Second in the Vendée Globe, Yoann Richomme sets out to defend his title in The Ocean Race Europe: “We’ll have to hold on for the long haul”

Second in the last Vendée Globe behind Charlie Dalin (Macif), Yoann Richomme, skipper of Paprec-Arkéa, is one of the favorites for The Ocean Race Europe, a crewed race with stopovers, whose opening leg to Portsmouth (England) starts Sunday in Kiel, Germany. Winner of the first edition of the event in 2021 (in VOR 65) at the helm of the Portuguese boat Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team, the sailor hopes to win mid-September in Boka Bay, Montenegro, and thus complete the double, this time at the helm of his Imoca.

"In what frame of mind are you approaching this second edition of The Ocean Race Europe? I think it's great to be able to explore other places. We know the French coast well, the four or five ports that regularly welcome us, but for me, sailing is also a way to discover other places, other cultures. Here, we'll be sailing on the Baltic, the English Channel, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and the finish will be judged in Montenegro. From a sporting perspective, it's interesting; there will be constant questioning and undoubtedly many twists and turns."

More than six months after your arrival in Les Sables d'Olonne, are you still feeling the effects of the Vendée Globe or is it far behind you today? I have fully recovered. As I already said, a month after the finish, I was back at work, I no longer had my Vendée in mind. Physically, it was a little different, it took three or four months to find the desire to do sport again. Afterwards, the Vendée always serves as a guiding principle in our choices, in our questions. I am very happy to have completed it, not to have suffered and to be able to look forward to the next one (2028) .

"In a crewed race with stopovers, it's not the number that counts, but the quality and it's there!"

Sailing with a crew, is that an exercise you enjoy? It's really nice to be with people you really want to sail with, like Corentin Horeau who will be my co-skipper in the Transat Café l'Or (October 26) . We get along really well, he puts a lot of energy into the project, he works hard. There's also Pascal Bidégorry who brings a technical touch that we've never had on board. It's challenging and it's not always pleasant because it shakes you up a bit when he says, "that's better with others," but that's what I expect from him. It takes me out of my comfort zone and ultimately, it brings improvements.

There are only seven boats at the start, isn't that a bit of a shame? The format means there will never be thirty boats. Logistically, I think that would be impossible. So yes, there could be ten or eleven of us, but seven isn't so bad. Especially since, in my eyes, in a crewed race with stopovers, it's not the number that counts, but the quality, and it's there! We'll have to hold on for the long haul. I defy anyone to give me a winner from six of the seven boats. I say six because I think Alan's boat (Roura) is less versatile.

Who do you fear the most? Holcim-PRB is a good boat and it is sailed by a solid crew (Rosalin Kuiper is supported by Franck Cammas and Nicolas Lunven) . Paul (Meilhat, Biotherm) is a super good racer who, like me, loves this format. His boat is light, he is well supported, he can find himself at the front. As for Malizia (Boris Herrmann) , I have more trouble knowing where they are but we can't put them aside. The same goes for the Canadian, we mustn't rule him out. And there is Ambrogio (Beccaria, Allagrande Mapei Racing) , who is new to Imoca at the helm of Thomas Ruyant's boat (ex-Vulnérable) .

Beccaria, an Italian skipper you've worked alongside in Class40 and who could, it seems, become a serious rival? I also sailed with Ambrogio on the final leg of the Ocean Race (a crewed round-the-world race with stopovers) aboard Holcim. I'm starting to see what he's capable of. He's extremely dynamic, very precise in his trimming, and a serious competitor.

Once in Montenegro, you'll have to leave fairly quickly to get to the start of the Transat Café L'Or in Le Havre (October 26). Quite a series of events? It's going to be challenging, we know. After the delivery, we've planned to do a little work in Lorient before heading to Le Havre on October 16. It's a great challenge. Knowing that upon returning from the Transat, there will also be the official handover of the boat to Corentin (Horeau), who is taking it over with MACSF.

And what about your future boat ? We have finalized our design and sent our hull mold into production (end of July) . The launch is planned for March 2027.