Transat Café L'or - Prizegiving time

Transat Café L'or - Prizegiving © Jean-Marie Liot / Alea

Concluding a fantastic 17th edition, the four winning duos of the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandie were presented with their prizes today in their respective classes, ULTIM, Ocean Fifty, IMOCA, and Class40.

A fifth trophy, the Commitment Award, was also presented. The ceremony brought back fond memories of a challenging and memorable Route du Café race.

The key takeaways

• ULTIM Winners: Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas (SVR-Lazartigue)
• Ocean Fifty Winners: Baptiste Hulin and Thomas Rouxel (Viabilis Océans)
• IMOCA Winners: Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière (Charal)
• Class40 Winners: Guillaume Pirouelle and Cédric Chateau (Seafrigo - Sogestran)

Commitment Award Winners: Anne-Claire Le Berre and Elodie-Jane Mettraux (Upwind by MerConcept)

Once again the most demanding double-handed transatlantic race showcased four classes of boats, on four different courses, with four spectacular finishes in the bay of Fort-de-France. Of the 74 boats that started from Le Havre, 63 crossed the finish line and arrived safely at the pontoon of honour in Martinique. There were 10 retirements and 1 finish outside the time limit. Everyone seemed to finish with the feeling of having pushed themselves to their absolute limit.

A record in the ULTIM Class

One of the victorious co-skippers won his first ever TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR, while his opposite number had broken the record for the most wins in the event, securing a fifth triumph. The duo Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas won this 17th edition of the Route du Café aboard SVR-Lazartigue in the ULTIM class. They demonstrated total mastery and a clear dominance, even if their pursuers were closer behind after a shortened course. In second place, Thomas Coville and Benjamin Schwartz, who pushed the pace at the very end of the race, were unable to close the gap. They finished ahead of Anthony Marchand and Julien Villion, who came in third. That podium finish was completed in under 25 hours.

The ULTIM Diamond Trophy, awarded to the fastest boat in each class between Diamond Rock and the finish line, was won by Armel Le Cléac'h and Sébastien Josse (Maxi Banque Populaire XI, 4th) in 45 minutes.

The ULTIM podium

1. Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas (SVR-Lazartigue): 10 days, 13 hours, 3 minutes, and 58 seconds
2. Thomas Coville and Benjamin Schwartz (Sodebo ULTIM 3): 10 days, 17 hours, 30 minutes, and 9 seconds
3. Anthony Marchand and Julien Villion (ACTUAL ULTIM 4): 11 days, 8 hours, 13 minutes, and 7 seconds

Winner's reaction

Tom Laperche: "These are wonderful memories, an incredible race after an intense sailing season with Franck. I want to thank SVR Lazartigue for giving me the helm of a boat like this after my years in Figaro. And thanks also to the entire technical team who did a phenomenal job preparing our trimaran. Finally, racing with Franck, who already has his name on this trophy several times, was fantastic."

Franck Cammas: 'Sailing on these boats and facing amazing competitors in the class was a real challenge. It was also a challenge to leave them behind! Tom and I got along very quickly, we were on the same page, he's a lot like me in many ways. He's a sailor who will go very, very far and we're keeping our fingers crossed for him in the future.'

The Ocean Fifty Show

After 5,600 miles covered in 12 days, the Ocean Fifty finish lived up to all expectations: the underdogs seized their chance, and the favorites unfortunately faltered. As proof of the class's high level of competition, the first three multihulls arrived in Fort-de-France Bay separated by less than 30 minutes, demonstrating that nothing is decided until the finish line is crossed. After a true head-to-head battle, the duo of Baptiste Hulin and Thomas Rouxel on Viabilis Océans emerged victorious despite damage right from the start—a broken mainsail that could have ended their ambitions.

Behind them, Wewise (Pierre Quiroga and Gaston Morvan), who led for much of the final hours of the race, finished second, just 10 minutes ahead of Le Rire Médecin - Lamotte (Luke Berry and Antoine Joubert), who completed the podium.

The Ocean Fifty Diamond Trophy was won by Laurent Bourgues and Arnaud Vasseur (Mon Bonnet Rose, 7th), in 44 minutes.

The Ocean Fifty podium

1. Baptiste Hulin and Thomas Rouxel (Viabilis Océans): 12 days, 5 hours, 24 minutes, and 30 seconds
2. Pierre Quiroga and Gaston Morvan (Wewise): 12 days, 5 hours, 42 minutes, and 2 seconds
3. Luke Berry and Antoine Joubert (Le Rire Médecin - Lamotte): 12 days, 5 hours, 52 minutes, and 12 seconds

Winner's reaction

Baptiste Hulin, skipper of Viabilis Océans: 'This victory proves that when you have dreams in your head, you have to believe in them and never give up. When I was little, I had posters of some of the sailors here, in my bedroom, and today, I'm the one holding the trophy, but I want to make it clear that this is also a great team victory.'

A great showdown in the IMOCA Class

Against a backdrop of close racing all the way to the Canary Islands, followed by a sprint in the trade winds, the IMOCAs delivered a thrilling finale with a magnificent final breakaway by Charal. At the finish there was a resounding victory for Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière, who crossed the line in less than 12 days. A triumph that feels like sweet revenge for Beyou and extended Lagravière's winning streak.

