François Gabart is one of France's best-known solo sailors and is world-renowned for his virtuoso skills on the high seas. With his record-breaking victory in the Vendée Globe 2012/13, the man who celebrates his 37th birthday on 23 March once catapulted himself to the top of the leading group of France's offshore heroes. As the youngest winner in the history of the toughest competition for solo sailors at the time, Gabart was hailed as the talent of the century. The man from Saint-Michel then went on to achieve further great deeds. His most successful summit attempt to date came on 17 December 2017, when he set a new solo world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe on "Macif", completing the course around the world to and from Brest in just 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds. Gabart sailed from success to success, from feat to feat, most recently in the Ultime class with the now long-sailing and flying "Macif". He competed in the new Brest Atlantiques with her last autumn, but suffered a collision with a "UFO" and material failure in the double-handed race with Gwenolé Gahinet and struggled to the finish.
Gabart has now pulled the ripcord for the upcoming Transat CIC, leaving the "Macif" helm to his colleague Pascal Bidégorry, saying: "It is an extraordinary privilege, an absolute pleasure to sail in the Ultime class. But it requires a high level of alertness, concentration and commitment. For us, season follows season and fatigue grows. I have a lot of respect for this race and my competitors, a lot of love for this boat and a lot of responsibility towards my partners and my team. My body and mind are not able to go into this race with the full, unlimited commitment that I usually bring to it. I think it's wise and sensible to give up for now and come back in a few months." On the choice of Bidégorry as a replacement, Gabart said: "The story began with a victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Pascal Bidégorry. I am happy that Pascal is here to close the circle. I know he will be a match for this great boat. And I will be there to support him during training over the next few weeks."
The Transat CIC, whose roots go back to 1960 and Francis Chichester's first victory on "Gipsy Moth II", will take participants in the Class 40, Imoca, Multi50 and Ultime divisions from Brest across the Atlantic to Charleston in the USA from 10 May. The fastest boats are expected to arrive in the harbour after just over a week. In June, the New York-Vendée race returns to Les Sables d'Olonne. The Vendée Globe aspirants use it as the last big and good preparatory regatta.
Boris Herrmann is no exception. He will be at the start with the "Malizia", which will then be equipped with new foils and a revised bow section. The 38-year-old soloist said of François Gabart's withdrawal: "I think he explained it well himself. He broke a lot of things in the last race and I think that was really hard. It's the same for all of us: We're on fire. You just have to be careful that you don't burn out before 65." Gabart's retirement also brings back memories of Ellen MacArthur's radical exit. Britain's sailing icon once held the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation for three years and celebrated one of her greatest successes in 2001 with second place in the Vendée Globe. She ended her sailing career abruptly in 2009 at the age of just 33 and has since campaigned internationally for the energy-saving circular economy with her foundation.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
