Loïs Berrehar and Charlotte Yven reunited for Banque Populaire Grand Ouest Trophy
by Voile Banque Populaire 16 Apr 10:27 BST
Loïs Berrehar and Charlotte Yven ahead of the Banque Populaire Grand Ouest Trophy © Gauthier Lebec | BPCE
With the Solitaire du Figaro just under a month away, Loïs Berrehar will have one last opportunity to fine-tune his preparation. Starting Thursday, he will compete in the Banque Populaire Grand Ouest Trophy, an 800-mile race from Concarneau around the islands of the Ponant archipelago. He will set sail with Charlotte Yven, the current French Elite Offshore Racing Champion, with whom he has already achieved success in the past. This will be a chance to hone his skills and aim for another Figaro victory.
"Motivated? Of course I'm always motivated!" Loïs Berrehar possesses an enthusiasm that withstands everything. It's a mindset he displays at the start of this week before tackling the Banque Populaire Grand Ouest Trophy. For this final race before the Solitaire du Figaro, the thirty-something will be reunited with Charlotte Yven. Last year's French Elite Offshore Racing Champion, the young woman has five seasons in the Figaro class and numerous successes to her name. Notably, she won the Transat Paprec in 2023 with none other than... Loïs Berrehar.
"I'm thrilled to share this adventure with her," smiled the Banque Populaire skipper. " We've known each other for a while, we won this transatlantic race, we had that success in the Transat Paprec, achieved several podium finishes together... And she has a truly impressive level of expertise in the Figaro class!"
Charlotte didn't hesitate to take on this new challenge: "It's always a pleasure to sail with Loïs. I accepted immediately!" Both skippers being fierce competitors, they are naturally approaching the race with the determination to do everything they can to win.
"What's great about sailing double-handed is that you can push everything a little harder," explains Loïs. "That goes for sail trim, manoeuvrers, navigating currents... With two people, you can maintain the same intensity." The skipper has identified what he wants to work on, "lots of little things" including electronic settings, sails, and rigging.
"There are the technical aspects, but also the strategy that I need to integrate into my routine." Charlotte adds, "We'll continue to support each other; it's always the details that we can work on to optimise what can be optimised."
Team Banque Populaire Director Erwan Steff is delighted with the partnership between Loïs and Charlotte. "Beyond the pleasure of seeing them teamed up again, I'm sure she has a lot of advice to give Loïs." Erwan emphasises the importance, within the team, of "always striving to work hard and surround themselves with the best in order to progress."
"It's great that they're teaming up again," adds Sébastien Josse, sports director. "They have a shared history, a strong bond, which is ideal for being ambitious when competing in a race with such high competition."
They'll need to hold on tight, as the challenge ahead looks daunting. While the start and finish are in Concarneau, the course is tricky, with 800 miles between the islands of the Ponant archipelago, from Île d'Aix in the south to the Chausey archipelago in the north. "It's a very technical route with a predominantly coastal course," explains Loïs.
"With the currents, the islands, the rocks, the effects of the wind, there are many factors to consider and therefore many opportunities to make a move," adds Charlotte. "Until the very end, nothing is decided; it's incredibly exciting."
"You can tell Loïs is eager to compete in the Banque Populaire Grand Ouest Trophy to continue implementing the plan he set for himself leading up to the Solitaire du Figaro," recalls Erwan Steff.
"He has already shown he can be at the forefront; now it's up to him to confirm that and regain his confidence by being in contention again," continues Sébastien Josse.
Loïs Berrehar knows the path to victory: he won it in 2022 with Erwan Le Draoulec. "Naturally, there's a strong desire to do well, especially since there's the added motivation of competing in the Banque Populaire Grand Ouest Trophy under the Banque Populaire banner." In any case, the sailor is well aware that this is a "dress rehearsal" before his "other priority": the Solitaire du Figaro, which starts on May 17th in Perros-Guirec. But that won't stop him from giving it his all to aim for another prestigious Figaro victory.
Key dates for the Banque Populaire Grand Ouest Trophy:
- Village opening: Wednesday, April 15
- Race start: Saturday, April 18th at 3:00 PM
- Expected arrival: Thursday, April 23
- Racing: Friday 24 (Grand Prix Région Bretagne) and Saturday 25 April (Grand Prix Banque Populaire Grand Ouest)