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The Star
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Sailing-Britain's Goodchild makes waves with breakthrough IMOCA victory
(Reuters) -British skipper Sam Goodchild is celebrating his first win in the ultra-competitive IMOCA class after guiding MACIF Sante Prevoyance to victory in the Course des Caps – a full-blooded 1,800-nautical mile dash around Britain and Ireland. Goodchild took the lead near Fastnet Rock off the southwest tip of Ireland and never let go, completing the race in six days, one hour and 10 minutes, with French co-skippers Lois Berrehar, Guillaume Combescure and Charlotte Yven for company. MACIF Sante Prevoyance crossed the line two-and-a-half hours clear of second-placed Elodie Bonafous on Association Petits Princes-Queguiner. 'It was intense, non-stop,' Goodchild said at the finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer. 'We started with no wind and finished with too much. It was kind of what we anticipated – a proper ride." France's Bonafous, racing her first IMOCA event, finished 46 minutes ahead of third-placed compatriot Nico Lunven on Holcim-PRB, staking her claim as a serious contender in the class. 'During the race, I got it into my head that a podium finish was possible,' Bonafous said. 'Even mid-race, I felt like crying. I told myself 'this is so cool, we're having such a great race.' So I stayed really calm because the race was still long and anything could happen,' she told the IMOCA class website. The route served up the full British Isles menu: shifty winds, sail changes on repeat, and a drag race down the North Sea. 'We really had it all,' said Goodchild, who was standing in for Charlie Dalin as the Frenchman is taking a break from the sport due to ill-health. 'On the first day, we hoisted every sail we had. And even over the past three days, we haven't stopped changing sails, changing conditions – changing everything. We truly got a full range on this race." For Goodchild, a former IMOCA Globe Series champion who finished ninth in the last Vendee Globe, this win adds another line to a growing CV – and confirms he is now one of the men to beat on the IMOCA scene. The IMOCA class is a fleet of high-performance 60-foot monohull yachts built for solo and short-handed ocean racing, best known for marquee events like the Vendee Globe. The Course des Caps marked the launch of the 2025 IMOCA Globe Series. Next up is the 100th anniversary of the Rolex Fastnet Race later this month, the Ocean Race Europe (August 10 to September 21), Defi Azimut–Lorient Agglomeration in September, and the Transat Cafe L'Or double-handed race from Le Havre in France to Martinique beginning in October. (Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
The Star
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Sailing-Dalin out, Goodchild in as British skipper takes charge of MACIF after health blow to Frenchman
FILE PHOTO: Sailing - Vendee Globe - Les Sables-d'Olonne, France - November 10, 2024, Britain's Sam Goodchild before the race REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo (Reuters) -French sailing star Charlie Dalin will miss the entire 2025 racing season due to health concerns, with British skipper Sam Goodchild taking over the helm of the IMOCA MACIF Sante Prevoyance yacht, the team said on Tuesday. Despite the absence of this year's Vendee Globe winner, the team confirmed on Tuesday that they will maintain their full racing schedule, with Goodchild and co-skipper Lois Berrehar set to compete in all planned events in the IMOCA Globe Series. "It's a difficult decision to make, but health is a priority," said Dalin, who last month said he had set his sights on defending his series title. "I'm obviously disappointed not to be able to sail this season, but I have complete confidence in Sam and Lois to fly the MACIF Sante Prevoyance flag high." Dalin will remain involved in the project management behind the scenes while his team competes in three major races: the Course des Caps starting this Sunday, the Defi Azimut in September, and the Transat Cafe L'Or in October. Goodchild, who won the 2023 IMOCA Globe Series Championship, acknowledged the responsibility that comes with the role. "It's an honour for me to take the helm of the IMOCA MACIF Sante Prevoyance," he said. "Lois and I will devote all our energy to living up to the collective ambition of this project." Berrehar, 31, brings significant credentials to his co-skipper role. The French sailor won the Transat Paprec in 2023 and finished second in last year's Solitaire du Figaro with two stage victories. He had previously been named as Dalin's replacement skipper for the Vendee Globe. "When Charlie called me to join this project, I took it as a huge vote of confidence," Berrehar said. "We're going to do everything we can to aim for victory." For the upcoming Course des Caps, Goodchild and Berrehar will be joined by Charlotte Yven, Guillaume Combescure, and media driver Guillaume Gatefait for the 2,000-mile journey around the British Isles. MACIF has requested no further inquiries regarding Dalin's health situation, and said no further statements would be made. The IMOCA racing series is a premier offshore sailing championship featuring high-performance 60-foot monohull yachts known as IMOCAs, designed to be sailed by small crews or even solo. Governed by the International Monohull Open Class Association, the series includes iconic transoceanic races such as the Vendee Globe. These cutting-edge boats, often equipped with hydrofoils, are built for speed, endurance, and innovation, making the IMOCA series a proving ground for the world's best ocean racers and a showcase for the latest in maritime technology. (Editing by Toby Davis)
Straits Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Dalin out, Goodchild in as British skipper takes charge of MACIF after health blow to Frenchman
