From May 12 to 31, 2021, the 15th edition of the Concarneau – Saint-Barthélemy Transat en Double took place. Alexis Loison, professional skipper from Normandy, gives his feelings on this race.
On May 31 at 2:51 am and after 18 days 07 hours 34 minutes and 16 seconds at sea, the Norman duo (Alexis Loison and Guillaume Pirouelle) crossed the finish line of the race in 5th position.
« We weren’t far from being on the podium, but finally Team Bretagne managed to get back upwind of us, confided Alexis Loison. At the end, it was also very close with Breizh Cola, but we managed to take the lead. We really didn’t have any moments of respite but we didn’t give up and we’re doing really well. We are happy with our performance, a top 5 is great! »
First throughout the first half of the race, our Norman duo decided, after the passage of the Canaries, to go North which made them fall in the ranking. Alexis and Guillaume then decided to put aside this decision and yet they had the right one….
« We were the first to go on this route to the North, only to drop it a little and that was our biggest mistake. What I remember is that we made few mistakes and we were always in the game from the first miles. We always played up front and almost all of our shots went in. We really set the pace on the first stretch to La Palma. I am very proud of that, even if I regret not having pushed our northern option enough. We should have put the blinker on at the next street! »
The skippers were able to count on each other throughout the race and also on their faithful steed, the Figaro Bénéteau 3, which completed its first transatlantic race.
« I must say I am pleasantly surprised to see that all the boats finished the race, which was not a given before leaving, especially given the conditions that were forecast. Of course, there are still things to improve, especially in terms of watertightness, but I’m sure that the debriefing of the race will be interesting. As far as we’re concerned, on board Région Normandie, we didn’t take out the toolbox once during the whole transatlantic race, and I’m quite proud of that. With Guillaume, we worked a lot on the boat in the months before the start. We finished with a machine in good condition, but also with impeccable sails. »
On board their solid ship and after a few days of rest, Alexis and Guillaume set sail for the 13th edition of the Tour de Bretagne à la Voile which took place from July 3 to 11, 2021. The duo finished in 5th position in the general ranking.
