41 Sud Tata Cola – The crew that never gives up!

They sure looked sharp, our 41 SUD – Tata Cola crew at the start, ready to reach for the moon!
Jérôme, Yohan, Doriane, François, Ronan, Gwen, and Bernard had their sights set on their buddies aboard Blue – Budget – Le 3 Mâts. Their goal? To overtake them, outpace them, beat them!

On the morning of June 15, under gloomy skies, the crew was fully charged. The foghorn sounded, and their 12-meter yacht cut through the water with purpose. Even in the heat of competition, they didn’t forget what matters most: passing the Amédée lighthouse, they celebrated Bernard’s birthday in style. 79 years old, fit as ever, and just as eager to battle it out on this New Caledonia Groupama Race. Let’s give credit where it’s due!

As they sailed south, 41 SUD – Tata Cola steadily climbed up the fleet, sailing alongside the Sydney 38s, Guilty Pleasure, Poulpito, BNC – My::Net, and Motorboat II.
“The first day and night, we were absolutely flying,” Doriane recalls. “We hit peaks of 16 knots—it was awesome! We were catching up to the lead pack, watching Guilty Pleasure get closer. It was insane.”

But the spinnaker tore five hours after passing Havana. Still, that didn’t break the crew’s spirits—such an epic start wasn’t going to be wasted!

On the second night, as they neared Belep, the race took a turn… Hitchcock-style. One tern began circling their wind vane. Then “she went to fetch her friend,” laughs Doriane. “And another. And another. In the end, there were 16 of them flying in circles above the boat. We tried everything to chase them away—shouting at them—it was a full comedy sketch! Eventually they left without damaging our wind vane… but they left us a lovely parting gift: a full-blown poop bombardment.”

After that less-than-glamorous episode, 41 SUD – Tata Cola approached the Grand Passage calmly. But as they turned upwind, the tone shifted. Bernard remembers:
“Our 41 Sud was struggling in a very rough and chaotic sea with strong winds—two full days of that? You could feel the crew’s motivation take a slight hit.”

“It was intense,” Doriane adds. “Every step was an effort, you’re at a 45-degree angle, so forget about cooking or using the toilet—it was a mission.”

They zigzagged with short tacks to take whatever little shelter they could from the reef. Belep disappeared behind them. The sea eased slightly.

When they finally got updates near Koumac, the mood lifted: they were still well placed. The front pack had pulled ahead, sure, but they were still ahead of many boats. Smiles returned.

Then came… the doldrums.
Bourail.

“There was zero wind. The sails were flapping like crazy. So yeah, the boat was hurting. And so were we,” says Doriane.

The rest of the fleet slowly caught up to the same dead-still line. Frustrating. “We knew it was game over. But we made the best of it. Had a great meal, laughed, got some rest—in the end, it was a good day.”

The puffs of wind were elusive. The boat barely moved. Then the terns returned—and bent part of the wind vane.
They considered retiring. But that decision had to be unanimous.
And unanimously, the crew chose to fight. Through the night. For that damn finish line—so close, yet so far.

Night fell. And then, in the distance, they heard it: a breath. Then another.

They grabbed flashlights and peered into the black water.
“It was magical,” Doriane recalls, emotional. “Two fin whales swimming peacefully right beside us. They stayed a long time.”

A gift from the universe. A magical encounter to keep them going. And a light breeze carried them close to shore, just as the morning sun rose.

Sure, the wind died again… but “we were happy to arrive at that moment.”
What an adventure. What a debut for 41 SUD – Tata Cola.

2027, watch out. They’re coming back stronger, faster, and even more determined!