In Olympic years, it is rare that the title of “Sailor of the Year” escapes an Olympic sailor. With the 2024 Games in Paris, we said to ourselves that we would certainly be spoiled for choice. We were promised at least five medals, including at least three gold!
After the disappointing performance of the Blues in Marseille (two medals, a silver and a bronze), we had more embarrassment than choice. In the absence of a gold medal, the “Olympics” did not weigh very heavily against Charles Caudrelier, magnificent winner of the first solo Ultime world tour from Brest, the Arkéa Ultim Challenge, after 50 days 19h 7′ of racing.
Eleven votes to five
The skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, also winner of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe two years earlier, did not need a second round to beat the other nominees: victory 11 (including the two public votes) at 5 against the pair Sarah Steyaert – Charline Picon, Olympic bronze medalists in 49er FX. The “Olympic hat-trick” of Picon, gold and silver medalist in windsurfing RS: If the latter, a double Olympic medalist (silver in 1992 and bronze in 2000), admitted to being “a poor sailor”, he was able to appreciate all the difficulty of sailing a maxi-trimaran offshore having carried out, in 2017, a delivery on Thomas Coville’s Ultimate between Salvador de Bahia and La Bretagne.
Received five out of six
Member of the jury, the Breton Morgane Suquart, naval architect and designer of a trimaran of another kind – it was she who piloted the incredible mechanical horse on the Seine for the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics -, also appreciated the performance of Charles Caudrelier around the world at the helm of Gitana 17, the reference Verdier design in the Ultime class.
Remember that at the start of the Arkéa Ultim Challenge Brest, a race organized by OC Sport Pen Duick, a subsidiary of the Télégramme Group, there were six adventurers on the starting line on January 7, 2024. And five at the finish. An XXL performance for a world tour that was no less so.
The 2024 winners
Sailor of the Year: Charles Caudrelier (winner of the Arkéa Ultim Challenge Brest)
Female hope: Lou Berthomieu (5th of the Paris Games in Nacra 17)
Male hope: Julien Brunel (young world vice-champion in 470 with Lomane Valade + youth match-racing vice-world champion)
Coach of the Year: Françoise Le Courtois (49er coach)
The other nominees
– Mathis Ghio (European and world wingfoil champion)
– Charlie Dalin (winner of the New York – Vendée and 1st in the Imoca ranking)
– Yoann Richomme (winner of The Transat CIC)
– Erwan Fischer – Clément Pequin (49er world champions)
– Lauriane Nolot (world and European champion; silver medal at the Olympics in Kitefoil)
– Pierre Mortefon (double windsurfing and windfoil world champion)
– Sarah Steyaert – Charline Picon (Paris Olympic bronze medal in 49er FX)
– Pauline Courtois crew (match-racing world champions)
Morocco
