PRESS KIT TEAM FONCIA / BARCELONA WORLD RACE 2010 MICHEL DESJOYEAUX & FRANCOIS GABART CONTENTS 1. MICHEL DESJOYEAUX p.2 2. FRANCOIS GABART p.4 3. THE BARCELONA WORLD RACE p.5 4. AGENDA p.7 5. THREE QUESTIONS, THREE INSIGHTFUL ANSWERS p.8 6. TEAM SPONSORS p.9 7. CONTACTS p.10 APPENDICES p.11 o TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE OPEN 60 FONCIA o PLAN OF THE OPEN 60 FONCIA 2 1. MICHEL DESJOYEAUX Age: 45 – Resides: La Forêt-Fouesnant (29) - France Lives with his partner and three children Conceive it, design it, build it and race it… this is the essence of Michel Desjoyeaux. As a child, he clambered all over the family boatyard in Kerleven, building dreams of boats with bits of string, and living imaginary adventures at the far end of the mudflats. In the space of 40 years, he has become the most crowned solo offshore sailor. The childhood games became serious, the technical innovations were tested for real, and the results… uncompromising. The Transat, the Route du Rhum, the Solitaire du Figaro (three times) and lastly the Vendée Globe (2 times). Strangely, the only trophy missing from Michel’s cabinet is the Mini Transat. Strangely also, this record of achievements, which most sailors would consider more than enough, has still not satisfied the racer in him. He is as focussed as ever on delivering results, as curious as ever about technology and the details which transform a standard race boat into a true winning machine. BEST OF MICH’ 2010 2004 6th in the Route du Rhum on FONCIA 1st in The Transat on Géant (Orma) (Imoca) 2002 2009 1st in the Route du Rhum on Géant 1st in the Istanbul Europa Race on (Orma) FONCIA (Imoca) 2nd in the Record SNSM on FONCIA 2000/01 (Imoca) 1st in the Vendée Globe on PRB 1st in the Bol d’Or Mirabaud with Alain (Imoca) Gautier on FONCIA (D35) 1998 2008/09 1st in the Solitaire du Figaro on TBS 1st in the Vendée Globe on FONCIA (Figaro) (Imoca) 1992 2007 1st in the Solitaire du Figaro on Groupe 1st in the Transat Jacques Vabre on Coupechoux Design (Figaro) FONCIA (Imoca) 1st in the Transat Ag2r with Jacques 1st in the Solitaire du Figaro on Caraës on Sill Plein Fruit (Figaro) FONCIA (Figaro) 1st in the Record SNSM on FONCIA (Imoca) 3rd in the Ecover-BtoB Transat on FONCIA (Imoca) To this day, Michel Desjoyeaux is the only sailor to have won the four major solo races: the Solitaire du Figaro, the Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum and The Transat. 3 2. FRANCOIS GABART Age: 27 - Resides: La Forêt-Fouesnant (29) - France Lives with his partner Unstoppable… François Gabart is a talented young man. Having spent a mere three years racing on the Figaro circuit, the time it took for him to be crowned French Solo Offshore Champion, he has now moved straight up to the next level. On the 4 th of December, his sponsor Macif offered him an Open 60 (sistership to FONCIA, currently in build under the management of Mer Agitée), on which he will be able to fulfil his craving for offshore racing up until 2014, including the Vendée Globe. François Gabart will celebrate his 28th birthday on the 23rd of March 2011, during the Barcelona World Race. 20 years ago, he sailed across the Atlantic on the family boat, a Kelt 39, with his parents and two sisters. Since this formative voyage, success seems to have come easily to this INSA-educated engineer. Even at an early age, his blonde mop and blue eyes were often to be seen on the podium in the Optimist, Moth Europe and Tornado classes. Having joined the Figaro circuit in 2007, he very quickly mastered the boat, culminating with a second place finish in the Solitaire du Figaro and victory in the Cap Istanbul this summer. However, for this native of Charentes, who had carried the colours of Région Bretagne and was the winner of the Macif selection trials, one-design racing was just one step along the way. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, he raced first with Kito de Pavant, then Michel Desjoyeaux, to get to know the big round the world boats. He will soon be skipper of his very own monohull. François is thus a young man in a hurry. But calm. “I can do things quickly, and do them well,” he replies with a smile to those who express concern about his rapid rise. “It is all happening very fast, I realise, but I am living an incredible dream. I need to make the most of it now”. His talent, sheer determination and especially his enormous capacity for work are precious attributes which will help him accomplish his ambitions. He sees himself somewhat of an Asterix character: “like me, he is small, blonde and… strong”. In other words, quite a man. BEST OF FRANÇOIS 2010 2006/2007 French Solo Offshore Champion 2nd in the Cap Istanbul with Laurent 1st in the WOW Cap Istanbul Pellecuer 2nd in the Solitaire du