAM-CUP 700-Multi 2000 (550 miles) :
Team Vent Debout (Fabrice Payen) 2 days 9 hours 5 minutes and 19 seconds
No Limit (Yann Marilley) 2 days 10 hours 9 minutes and 23 seconds
Jess (Gilles Buekenhout) 2 days 10 hours 15 minutes and 46 seconds

DRHEAM-CUP 700-Class40 (550 miles) :
Crédit Mutuel (Ian Lipinski) 2 days 9 hours 50 minutes and 58 seconds
Palanad 3 (Nicolas Groleau) 2 days 10 hours 15 minutes and 47 seconds
Lamotte-Module Création (Luke Berry) 2 days 12 hours 38 minutes and 5 seconds

DRHEAM-CUP 400-Figaro solo (428 miles) :
Sam Goodchild (Leyton) 2 days 2 hours 51 minutes and 40 seconds
Tom Laperche (Bretagne CMB Espoir) 2 days 3 hours 36 minutes and 52 seconds
Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire) 2 days 3 hours 46 minutes and 27 seconds

DRHEAM-CUP 400-Figaro double (428 miles) :
Pierre Leboucher and Benoît Mariette (Guyot Environnement) 2 days 3 hours 56 minutes and 56 seconds
Tom Dolan and François Jambou (Smurfit Kappa – Concarneau Entreprendre) 2 days 4 hours 2 minutes and 10 seconds
La Chaîne de l’Espoir (Benoît Hochart/Nicolas Boidevezi) 2 days 5 hours 5 minutes and 37 seconds

DRHEAM-CUP 400-IRC crew (428 miles) :
Amanjiwo (Sébastien Harinkouck) 2 days 4 hours 7 minutes and 48 seconds
Lann Aël 2 (Didier Gaudoux) 2 days 5 hours 56 minutes and 50 seconds
Qualiconsult (Jacques Pelletier) 2 days 6 hours 51 minutes and 43 seconds

DRHEAM-CUP 400-IRC double (428 miles) :
Raging-Bee (Pierrick Letouzé/Antoine Richer) 2 days 12 hours 27 minutes and 49 seconds
Phu Cam (Philippe Viet Triem Tong/Frédéric Blanc) 2 days 12 hours 28 minutes and 10 seconds
Leyton (Henry Bomby/Jules Salter) 2 days 12 hours 30 minutes and 10 seconds

Flashback to the 2nd edition in 2018
2018: Showcasing women and new boats!

The second edition of the DRHEAM-CUP, known as the DRHEAM-CUP Destination Cotentin, was held from 19 to 28 July, with two courses (736 Miles for the Multi50, Imoca, Class 40, Rhum Mono and Multi classes, 428 Miles for the Multi 2000, IRC and Classic Yachts) and a new port of arrival, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.
From 40 entries in 2016, the numbers grew to 76 boats that left La Trinité-sur-Mer on 23 July, including 55 of the 123 future participants in the 2018 Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, for which the DRHEAM-CUP was a qualification race.

The first boat to cross the finish line on the 428 Mile course was Charlie Capelle’s Multi 2000 Acapella-Soreal-Proludic, whose weather option was the best. “When we got to the Ushant TSS, we considered that we should go East rather than West, and it was the right choice, since the other boats got stuck in a windless bubble. This victory is a nice new line on Acapella’s hulls, and was written thanks to a crew of remarkable young people, who in my opinion, are future greats”, explained Charlie Capelle.

On the 736 Mile course, the fleet enjoyed a wide range of conditions, with very light winds for 48 hours, a rough ride down the Irish Sea after passing the Fastnet, and finally, no wind at all when they arrived near Cotentin. The Multi50 Solidaires en Peloton-ARSEP (Thibaut Vauchel Camus) was first to complete this difficult course, the first victory of the St Malo native on the trimaran, that was launched a few months earlier. “It’s really gratifying, the game was very open, there was Figaro-like atmosphere, trying to gain small advantages, managing high pressure ridges, playing with currents and tides.”

