Transat Café L'Or: The breakwaters - Beucke with Lanièce on course for the Transat

Susann Beucke is back in the offshore business with an exciting new project. In addition to her studies in psychology, the 33-year-old from Kiel wants to take part in the Transat Café L'Or together with project founder Sasha Lanièce. The two women will compete in the Ultim, Ocean Fifty, Imoca and Class40 classes of the transatlantic race from Le Havre to Martinique as Team Les Déferlantes. In German: Die Wellenberecherinnen.

Transat Café L'Or: Les Déferlantes want to set an example

Sasha Lanièce and Sanni Beucke want to set another example for strong women in sailing with their all-female project. The Les Déferlantes racing team founded by Sasha Lanièce operates a Class40 and a Mini 6.50. The smaller boat is sailed by 21-year-old Karen Menuet with the aim of taking part in the Mini-Transat 2027.

With the larger Class40, French data analyst Sasha Lanièce and her German co-skipper Sanni Beucke are preparing for the Transat Café L'Or ahead. They have already started training together for this. According to Susann Beucke, the female sailors want to "make ocean sailing more female at all levels" with their commitment and Team Déferlantes.

The women are also sporty and ambitious. The boat matches this: Their Class40 is the former "Ibsa", which Alberto Bona and Pablo Santurde Del Arco sailed to third place on the Transat podium in 2023. "We would love to sail into the top ten," Susann Beucke told YACHT online. The former Olympic sailor switched to offshore sailing after the Games in Japan, learnt in the Figaro class for her promotion and competed in a leg of the Ocean Race 2023 with the Swiss team Holcim-PRB.

I am incredibly proud to be part of this pioneering project." Susann Beucke.

Team founder and former data scientist Sasha Lanièce has already mastered a solo Atlantic crossing. Commenting on the importance of the project and the partnership with Susann Beucke, the Frenchwoman says: "In Sanni, we have gained an experienced and passionate sailor who fits in perfectly with our vision. Together, we not only want to achieve sporting success, but also inspire more young women to take up sailing."

Home port Lorient: first training, then transat

Susann Beucke describes her comrade-in-arms as "very well organised" and "meticulous", saying: "I've been back in Lorient for two months. We've already sailed a bit together, spent a few nights out at sea on the boat. The project is mega cool, the boat is very good. We are very happy to have this opportunity."

Susann Beucke competes for the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein in Hamburg. She is currently living in Lorient in Brittany again, studying and working where the big offshore sailing racing teams have set up their headquarters in the famous La Base. Boris Herrmann's Malizia team is also based here.

At the 2021 Olympic Games, Susann Beucke won an Olympic silver medal in Enoshima together with helmswoman Tina Lutz. She then launched her sailing career with the slogan "This Race is Female". Beucke is actively committed to getting more women interested in sailing and maritime adventures. Together with Shasha Lanièce, Sanni Beucke will take part in her first test regatta at the end of May before starting her Transat première.

Transat Café L'Or: four classes, one race

The Transat Café L'Or starts on 26 October in Le Havre, France, and ends in Martinique. Many well-known Imoca teams will also be taking part, For example, Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris with Boris Herrmann's current "Malizia - Seaexplorer", which will then be called "11th Hour Racing".

A brief look at the challenge of the Transat Café L'Or: