Holcim-PRB arrived in Martinique after 14 days of delivery
20 novembre 2023
Skippers
At 8:00 AM (local time) this Monday morning, the IMOCA Holcim-PRB pointed its bow into the beautiful bay of Marin in Martinique, under a bright sun. The crew of the monohull, consisting of Nicolas Lunven, Rosalin Kuiper, Jean-Marc Failler, Hugo Feydit, and Julien Champolion (onboard reporter), took 14 days to reach the Caribbean from Concarneau in Brittany.
For this first transatlantic journey at the helm of Holcim-PRB, Nicolas Lunven's goal was to discover and take control of his new boat, as a first solo race is approaching in just a few days. Retour à La Base, the transatlantic return race between Martinique and Lorient, is indeed shaping up to be the first full-scale trial for the skipper, who will be competing for the first time against a fleet of rivals all aiming for the Vendée Globe, just like him. The departure will be given on November 30 from Fort-de-France: 'We have just arrived in Martinique after two weeks of delivery from Brittany. We are very happy with this first Atlantic crossing; we had good weather conditions and no issues with the boat. We were able to build confidence in Holcim-PRB, and it also allowed us to learn a lot in terms of maneuvers, mechanics, electronics, etc.,' explained Nicolas Lunven, smiling as he arrived at the dock.
For Rosalin Kuiper, this delivery also provided the opportunity to discover the monohull during a longer sailing trip. Despite challenging conditions during the first few days of the crossing, the Dutch sailor arrives in Martinique excited about the prospect of leading this monohull in the next edition of The Ocean Race Europe in 2025: 'The delivery went very well. It was the first time we sailed with this crew. We got to know the boat, which is incredible and very reassuring. The first days were quite tough, with complicated weather conditions and quite a bit of seasickness among the crew. After that, as soon as we hit the trade winds, it became very easy. At first, I had to adapt to this boat, especially to the cockpit, which is very low and quite different from the boats I’m used to sailing. Now, the first thing I’m going to do is take a real shower and have a proper meal! It was really hot the last few days on board. We had temperatures of up to 42-44°C inside the boat.'
The technical team, already on-site, will spend the next ten days preparing the boat to ensure it is at 100% of its potential for the start of Nicolas's first solo race aboard Holcim-PRB: 'We had a job list to complete during this delivery, and we managed to check off nearly all the items, which is a good sign. It’s a racing boat, so of course, we always have something to improve or check, but we didn't encounter any real problems or breakdowns, so all we have to do now is make some minor improvements. I’m really looking forward to competing against other boats for the first time.' Nicolas Lunven will start the Retour à la Base, a solo transatlantic return race, on November 30. This will be an opportunity for the sailor to compete against his rivals for the first time, most of whom have also just arrived in Martinique after crossing the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie - Le Havre.