Holcim-PRB : On the way to Martinique
by Team HOLCIM - PRB 6 Nov 2023 14:53 PST
Team Holcim-PRB © Julien Champolion | PolaRYSE | Team Holcim-PRB
Nicolas Lunven and Rosalin Kuiper's first transatlantic race at the helm of Holcim-PRB is under way. The two skippers have left Concarneau today at 1000am to set course for Martinique. As planned, the transatlantic will be carried out in delivery mode. Their aim is to take his monohull to the West Indies, before Nicolas sets off on the solo Transat Retour à la Base, a qualifier for the Vendée Globe.
For this delivery trip, Nicolas Lunven is surrounded by Rosalin Kuiper, Jean-Marc Failler, Hugo Feydit and Julien Champolion (onboard reporter). These first miles will be a real discovery of the boat for Nicolas, who needs to gather as much knowledge and information as possible before setting off alone on the return journey: "We'll be five on board, and I'm going to rely on all the people who are going to be with me to finalize the list of things we still have to do. During this delivery trip, I'll have to learn how to use the boat and master all the onboard systems (electronics, computers, etc.), as well as the maneuvers and getting to know all the sails. There's a lot at stake on this crossing, even if we're lucky enough to be able to do it in delivery mode." explains the skipper of the GO CIRCULAR project.
Rosalin Kuiper, co-skipper of Holcim-PRB, will also be part of this delivery. This is the opportunity for the young sailor to discover the Swiss-flagged IMOCA. This is in line with the team and partners ambition to train Rosalin so that by 2025 she will be in a position to take the reins of the project and become the boat's skipper for The Ocean Race Europe.
The crew should take between 12 and 15 days to reach Martinique by direct route. Sailing conditions are shaping up to be tough for the first night on board. However, the weather forecast left a small window of opportunity to get under way today, with the possibility of rounding Cape Finisterre in manageable conditions, before the arrival of a new low-pressure system currently forming in the Bay of Biscay. On arrival in the West Indies, the real aim is for Nicolas to feel at ease with the boat and be able to set off serenely on Retour à la Base, whose departure is currently still scheduled for November 26. "I hope that by the time we get to Martinique, we'll have ticked off all the boxes on our joblist. You can always dream!" laughs the skipper, who is preparing to set off next year on his first Vendée Globe, a solo, non-stop, unassisted round-the-world race.
Quotes:
Nicolas Lunven, skipper - "We'll be five on board, and I'm going to rely on all the people who are going to be with me to finalize the list of things we still have to do. During this delivery trip, I'll have to learn how to use the boat and master all the onboard systems (electronics, computers, etc.), as well as the maneuvers and getting to know all the sails. There's a lot at stake on this crossing, even if we're lucky enough to be able to do it in delivery mode.I hope that by the time we get to Martinique, we'll have ticked off all the boxes on our joblist. You can always dream!"
Rosalin Kuiper, co-skipper - "This delivery to Martinique will be a training with a full crew: Nico, myself and Hugo and Jean-Marc from the technical team. It should take about two weeks. I'm very excited to get to know this boat and very keen to know and understand how the boat is built and discover her potential. The goal is to get the boat ready for Retour a la Base, a solo-race back from Martinique that Nico will race in solo-mode. During this two weeks, we will make sure that the boat is safe and can perform on the way back. Personally, I'm very excited to go, a little bit nervous as well because I haven't sailed much on this boat and it looks so far quite a bit different from what I'm used to."