After having initially chosen to withdraw from The Ocean Race, a race around the world with stopovers and with a crew, Kevin Escoffier has completely withdrawn from the project following in particular two disciplinary procedures initiated by the French federation of veil against it. Target of a judicial inquiry for events that occurred in May in the United States during the stopover in Newport of The Ocean Race, the Malouin is accused of “inappropriate behavior towards women”. If the sailor benefits from the presumption of innocence, it is difficult to see the sponsor keeping him in his team when an investigation was opened in early July by the Paris prosecutor’s office. The story ends there.
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2. Will the sponsor continue in sailing?
That’s the big question. Holcim, a Swiss company specializing in cement, concrete and aggregates, which bought the Vendée group PRB in May 2022, will it continue to send back canvas when its image is tarnished by this affair?
Not sure that the Swiss leaders have as much sailing fiber as did Jean-Jacques Laurent, boss of PRB who participated in all editions of the Vendée Globe, except the first. According to our information, a decision will be made before mid-September for the Holcim Group.
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3. Can another skipper take over?
The Ocean Race finished in second place, the Imoca Holcim-PRB returned to Brittany: Vincent Riou, former PRB skipper, winner of the Vendée Globe in 2004-2005, went to pick her up in Lorient to keep her warm in his yard in Port-la-Foret. If he has kept strong ties with his former partner PRB, the 51-year-old Loctudist will not be Escoffier’s replacement. Vincent Riou is currently building a Class40, based on Guillaume Verdier plans, and he should announce the name of his new partner at the end of the year.
Another name is circulating with insistence, that of Vannetais Nicolas Lunven, who has just completed The Ocean Race in 3rd place with the German Boris Herrmann: twice winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, Lunven has already completed two crewed round the world races in its wake: it is talented, efficient, discreet. In short, he has the ideal profile to take the helm of Holcim-PRB, especially as he has already opened his counter of qualifying miles for the Vendée Globe.
The Imoca was ferried to Port-la-Forêt. -
4. What about the Vendée Globe 2024?
If Holcim-PRB decides to continue its commitment to sailing, the Vendée Globe 2024 should logically be on the calendar of the team and its new skipper. In this case, it will be necessary to qualify the new skipper on the Imoca Holcim-PRB, which obliges him to compete not in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023, disputed in double, but Le Retour à La Base, alone between La Martinique and Lorient, last qualifying race in 2023.
Indeed, to qualify for the Vendée Globe 2024, it is absolutely necessary that the skipper do, on the boat with which he will leave around the world, a solo qualification race in 2022 or 2023 and another qualification race in 2024. , either the Transat CIC between Lorient and New York or the New York – Vendée next year.
With Kevin Escoffier, the qualification was almost certain since the boat was one of the first 13 new Imoca and the Malouin had finished 3rd in the Route du Rhum 2022. Remember that there will be 40 solo sailors (39 qualified + 1 guest) at the start of the Vendée Globe on November 10, 2024 in Les Sables d’Olonne.