In Imoca, a British woman claimed victory, Sam Davies (Initiatives Cœur), just ahead of the French and German skipper Isabelle Joschke (Monin), a real symbol in a race that made women’s participation a priority. “I’m very proud, it’s the first race that I have won solo in Imoca, I stayed ahead most of the race, and I won the prologue, I couldn’t have dreamed better! “, added Sam.

Finally, in Class 40, announcing his future victory in the Route du Rhum, Yoann Richomme (Veedol) was first on a brand-new Lombard design launched barely a month earlier, which explains why he said: “I am the first person to be surprised by this victory, as it was the boat’s fifth sail only. I learned a lot.”

The 2018 winners (76 entries)

DRHEAM CUP 400
Multi 2000: Acapella-Soréal-Proludic (Charlie Capelle) 3d 1h 29min 0sec
IRC Double handed: Hagat (Alain Duvivier) 4d 4h 23min 33sec
IRC 1: Amanjiwo 2 (Sébastien Harinkouck) 3d 6h 30min 36sec
IRC 2: FdS CAEC (Franck Ribot) 4j 4h 40min 17sec
Classic Yachts: Haliotis de Kervilor (Patrick Perrin) 4d 5h 38min 21sec

DRHEAM CUP 700
Multi50: Thibaut Vauchel Camus (Solidaires en Peloton-ARSEP) 3d 19h 45min 10sec
Imoca: Sam Davies (Initiatives Cœur) 3d 20h 14min 3sec
Class40: Yoann Richomme (Veedol) 4d 2h 7min 7sec
Rhum Monohulls: Cap Au Cap Location (Wilfrid Clerton) 4d 13h 22min 50sec
Rhum Multihulls: Jess 12 (Gilles Buekenhout) 4d 6h 34min 42sec

Flashback to the 1st edition 2016
A happy first!

The first edition of the DRHEAM-CUP was held from 13 to 21 August 2016. After a prologue won on Saturday 13 August by Lionel Lemonchois on his trimaran Prince de Bretagne, the main 400 Mile race between La Trinité-sur-Mer and Roscoff, via the Isles of Scilly and Wolf Rock, was particularly eventful. Indeed, the 40 crews, some double-handed, faced various conditions, with gale-force winds at Ushant forcing half of the fleet to retire.

The two largest boats, Prince de Bretagne and Actual, the latter helmed not by her usual skipper Yves Le Blevec, the Race Manager, but Sandrine Bertho, who put together an all-female crew, had to turn back. The path to victory opened up for the Multi50 Arkema, the winner of the first edition after 1 day 6 hours 4 minutes and 36 seconds at sea.

A victory of which Lalou Roucayrol, supported by Karine Fauconnier, Etienne Carra and Yannick Bestaven, would say once he set foot back on land: “I am really happy. There was between 25 and 30 knots of wind, it is quite difficult to get ahead in those conditions, but we enjoyed a great downwind run under gennaker from Wolf Rock, which was adequate compensation!”

Second over the line was the Imoca Le Souffle du Nord, Thomas Ruyant remembers: “This DRHEAM-CUP was part of my preparation for the Vendée Globe, it’s great to have a race like that at that point in the year, to prepare for the autumn. We also brought our partners onboard that year, that type of event over several days is ideal to share these moments.”

During the prize-giving ceremony in Roscoff, where the 19 boats that got over the line were marvellously welcomed in the midst of the Fête de l’Oignon, Jacques Civilise addressed his warm thanks to all the skippers who took part in the first DRHEAM-CUP, as well as all the crews “as the lack of crew is now one of the reasons for the lack of participants in many races”.

2016 rankings (40 entries)

The podium (all classes):

Arkema (Lalou Roucayrol)
Le Souffle du Nord (Thomas Ruyant)
Acapella Soreal (Charlie Capelle)

Winners by class
Multi50: Arkema (Lalou Roucayrol)
Multi 2000: Acapella Soreal (Charlie Capelle)
Class40: Colombre XL (Massimo Juris)
Mini 6.50: Raoul Pastèque (Romain Bolzinger)
IRC: Group 5 (Patrice Carpentier)
IRC 1: Team Vendée 192-Les Parrains (Benjamin Dutreux)
IRC 2: Fleur du Sud (Patrick Molitor)
IRC Double handed: Group 5 (Patrice Carpentier)