Leyton, 2nd into Roscoff, secures 2nd place on the Pro Sailing Tour 2022 podium

Leyton Sailing Team - Pro Sailing Tour © Lloyd Images / Pro Sailing Tour

An incredible finish! Just one point shy of Arkema prior to the start of the final episode of the Pro Sailing Tour 2022 between Cowes on the Isle of Wight and Roscoff in northern Brittany, the men on Leyton gave their absolute all to catch up with Quentin Vlamynck's men. Following a fantastic start, flying two hulls in the Solent on Wednesday evening, they pulled out all the stops hot on the heels of Arkema as they attempted to make up the ground in relation to their direct rival. Indeed, the team that took the win in Roscoff would also be the outright champion of the Pro Sailing Tour.

"It was 72 intense hours!" enthused Sam at the finish. "The start was magical. We couldn't have wished for better! We were first out of the Solent, but after a passage through a zone of calms, Arkema quickly moved ahead. We managed to overtake them on the climb to Brittany, but then they got past us again. It was complicated to keep pace with them!"

Very quickly, Koesio joined the top duo and the two crews slugged it out for 2nd place. Right to the wire, just metres from the finish line off the Port du Bloscon, the trimarans were neck and neck but it was Leyton who got the upper hand, just a boat length and 18 seconds in front of the boat helmed by Erwan Le Roux! Sam Goodchild, Aymeric Chappellier and Pierre Pennec finished 2nd after two days 15 hours 23 minutes and 14 seconds of racing. In so doing, Leyton's crew bagged second place in the Pro Sailing Tour 2022, handing its title to Arkema.

"The overall results for the season are pretty positive, even though there is still room for improvement! Our mixed team performs well, but we're more successful in certain conditions than others, especially when there's some breeze. The standard of the fleet has gone up a notch this season and it was important to power along to keep pace with the new boats," explains Sam. "We work very dynamically aboard the boat. Pierre is someone who gets the boat making headway fast the whole time. Aymeric is a very strong all-rounder, who excels at repairing the boat as well as doing the nav. I have a great entourage and we worked well together along with Devan Le Bihan and Laurane Mettraux, as well as Robin, Axel and Julia on the technical side."

Next week, Sunday 17 July, Leyton will take the start of the Drheam Cup in Cherbourg. It will be the second singlehanded race for Sam, who won the 1000 milles des Sables back in the spring. It will be important training prior to the Route du Rhum, Leyton's main objective this season.

Rankings:

Podium for the Final Rush prior to the jury

1. Arkema / 14 points
2. Leyton / 12 points
3. Koesio / 10 points

Podium for the Pro Sailing Tour 2022 prior to the jury

1. Arkema / 36 points
2. Leyton / 33 points
3. Koesio / 27 points