Yoann Richomme, on the IMOCA Paprec Ark\u00e9a, has broken the record for the longest distance sailed solo in 24 hours on a monohull, covering 551.84 miles on a ‘crazy horse’ ride in the AtlanticYoann Richomme, on the IMOCA Paprec Ark\u00e9a, has broken the record for the longest distance sailed solo in 24 hours on a monohull.
\nRichomme has smashed the 550-mile barrier, covering 551.84 nautical miles, the equivalent to 1,021.7 km, in just 24 hours (subject to official ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council).
\nThe record was set between 0930 yesterday and 0930 today, Wednesday 20 November. Yesterday Richomme sent video from onboard showing Paprec Ark\u00e9a\u00a0flying along at 29+ knots in glorious sunshine and fairly flat seas in the North Atlantic.
\nYoann Richomme has set a new 24hr solo record on Paprec Ark\u00e9a in the 2024 Vend\u00e9e Globe, at 551 miles. Photo: Yoann Richomme\/Paprec Ark\u00e9a\/VG2024
\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t that much wind, maybe averaging 18 knots or something, not that much,\u201d said Richomme in a live link to his boat today. \u201cBut the swell was really nice and you know when the boat gets flying it does work really well.
\n\u201cI was a bit overpowered on the J0, I know a few boats peeled to the fractional to be a bit safer.
\n\u201cIt was a bit of a crazy horse ride sometimes, so I had to calm the boat. But I do have access to the foil rake and the mainsheet just from my seat so I actually had quite a nice day just trimming along as the gusts and maybe a few squalls went by. It was quite a smooth ride for most of it.\u201d
\nSunny days and flat seas on Paprec Ark\u00e9a. Photo: Yoann Richomme\/Paprec Ark\u00e9a\/VG2024
\nThe previous record was set by fellow Vend\u00e9e Globe competitor Nicolas Lunven on Holcim-PRB just a week ago (546.64 nautical miles).
\n\u201cIt was pretty unexpected [to break the record] because the run between the [high pressure] ridge we had beforehand and the ITCZ was quite short \u2013 so I wasn\u2019t even looking at beating it because I thought it would be less than 500 miles. But apparently it was enough to beat Nico Lunven, which is my main pleasure \u2013 beating Nico Lunven in life!\u201d joked Richomme today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really pushed hard, my goal was to catch the guys in front because I\u2019m really afraid of a breakaway near Brazil, and I thought I could catch up some miles during that day. It did work out \u2013 but it\u2019s not paying off too much today, because I\u2019m stuck in a light spot and have been doing 3-4 knots, so it\u2019s not looking good for the next sched.\u201d
\nYoann Richomme: fast \u2018rookie\u2019
\nYoann Richomme is taking part in his first Vend\u00e9e Globe and is currently ranked 4th in the 39-boat fleet.
\nRemarkably, until this time last year, Richomme had never raced an IMOCA solo. However, he is highly experienced in Class 40 and Figaro racing \u2013 a two-time winner of the Solitaire du Figaro \u2013 and immediately made his presence felt on the fleet.
\nThe Antoine Koch\/Finot Conq-designed IMOCA Paprec Ark\u00e9a has proven fast since its launch, setting a new 24hr solo record in the 2024 Vend\u00e9e Globe, at 551 miles. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut\/Polaryse\/VG2024
\nIn November 2023, Richomme and co-skipper Yann Eli\u00e8s took 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre with the Antoine Koch\/Finot Conq-designed Paprec Ark\u00e9a.
\nHe immediately followed that up by winning the Retour a la Base eastbound transatlantic race \u2013 his first ever solo race in an IMOCA.
\nAnd he delivered a back-to-back win in his next Transat, the 2024 Transat CIC.
\nRichomme sat out the last Vend\u00e9e Globe \u2013 despite having the clear ability to compete, he did not have a well funded campaign prospect, and decided that he did not want to take part if he was going to be uncompetitive.
\nIn 2021, however, he was selected to skipper the long-standing Paprec Ark\u00e9a programme, replacing S\u00e9bastien Simon (who now races the former 11th Hour Racing IMOCA as Groupe Dubreuil).
\nThe programme included building a new latest generation IMOCA. Paprec Ark\u00e9a is a near-identical sistership to Thomas Ruyant\u2019s For The Planet. Richomme did a full tour of the boat for\u00a0Yachting World ahead of the Vend\u00e9e start, in which he explains the design concepts behind it \u2013 see our YouTube channel.
\nVend\u00e9e Globe Day 10 leaders
\nRichomme is currently in 4th place on day 10 of the 2024 Vend\u00e9e Globe. The lead pack are separated by just 40 miles, with current leader another Vend\u00e9e \u2018rookie\u2019, British skipper Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable).
\nA closely packed leading group heading into the Doldrums on Day 10 of the 2024 Vend\u00e9e Globe
\nIn 2nd place is S\u00e9bastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil), just 11 miles behind Goodchild on the tracker.
\nThird placed Charlie Dalin (Macif) is just 6 miles away from Richomme, with previous record setter Nicholas Lunven (Holcim-PRB) some 30 miles west. Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable) is another 30 miles west also. As the fleet enters the Doldrums this lead group is liable to compress and switch rankings as they hit pockets of lighter air.
\n\u201cThe thing is we came in [to the Doldrums] pretty much all in the same spot, with a bit of lateral distance,\u201d explained Richomme.
\n\u201cCharlie and I got under this cloud which didn\u2019t look bad, but started growing on us right away. We could see the exit, two miles, three miles in front and it kept on growing and we\u2019ve been stuck.\u201d
\nHowever, early forecasts suggest the South Atlantic could offer good conditions.
\n\u201cI think it does look good,\u201d said Richomme. \u201cI stopped looking because I don\u2019t know my exit times out of the light winds, and once I get out I\u2019ll do some routings again.
\n\u201cBut I saw there was nice stable cold font by Brazil, that was maybe cutting the high pressure in two. Which would be nice \u2013 this is a slow trip so far, eh? I know I\u2019ve beaten the record and we\u2019ve beaten it twice, but in between these days it\u2019s been so slow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yoann Richomme is competing in his first Vend\u00e9e Globe. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut\/Polaryse\/VG2024
\nIt has been a slow race so far: the current race leader, Sam Goodchild, is around 1000 miles behind Armel le Cleac\u2019h after 10 days of racing, when le Cleac\u2019h set the course record in 2016.
\nHowever, Richomme believes with good conditions the current IMOCAs could yet set more records. \u201cIf we do get into a warm front in front of a cold one on a flat sea, I think the crewed record is do-able.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t think it matters too much if you\u2019re solo or crewed, so we could get a lot closer to the crewed record. You\u2019ve got to get the right conditions, but I feel like most of the boats do have that kind of speed now.\u201d
\nThe post 550 miles solo in one day: solo sailing record falls again in Vend\u00e9e Globe appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Yoann Richomme, on the IMOCA Paprec Ark\u00e9a, has broken the record for the longest distance sailed solo in 24 hours on a monohull, covering 551.84 miles on a ‘crazy horse’ ride in the AtlanticYoann Richomme, on the IMOCA Paprec Ark\u00e9a, … <\/p>\n