Nicolas Lunven crossed the finish line of the Transat CIC on Wednesday, May 8, at 4:25 PM local time (10:25 PM French time), but it was not until 12 hours later that the IMOCA Holcim-PRB arrived in front of the Statue of Liberty. The finish line was indeed wet offshore, over 100 miles away from Manhattan.

Accompanied by his technical team, Nicolas Lunven was able to dock his boat at one of New York's marinas, Moonbeam Marina in Brooklyn: "It's quite a unique feeling to sail in New York Harbor, surrounded by these iconic monuments and welcomed by many sailing enthusiasts. I'm relieved to arrive because this transatlantic crossing was very difficult in several ways. In the first few days, I held my place in the leading pack and felt very confident with the boat. But after the breakage of the bowsprit on the 5th day of the race, the dynamic changed. Of course, as a competitor, I want to compete at the highest level. But sailing is a mechanical sport, and we know that this kind of damage can occur. After ensuring the safety of the boat, I quickly got back into the race and pushed until the very last minute," the skipper explained upon his arrival at the dock. Despite these damages, Nicolas showed great resilience by bringing Holcim-PRB to New York under racing conditions.

But this transatlantic crossing was anything but a solo challenge. The technical team, which had arrived a few days earlier, had prepared everything for Nicolas's arrival. Rosalin Kuiper, skipper of Holcim-PRB, was also there to welcome him: "I’m thrilled to see our boat and Nico here in New York. He did an amazing job considering the damage that occurred. Personally, I find it even more stressful to follow the race via a tracker than to be on the boat myself. When you’re at sea and something happens, you can manage the situation directly. Watching things unfold from the shore is more stressful."

Now, a new challenge awaits the technical team, which must repair the boat for the next race in a very short timeframe. Nicolas is confident: "As soon as we learned that the bowsprit was broken, the technical team started working to set up everything needed in New York so that we could begin the repair as soon as I arrived. We have about 10 days of work on the bowsprit. It's going to require a lot of commitment from the team in the coming days. But I have no doubt that the boat will be 100% ready for the next race, starting on May 29, which will take us to Les Sables d’Olonne.