Goulven Marie, at the start of the Transat CIC

Goulven Marie, member of the Lagoped Family has the honor of participating with the class 40 Qwanza in The Transat CIC, departing from Lorient on April 28 .

We explain to you what the Transat CIC is through a pre-race interview.

The Transat CIC is run solo between Lorient and New York, and is one of the historic transatlantic races. The departure is given on Sunday April 28.

The Transat CIC, formerly known as OSTAR and La Transat Anglaise, is a true institution in the world of ocean racing. Since 1960, she has written the history of transatlantic sailing, linking Lorient to New York across the North Atlantic . This event takes place solo, requiring sailors to sail far north to face the Atlantic depressions, thus honoring its reputation as one of the most difficult races. For this edition, around fifteen Class40s, representing the elite of the series, are at the start. Some skippers come to seek their qualification for the Vendée Globe, in the Imoca category, 18m boats, designed for circumnavigations . The course is simple and pure: a starting line in Lorient and a finishing line in New York. However, mariners must remain vigilant and avoid the cetacean zone to prevent collisions with marine animals .

Organized every four years, this race is the oldest of its kind and has contributed to the fame of great sailors like Éric Tabarly. She is often referred to as the "mother of all other" deckchairs . For this edition, it is the first time that the Class40 Qwanza, led by Goulven Marie, has taken the start of this prestigious race. Departure is scheduled for April 28, marking the start of an epic new adventure on the high seas.

At the end of March, Goulven Marie embarked on qualifying for the Transat CIC in the Mediterranean, a crucial step in preparing for the prestigious transatlantic race. From the first night, a powerful east wind propelled his Class40 offshore, pushing it to the Spanish coast. However, he must be vigilant to avoid a storm forming in front of Marseille. Unfortunately, mechanical problems arose, forcing Goulven to stop at Mataró, near Barcelona, ​​to carry out the necessary repairs. After this forced break, he returned to sea and passed through Ibiza after the third day at sea. The Alicante region gave him a stubborn headwind, forcing him to make a stop in the Denia marina.

The Mediterranean, with its vagaries, then offers a solid southwest wind, much stronger than expected, followed by an almost insignificant northeast breeze, illustrating the contrasts of this capricious sea. The last days of qualification were marked by a lack of wind, giving Goulven the opportunity to tinker to adjust the precision of the “wind” data. Finally, he completed his solo qualification by reaching Cascais, thus marking the end of his Mediterranean journey and the start of his final preparation for the Transat CIC .