Transat Jacques Vabre: a place on the podium, showing great promise for the future

Seven months after its launch, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI successfully completed its first transatlantic race, coming in 3rd place in the Ultimate category.

Armel Le Cléac’h and Kevin Escoffier were able to demonstrate the Maxi trimaran’s full potential during this race and contribute to its ongoing development, boosting confidence in their racing yacht one year before the Route du Rhum. 

The Maxi Banque Populaire XI crossed the finish line after 16 days, 10 hours and 39 minutes at sea. On board, Armel Le Cléac’h and Kevin Escoffier covered 9,225.53 nautical miles on their yacht between Le Havre and Martinique. 
 
“Our primary objective was to reach Martinique,” said Armel. “And we managed to do this, in addition to winning a place on the podium… which is obviously a very positive result.” Both skippers emphasize how much they enjoyed the race: “I really had a great time for 16 days,” says Kevin. “We both got on extremely well together and the gliding sensations and sense of speed were fantastic.” The Atlantic crossing on this new racing yacht proved to be a particularly instructive experience: ”We had a variety of downwind and crosswind reaching conditions, and it was very interesting to learn about how the boat handles,” explains Kevin. 

Just seven months after her launch, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI has completed her first Atlantic crossing. And now it’s time to look forward to the next step. Armel sums it up perfectly: “This transatlantic race will provide us with good feedback before the next season.” The next challenge will be the Route du Rhum in November 2022 when he will be alone on board.