Route du Rhum: Horeau wins in Imoca and Bourgnon in Ocean Fifty, separated by only two minutes

An endless wait in the bay of Pointe-à-Pitre and a double fireworks display. The wind had desperately disappeared during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday for the sailors approaching the finish line. A little after one in the morning, it was not one winner but two who almost completed their transatlantic at the same time, separated by two miserable minutes under the eyes of Tom Laperche who was leaving a party organized by SVR Lazartigue to celebrate his victory in Ultim.

It was Basile Bourgnon (Edenred) who was the first to complete his journey in the Ocean Fifty category, those of small 15 meter trimarans. A resounding victory for the son of the legend of the seas, Laurent Bourgnon, double winner of the event (1994 and 1998). This success comes 28 years after the second triumph of his father who died in 2015. Bourgnon, big favorite in his class from Saint-Malo, took 9 days 17 hours 12 minutes and 9 seconds on his very fickle boat to reach Guadeloupe.

Bourgnon, 24, crashed the start of the race launched in Saint-Malo but the loss of a sail allowed his opponents to pounce on him. In the finale, the leader broke down nervously in front of the camera in his cockpit. “It’s hard here. I'm hanging on, I'm hanging on, but the last few days... phew, not easy! And it will be until the end,” he said when seeing Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en Peloton) and Pierre Quiroga (Wewise) return. The two hunters were ultimately unable to close the gap with the colossus Bourgnon (1.95 m) who will be a serious contender at the helm of an Ultim in the future.

“I really came to look for this victory to accomplish and satisfy everyone around me. It’s a race that means a lot to us and the family. And what a wonderful tribute for my father who is up there to win it,” explained the winner, moved, looking towards the stars. “He was on that pontoon too. I thought of him the whole crossing and I think he gave me a couple of helping hands. »

Then, a few dozen seconds later, it was the turn of Corentin Horeau (MACSF) to take victory in the Imoca category, that of Vendée Globe monohulls. The Morbihannais, brilliant winner of the Solitaire du Figaro in 2023, raised his arms just two minutes after Basile Bourgnon, a sailor to whom he is extremely close. It was 6:14 a.m. Paris time. Two years before the start of the next solo, non-stop round the world trip, Horeau strikes a major blow and establishes himself as one of the favorites for the Everest of the seas.

Horeau had to wait to take the lead in the Imoca category. His takeover took place in the north-east of the Azores while Sam Goodchild (Macif), so impressive since the cannon fired in Saint-Malo, was weakening, like Ambrogio Beccaria (Allangrade Mapei). Once in the lead, Horeau only increased his lead over the competition relegated to more than 260 miles behind. A chasm which illustrates the masterstroke of this 37-year-old sailor who shattered the old record by more than 48 hours.