Sailing - Arrival of the Vendee Globe winner - Les Sables-d'Olonne, France - January 14, 2025 Macif Sante Prevoyance's Charlie Dalin holds the trophy onstage as he arrives in port after winning the Vendee Globe REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Dalin out, Goodchild in as British skipper takes charge of MACIF after health blow to Frenchman French sailing star Charlie Dalin will miss the entire 2025 racing season due to health concerns, with British skipper Sam Goodchild taking over the helm of the IMOCA MACIF Sante Prevoyance yacht, the team said on Tuesday. Despite the absence of this year's Vendee Globe winner, the team confirmed on Tuesday that they will maintain their full racing schedule, with Goodchild and co-skipper Lois Berrehar set to compete in all planned events in the IMOCA Globe Series. "It's a difficult decision to make, but health is a priority," said Dalin, who last month said he had set his sights on defending his series title. "I'm obviously disappointed not to be able to sail this season, but I have complete confidence in Sam and Lois to fly the MACIF Sante Prevoyance flag high." Dalin will remain involved in the project management behind the scenes while his team competes in three major races: the Course des Caps starting this Sunday, the Defi Azimut in September, and the Transat Cafe L'Or in October. Goodchild, who won the 2023 IMOCA Globe Series Championship, acknowledged the responsibility that comes with the role. "It's an honour for me to take the helm of the IMOCA MACIF Sante Prevoyance," he said. "Lois and I will devote all our energy to living up to the collective ambition of this project." Berrehar, 31, brings significant credentials to his co-skipper role. The French sailor won the Transat Paprec in 2023 and finished second in last year's Solitaire du Figaro with two stage victories. He had previously been named as Dalin's replacement skipper for the Vendee Globe. "When Charlie called me to join this project, I took it as a huge vote of confidence," Berrehar said. "We're going to do everything we can to aim for victory." For the upcoming Course des Caps, Goodchild and Berrehar will be joined by Charlotte Yven, Guillaume Combescure, and media driver Guillaume Gatefait for the 2,000-mile journey around the British Isles. MACIF has requested no further inquiries regarding Dalin's health situation, and said no further statements would be made. The IMOCA racing series is a premier offshore sailing championship featuring high-performance 60-foot monohull yachts known as IMOCAs, designed to be sailed by small crews or even solo. Governed by the International Monohull Open Class Association, the series includes iconic transoceanic races such as the Vendee Globe. These cutting-edge boats, often equipped with hydrofoils, are built for speed, endurance, and innovation, making the IMOCA series a proving ground for the world's best ocean racers and a showcase for the latest in maritime technology. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Still hungry Dalin back to defend IMOCA crown
Sailing - Arrival of the Vendee Globe winner - Les Sables-d'Olonne, France - January 14, 2025 Macif Sante Prevoyance's Charlie Dalin holds the trophy onstage as he arrives in port after winning the Vendee Globe REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Charlie Dalin, fresh from rewriting the Vendee Globe record books, has set his sights on defending his IMOCA Globe Series title with the methodical precision that has become his trademark in offshore racing. The 40-year-old French skipper, who sliced nine days off the previous round-the-world record, approaches the 2025 season with characteristic understatement aboard MACIF Sante Prevoyance. "My objective this year? Well, it's to win races again," Dalin told IMOCA officials this week. "I'm still passionate as before and, you know, I love sailing IMOCAs." IMOCAs are 60-foot high-performance monohulls built for solo or short-handed offshore racing, known for balancing cutting-edge design - like hydrofoils and carbon fibre hulls - with the raw demands of long-distance endurance. Dalin will begin his 2025 campaign with June's Course des Caps, a 2,000-mile tactical challenge around Britain's demanding coastline, but has a special focus on October's Transat Cafe L'Or from Le Havre to Martinique, a race carrying personal significance. "It's an important race for me because I am from Le Havre and I couldn't race last time," said Dalin, who claimed victory there in 2019. "I have revenge to take on that event. I would quite like to win it a second time." The competitive landscape remains formidable. Dalin anticipates challenges from last year's runner-up Yoann Richomme on Paprec Arkea, Thomas Ruyant paired with Ambrogio Beccaria, and veteran Jeremie Beyou aboard Charal. Adding intrigue is newcomer Elodie Bonafous commanding Horizon 29, a sistership to Dalin's vessel. "It will be interesting to sail against a sistership of MACIF Sante Prevoyance and see how she performs," he noted. While acknowledging the physical toll of his Vendee Globe campaign, Dalin expressed confidence in his recovery timeline, targeting full readiness by the season's start. Now firmly established as the sailor everyone aims to beat, Dalin embraces his position with philosophical ease. "I'd rather be in this situation than the reverse," he smiled. The IMOCA Globe Series is a tiered circuit of offshore yacht races, ranging from short coastal duels to gruelling round-the-world marathons. At the top are Grade 1 epics like the Vendee Globe and The Ocean Race, while Grade 2 includes transatlantic tests such as the Route du Rhum and Transat Jacques Vabre. Shorter Grade 3 and 4 events - like the Course des Caps, Defi Azimut and Rolex Fastnet - demand precision, stamina and tactical sharpness. Together, they form a global proving ground for the world's best offshore sailors. Dalin claimed the 2024 title with 800 points in a dominant French showing. Fellow countrymen Richomme and Sebastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) took second and third with 730 and 595 points respectively. Germany's Boris Herrmann broke the French hold, steering Malizia – Sea Explorer to fourth on 571 points. The 2025 series kicks off with the 2,000 nautical-mile Course des Caps on June 29, and with his Vendee victory still fresh and the sails of MACIF Sante Prevoyance trimmed for another season, Dalin is plotting another year at the front of the fleet. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