Figaro 1st in the Tour de France à la Voile (student classification) 2009 London – Nice on the trimaran Sopra (ORMA) Winner of the Sélection Skipper Macif trials 2010 1997 - 2005 3rd in the Transat BPE 3rd in the French Solo Offshore Racing Olympic campaign in the Tornado Championship class (2001-2005) 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Tornado Youth World Champion 2003 Kito de Pavant on Groupe Bel 4th in the Moth Europe Youth French Championship 2000 2008 Moth Europe French Champion 1999 Optimist French Champion 1997 Skipper Espoir Région Bretagne 1st rookie in the Solitaire du Figaro 4 3. THE BARCELONA WORLD RACE For the second edition of this non-stop, unassisted round the world race, equivalent to a double-handed Vendée Globe, there will be a fleet of fifteen Open 60s in Barcelona for the start on the 31st of December. Outstanding sailors such as Jean-Pierre Dick, winner of the first edition, and Michel Desjoyeaux and Loïck Peyron will be competing, but there will be strong competition from the Spanish contingent who will want to put in a good performance for their country. The duos will race eastabout around the world, leaving the great capes to port: Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), Cape Leeuwin (Australia) and Cape Horn (Chile) before racing back up the Atlantic Ocean to the finish line in Barcelona, over a distance of 25,000 miles. Michel announced last June that he would be taking on this round the world race with François Gabart, a rising star in French offshore racing. This is not just a pairing of two solo competitors, two Figaro sailors, but also two generations. “To compete in the Barcelona World Race wih Michel Desjoyeaux, and on a new boat on top of that, is outstanding for me. I don’t think it’s possible to do better”, François said back in June. “His youth, fresh approach, intellectual ability, and permanent desire to understand things […] He raises the game”, Michel stated. This dynamic pair will have but one goal: to stamp FONCIA’s name on the event. THE COURSE 5 THE BARCELONA WORLD RACE IN NUMBERS > Start 31st December 2010 at 1302 > Finish expected end March 2011 > 25,000 miles (46,300 km) via the three great capes – Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn – and the Cook Strait (between North and South Island, New Zealand) > 30 competitors (3 women ; 27 men) > 8 Nationalities: 13 Spaniards, 10 Frenchman, two British, one Swiss, one New Zealander, one Pole, one German and one American > 15 boats: - VIRBAC-PAPREC 3 : Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) / Loïck Peyron (FRA) - HUGO BOSS : Alex Thomson (UK) / Andrew Meiklejohn (NZ) - MIRABAUD : Dominique Wavre (SUI) / Michèle Paret (FRA) - FONCIA : Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) / François Gabart (FRA) - GAES CENTROS AUDITIVOS : Dee Caffari (UK) / Anna Corbella (ESP) - ESTRELLA DAMM : Alex Pella (ESP) / Pepe Ribes (ESP) - CENTRAL LECHERA ASTURIANA : Juan Merediz (ESP) / Fran Palacio (ESP) - GROUPE BEL : Kito de Pavant (FRA) / Sébastien Audigane (FRA) - NEUTROGENA : Boris Herrmann (GER) / Ryan Breymaier (USA) - MAPFRE : Iker Martínez (ESP) / Xabi Fernández (ESP) - FMC – FÒRUM MARÍTIM CATALÀ : Gerard Marín (ESP) / Ludovic Aglaor (FRA) - RENAULT : Pachi Rivero (ESP) /Antonio Piris (ESP) - PRESIDENT : Jean Le Cam (FRA) /Bruno García (ESP) - WE ARE WATER : Jaume Mumbrú (ESP) / Cali Sanmartí (ESP) - FRUIT : Kris Owczarek (POL) / Armand Coursodon (FRA) > Event Record: 92 days, 9 hours, 49 minutes, 49 seconds at an average speed of 11.13 knots (PAPREC-VIRBAC 2; Jean-Pierre Dick - Damian Foxall) > 24 hour Record on an Imoca boat: 501.3 miles (Hugo Boss; Alex Thomson - Andrew Cape at an average of 20.9 knots) > Speed Record: 27.4 knots (Temenos II; Dominique Wavre - Michèle Paret) RESULTS FROM THE FIRST EDITION 1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2; Jean-Pierre Dick - Damian Foxall: 92 days, 8 hours, 49 minutes, 49 seconds 2. HUGO BOSS; Alex Thomson - Andrew Cape: 94 days, 17 hours, 34 minutes, 57 seconds 3. TEMENOS 2; Dominique Wavre - Michèle Paret: 98 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, 10 seconds 6 4. AGENDA OF FONCIA 16th December: End of sea trials 17th December : 12h30 : Press Conference - First meeting for the media with all skippers. 18th December : Opening of Moll Barcelona World Race, Start of technical, sporting and safety equipment inspections Presentation of skippers to the city of Barcelona 28th December : 10h00 : Schools visit skippers Barcelona World Race dinner with the presence of all the skippers and the Mayor of Barcelona. Homage to Eric Tabarly, for his influence on the evolution of the ocean sailing, design and construction of racing yachts, by his family, friends and companions of navigation.