Arriving at the finish in a tropical deluge off Fort-de-France in Martinique in the French Caribbean, Beyou and Lagravière had covered a total of 5,467.42 nautical miles since leaving Le Havre on October 26, at a remarkable average speed of 19.25 knots.
For five-time Vendée Globe competitor Beyou, 49, this was a hugely welcome return to the top step of the podium, something that has eluded him in recent years. For Lagravière the win completes a hat-trick in this event, having won both previous editions of this race in 2021 and 2023.
The black and red Sam Manuard-designed Charal was fast from the off and was always in the mix in the early stages against rivals MACIF Santé Prévoyance, Allagrande MAPEI and 11th Hour Racing.
Beyou and Lagravière took the lead off Cape Finisterre but then lost it at Madeira as the fleet compressed in light airs. However, Charal was back in control once the leaders reached the Northeast Trades and she was untouchable downwind from then to the finish.
Beyou and Lagravière were able to maintain a Trade Wind pace that neither 11th Hour Racing, which finished second, nor MACIF Santé Prévoyance, which was third, could match.
Both men were exhausted but utterly delighted after their transatlantic sprint. Beyou, who is also a three-time Figaro champion, said all the elements came together to produce an immaculate performance. “Everything was there, right up to this little rain shower that’s cooling me down now,” he joked. “We really sweated through this Transat Café L’OR. We gave absolutely everything to get this result. And the gap was so tight all the way to the last night – we really wanted to keep pushing hard. It’s been an incredible ride from start to finish with Morgan. So a big thank-you to him.”
Lagravière was asked about having now won this classic race three times in a row. “Each time, it’s a different story, a different adventure,” he said. “I’m not sure there’s much to compare between each edition, other than the fact that we’re sailing boats. The course always has its particularities and the pairing does too.
“This was the first time sailing with Jérémie, the beginning of a new story,” he added. “So it’s great to experience that together and to bring this to the team, which has been waiting for a win in one of the big classics for a long time.”
Beyou has been in the top-five of the IMOCA Globe Series Championship every year since 2021. He said he never doubted that he would win again, having not done so since the Défi Azimut 48 Hours in 2023 and the same event in 2020, when he also won the Vendée Arctique.
“I knew (winning) would come back,” he said. “But for it to happen, everything has to align… the boat has to have progressed, you need the right co-skipper, perfect preparation, zero mistakes. And this time, it all came together. I never lost hope. I knew I had it in me, the team had it in them, and Charal never gave up. It paid off and this one is truly special.”
Just under six hours after Charal finished, Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris took the runner’s-up spot on 11th Hour Racing, setting several records as they did so. Clapcich and Harris are the first non-French duo to make the podium in this event since 2011 and Clapcich, 37, is the first woman to make the podium since Ellen MacArthur in 2005.
This pairing also sailed a remarkable race in a boat that is thought not to have the pace in light airs, to match its newer rivals. Like all the crews in the 18-strong IMOCA fleet, they survived a rough exit of the English Channel and then took the lead for a while on the way to the Canaries. During the long Trade Wind run, they were in a constant battle with Sam Goodchild and Loïs Berrehar on MACIF Santé Prévoyance, finally overtaking them a day before the finish.
Harris, for whom this is one of his best results in a flourishing career in the IMOCA Class, said the duo made a great tactical choice approaching the Canaries that gave them the lead and from then on they backed their instincts and sailed a confident race.
“After that we just sort of kept trusting ourselves, kept doing what we thought was right and it just worked out,” he said. He paid tribute to Beyou and Lagravière, saying their performance was on another level: “They were just super-fast – they’ve discovered a whole new IMOCA Class there with their boat at the moment.”
For Clapcich this race has proved a superb way to start her campaign in this boat all the way to the next Vendée Globe. She said Harris was one of the best sailors she had ever sailed with – and in every category, from performance, to boat maintenance, navigation and strategy. And she talked about the big effort they both made to share their adventure with fans around the world.
“I think we did a pretty good job wanting to tell stories for people that are at home and following us and supporting us,” she said. “It’s also a really important part of why I’m sailing, and it’s really sharing with a lot of our friends and families what we’re doing on board.”
These two had a great time on the water together and that seems to have been a key part of their success. “We’ve come here with a great result – way ahead of what we expected,” said Harris. “And we did that with so much fun at the same time. And I think that’s what Frankie really brings to it, making sure that we’re really enjoying everything we’re doing as we’re going around.”
Almost two hours after 11th Hour Racing, it was the turn of Goodchild and Berrehar on MACIF Santé Prévoyance to cross the line. Goodchild in particular, was making an effort to look on the bright side, clearly not happy after a stellar season on this boat to be on the third step of the podium.
“I’ll admit, two days ago I was a bit disappointed,” he said. “Then I thought, it’s still an incredible achievement to finish third…unfortunately we set the bar high before leaving, so that’s why there’s a bit of disappointment. But the two teams ahead of us are very strong, really impressive.”
Goodchild also paid his due to Beyou, Lagravière and the Charal team: “Morgan and Jérémie did an amazing job. Jérémie had one clear goal this year – to win this race. They put a lot of effort and time into it. They built a sail configuration specifically for the Trade Winds and optimised the boat for those conditions. They took a risk and it paid off – so hats off to them.”
Berrehar, who is awaiting his own new IMOCA, said he had thoroughly enjoyed racing with Goodchild. “It’s funny to say, but soon enough we’ll actually be competitors,” he said. “So this was a chance to really enjoy the moment. I was lucky to do this race on this beautiful boat, with a great team and with this great guy.”
He said he was amazed at the speed of the boat. “The pace on these boats – the averages – it’s insane,” he said. “This was my first transatlantic race on such high-performance boats. I learned how demanding it is, but also how fantastic it is. The speeds we were holding – I couldn’t believe the numbers. It’s not always easy physically, but in terms of performance, it’s exhilarating.”
