The Défi Azimut 48 Hours: Dalin showcases his speed across all sailing angles
by Ed Gorman / IMOCA Globe Series 16 Sep 02:03 PDT
The Défi Azimut 48 Hours © Vincent Curutchet / De´fi Azimut
The last competition before the 2024 Vendée Globe, this year’s Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération 48 Hours solo race, which wrapped up yesterday, served as an excellent final practice for the 19 IMOCAs participating.
The 455-nautical mile course in the Bay of Biscay featured a mix of conditions—strong downwind and reaching as well as diverse upwind situations—creating a challenging environment where skippers had little chance for rest, continuously executing maneuvers.
For the third time in his career, French skipper Charlie Dalin on MACIF Santé Prévoyance emerged as the convincing winner, followed by Britain’s Sam Goodchild on Vulnerable in second place and France’s Jérémie Beyou on Charal in third.
The top ten finishers completed the race in just over three and a half hours, with Nico Lunven on Holcim-PRB taking fourth, Sam Davies in fifth on Initiatives-Coeur, and Yoann Richomme in sixth on Paprec Arkéa. Despite foilers filling the top twelve spots, the best daggerboard boat was Violette Dorange’s Devenir in 13th place, narrowly ahead of Louis Duc’s Fives Group-Lantana Environnement.
All but one of the 19 entries completed the race, with Romain Attanasio of France retiring from Fortinet-Best Western due to dismasting during power-reaching on Leg 2. With less than two months until the Vendée Globe, Attanasio’s team is fully dedicated to finding a replacement mast and reportedly has several options available.
For Dalin, who recently won the New York Vendée-Les Sables d’Olonne transatlantic race, this latest performance adds strong affirmation to the efforts he and his team have made in preparing for his second Vendée Globe, aiming to improve on his last second-place finish based on corrected time.
The 40-year-old skipper, hailing from Le Havre, was relentless in seizing the lead while heading upwind on Leg 3. His Guillaume Verdier-designed foiler excelled in the windward conditions, allowing him to maintain a significant lead of nearly 10 miles over Goodchild by the finish.
“This is the final race before the Vendée Globe, so adding another victory feels great, especially after winning in New York,” Dalin remarked at the La Base marina in Lorient. “However, we still have work to do. There are many elements to fine-tune before we are fully prepared.”
When asked about his boat’s adaptability—excelling in both downwind and upwind sailing—his response highlighted his belief that a strong Vendée Globe performance necessitates versatility. “The Vendée Globe isn’t solely about downwind sailing,” he stated, “it also includes upwind and reaching. We faced all these conditions during the last race, so having a boat that can adjust to various situations is crucial.”
“The versatility of my previous boat (Apivia) was an advantage,” he continued, “but this one is even better. It’s fast in all sailing conditions—upwind, downwind, reaching—and it’s also more comfortable, although we’re still a long way from luxury onboard!”
For Goodchild, this 48-hour sprint marked an ideal return to racing after experiencing a dismasting in the New York Vendée-Les Sables race. The Briton, who clinched the IMOCA Globe Series title last year with a series of top three finishes in his first season with the class, was thrilled to secure his first second-place finish.
“Another podium finish is fantastic,” he noted, “especially following my previous dismasting. But this time landing on the podium is brilliant, and achieving better than third is truly satisfying.”
Goodchild continues to prove that even though his boat (formerly known as LinkedOut) is older than the latest designs in the fleet—particularly compared to Dalin’s advanced vessel—he remains a strong contender for a spot on the victory podium in the Vendée Globe. “Yes, the boat isn’t new anymore,” he acknowledged, “but I will give my all and sail cleanly. So far, everything is going well, and my focus remains on the Vendée Globe.”
To illustrate how formidable Goodchild is on the water, one only needs to hear Beyou’s comments after attempting to close the gap on him during this short-course race. “Sam sailed exceptionally well,” summarized the Charal skipper at the dock. “He made no mistakes, executed maneuvers flawlessly, and maintained incredible consistency. To surpass him, you need to elevate your game.”
Beyou expressed exhaustion after a demanding race that left little room for rest. “This 48-hour format is unique,” he remarked. “You remain awake, constantly working maneuvers at full speed. Quickly executing them is vital, as it demonstrates proficiency. Completing a maneuver isn’t enough; everything needs to be well-organized, or you risk leaving something out.”
Beyou was satisfied overall with his boat’s performance after the intense race. “Now I’m eager to return to the sea in November for the Vendée Globe. I felt great on the boat, and my performance confirmed that my machine is in excellent condition. There are still a few small adjustments and optimizations to make, but we’ll take the time to analyze everything before the Vendée commences,” he concluded.