Behind them, the 11th Hour Racing duo of Italian/American Francesca Clapcich and Briton Will Harris brought a breath of fresh air. With audacity and skill, they secured a very impressive second place in the final hours of the race, ahead of Sam Goodchild and Loïs Berrehar (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) who finished in a respectable third place and won the IMOCA Diamond Trophy in 51 minutes.

The IMOCA podium

1. Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière (Charal): 11 days, 19 hours, 45 minutes, and 18 seconds
2. Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris (11th Hour Racing): 12 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 46 seconds
3. Sam Goodchild and Loïs Berrehar (MACIF Santé Prévoyance): 12 days, 3 hours, 25 minutes, and 47 seconds

Winner's reaction

Jérémie Beyou: "This victory, it's this wonderful boat breaking the finish line in the night, those huge smiles at the arrival. But before that, it's also a lot of hard work with a great team. It's about choosing your strategy and approach which for me was quite attacking. It's about questioning yourself, believing in yourself even when things aren't working well, and finding that little something at the end that will turn everything around. That little something was Morgan, who helped me make all my dreams come true."

Morgan Lagravière: 'The summary of this race is the emotion at the finish line. The memory of the rank, the trophy, fade, but the emotions, the joy of victory, remain. I discovered a great team, a wonderful boat, and that's what I'll remember over time.'

High level of suspense in Class40

After a stop in La Coruña due to bad weather, the fourth and final class to reach Martinique the Class40s kept the suspense high until the very last minute. Entering Flamands Bay, Guillaume Pirouelle and Cédric Chateau (Seafrigo - Sogestran) knew they were 21 minutes behind their pursuers in the overall standings. Once they crossed the finish line, the longest minutes of the race ticked by.

Despite their fierce determination, Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin (SNSM - Donate!) couldn't make it across in time and finished second, just seven minutes behind. A few hours later, in the Martinique night, the Invincibles crossed the finish line in third place. A sweet revenge for the duo William Mathelin-Moreaux and Pietro Luciani, who hadn't even thought they'd be able to start the race a few weeks earlier due to a lack of funding.

The the Diamant Class40 trophy was won by Guillaume L'Hostis and Antoine Le Manchec (Alternative Sailing - Les Constructions du Belon, 13th) in 1 hour and 6 minutes.

The Class40 podium (after the two races)

1. Guillaume Pirouelle and Cédric Chateau (Seafrigo - Sogestran): 19 days, 2 hours, 34 minutes, and 46 seconds
2. Corentin Douguet and Axel Trehin (SNSM Faites un don!): 19 days, 2 hours, 42 minutes, and 7 seconds
3. William Mathelin-Moreaux and Pietro Luciani (Les Invincibles): 19 days, 10 hours, 56 minutes, and 54 seconds

Winner's reaction

Guillaume Pirouelle, skipper of Seagfrigo-Sogestran: 'It's a great victory, at the end of the suspense, wonderful memories and the achievement of a lot of hard work. I'm happy to share this story with Cédric and we'll see you in two years to defend the title.'

Cédric Chateau, co-skipper of Seafrigo-Sogestran: 'We were confronted to the best team on the circuit, which won every race of the season except the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR, which worked in our favour.'

The Commitment Award

In 2025, the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandie is innovating by creating, alongside its sporting trophies, a commitment award to recognize crews who excel in this area. of environment, inclusion, and solidarity.

Awarded by a jury composed of a representative from the French Sailing Federation, two members of the organizing committee, and the edition's patron, Claudie Haigneré, Anne-Claire Le Berre and Élodie-Jane Mettraux, aboard UpWind by MerConcept, are the 2025 winners: the only all-female duo competing in the multihull class. Their project stands out for its carefully restored 2013 sailboat, designed to extend its lifespan; its commitment to a minimalist design; MerConcept's strong dedication to women's participation in offshore racing; its use of sustainable transportation in Le Havre; and its involvement in a citizen science program with IFREMER.

Anne-Claire Le Berre: "It's a wonderful reward for everyone involved in the project and for our sponsor, 11th Hour. What makes me most proud is the human element and the way we've managed to connect with people on this project, the way they see it, especially the young girls we've managed to reach and inspire. Even women outside the sailing community feel involved. With each testimonial we receive, we realize the impact, and it's incredible."

More information

The public turn out in force

With up to 65,000 visitors a day at times, the Le Havre sailing village celebrated its sailors and offshore racing in style, and inspired even the youngest to take up sailing. This year, the Normandy Sailing League, in partnership with BRED Banque Populaire, conducted 2,300 introductory sailing sessions.

The arrival village in Fort-de-France also won the hearts of Martinicans, with 45,000 visitors crowding around the pontoon to cheer on the arrivals and enjoy the festivities.

This event also appealed to teachers, as 6,000 students explored the villages in Le Havre and Fort-de-France, and more than 4,300 educational kits from the organizers were downloaded for this 2025 edition.

www.transatcafelor.org