When he crossed the finish line in Lorient this Thursday at 19:38, after 5 days, 8 hours, 23 minutes and 11 seconds, Tanguy Caradec completed the podiums in the sixth edition of the DRHEAM-CUP/GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE 2026 (pending the jury’s decision). Indeed, the skipper of the Open 50 Eurvad won the Vintage Monohull class and, in doing so, secured his qualification for the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, following in the footsteps of his father Loïc, who tragically lost his life during the 1986 edition of the solo transatlantic race.
“A first win is always pleasant!” he remarked on arrival in La Base. Discovering solo sailing like this is really great. It was a fairly intense five days, even though I was rather cautious at times. What I’ll remember most of all is the great race and the superb course – it had everything: The start in Cherbourg, the English Channel, the Fastnet, the DRHEAM-CUP buoy in the thunderstorms, the very long stretch across the Bay of Biscay in light winds, and the return here to Lorient – I’m very happy. I enjoyed it, though I struggled a bit as well; I’m starting to get used to sailing solo. My favourite moment? Watching the sunset whilst eating my pasta on the deck at the back of the boat.”
The Vintage Monohull podium will be decided on Friday, with the youngest competitor in the race (aged 20), Titouan Pilliard (Use it Again for Youth), set to take second place, whilst the battle for third is likely to be fiercely contested right to the end between Gilles Colubi, on the Pogo 12.50 SNSM Guivinec, and Christophe Bachmann, on Jean-Luc Van den Heede’s former aluminium boat Adrien. Four Vintage Monohull boats are still at sea this Thursday evening, along with five Class40s and one IRC crewed yacht, the classic Faiaoahe.
