Lalou Roucayrol to compete in Dhream Cup - Destination Cotentin
by Arkema 7 Jul 2018 13:01 BST
Multi50 Arkema © Vincent Olivaud / Team Arkema Lalou Multi
This is the next milestone for Lalou Roucayrol and his team. On 23 July the Aquitaine-born skipper will set off solo from La Trinité-sur-Mer for the Dhream Cup - Destination Cotentin on the Multi 50 Arkema.
On the agenda: a 736 mile race to Cherbourg via the famous Fastnet Rock. Three and a half months away from the Route du Rhum, the Dhream Cup will represent a highly informative full-scale test. As he explains, over and above the sporting achievement, Lalou Roucayrol, the title-holder for this race, wants above all to get in tune with his boat, now "configured" for the Route du Rhum.
What is your state of mind as you embark on the Dhream Cup?
"Above all I see this event as training for the Route du Rhum which is this season's goal. I've been training specifically for solo sailing since mid-May, and I intend to use the Dhream Cup as an opportunity to see whether I feel fully confident in the Multi 50 Arkema in its Route du Rhum version. I also want to validate the boat's new features, in particular the automatic pilot. Of course, the result of the race does matter, but it's not my main objective."
In the face of competitors who will also take part in the Route du Rhum, will competing be an issue at this Dhream Cup?
"Naturally, when you race, it's in your DNA, so I'm not going to put three reefs in the mainsail at the start. If it's possible to play the game, I'll do so. In any case the Dhream Cup is a great testing ground to measure up and rate yourself against the competition. Training solo in your corner and competing in a race are not the same thing. It's a completely different relationship. But once again, I'm not putting any pressure on myself in terms of result, especially as I've already validated my qualification for the Route du Rhum when I completed the Transat in 2016 (in a Plymouth to Newport race, editor's note)."
What is the route of this Dhream Cup?
"We will be sailing from La Trinité-sur-Mer and head for the Fastnet Rock. At this time of year, we can look forward to fine conditions for the start of the race. Then we will head for the southern coast of England before crossing the Channel to reach Cherbourg. We'll have to remain very alert throughout the race as we'll be sailing in busy shipping zones. I won't be taking any risk; it would be so foolish for the boat to sustain damage a few months away from the Route du Rhum. Another very interesting point is that Karine Fauconnier and Éric Mas, my routers, will already be supporting me in the Dhream Cup. So we'll all be getting our bearings."
Raphaël Lutard on the Mini 6.50 Arkema 3
The day before the start of the Drheam Cup, the young skipper Raphaël Lutard will be setting off on board the Mini 6.50 Arkema 3 in the Les Sables - Les Açores - Les Sables, a solo race of 1,270 nautical miles (2,352 km) each way between France and the Portuguese archipelago. On the strength of his three participations in the pre-season events as well as a qualifying course for this event, Raphaël is fit and ready for his first solo encounter with the open sea.
"The season is going well! Although the results of my first races were not those I was hoping for, I'm happy with the way I sail. I love being on my boat on my own, and this feeling of freedom. I enjoyed my qualification in particular: 8 days of offshore sailing, it was a major first! I'd never gone up as far North, never sailed across the Channel or sailed along the Irish coast! It was unbelievable! I'm still learning, and with Team Lalou, we keep on improving the Mini Arkema 3. For me to take part in Les Sables - Les Acores - Les Sables fits into this approach: learning ever more about the boat and continuing to fine-tune some of the systems."