Thomas Ruyant Pierre Bouras
The skipper twice winner of the Route du Rhum Thomas Ruyant presented this Thursday afternoon his new boat “For People” in Lorient.
Navigator Thomas Ruyant launched his new boat this Thursday in Lorient.For People», a latest generation 18-meter monohull, with which he hopes to win the Vendée Globe 2024/2025. “We have two years of preparation ahead of us before the end of the Vendée Globe. Two years to learn, two years of discovery. I am very happy to launch a new sailing campaign with this new boat», underlined the one who finished 6th in the 2020/2021 edition of the legendary race around the world solo and non-stop.
At the helm of his previous sailboat “LinkedOut», entrusted to the British sailor Sam Goodchild for the next Vendée Globe, the skipper won the famous Route du Rhum in the Imoca category last November, after an anthology duel against Charlie Dalin (Macif). “We had an incredible boat with LinkedOut but we are going to look even further technically and sportingly with this one.“, estimated the Northerner.
Thomas Ruyant developed this boat for a year and a half with his TR Racing team, the Finot-Conq firm and the sailor architect Antoine Koch. “We are launching a boat that is raising a lot of hope, because of its many upgrades. It naturally contains a large part of risk taking. The research axiom at the start was to offer Thomas high average speeds over time“said Antoine Koch.
Watch the videoThomas Ruyant, winner of the Route du Rhum: “I assume my status as the favorite of the Vendée Globe”
First test in 15 days
The new craft, mostly blue and white, has a closed cockpit and a fairly thin hull.for less streakson the water, noted Koch. After a battery of tests, Ruyant should be able to sail in a fortnight and prepare for its many sporting events of the year, the Rolex Fastnet (departure July 22 from Cowes) and the Transat Jacques Vabre (departure July 29 November from Le Havre), with the main objective of the Vendée Globe 2024/2025.
«What we did in Pointe-à-Pitre (the arrival of the Route du Rhum, editor’s note), we want to do it again in Les Sables-d’Olonne“Launched Ruyant, to the applause of dozens of people gathered in the port of Lorient to watch the launch of the boat.
