BNC LEON : Adrenaline to handle fatigue

BNC LEON : Adrenaline to handle fatigue

Caledonian Boat
Type : double-handed monohull
Crew : Michel Quintin and Yann Rigal
Number of participations in the Groupama Race (including 2025) : 5 for Michel, 6 for Yann

“Sailing double-handed is a deliberate choice, and our challenge will be to compete with full crews, even if the course length isn’t exactly in our favor,” explains co-skipper Michel Quintin. “Yann and I complement each other and share the same values.” For the two sailors, the Groupama Race is an opportunity to test themselves against international crews on a demanding course. According to them, no two editions are ever the same. They’ve built up great memories over the years, despite some tough moments…

“When you’re in the thick of it during the race, you swear it’s your last and that sailing is a bloody stupid sport… but as soon as you arrive and get welcomed on the dock, you already want to go back,” Michel admits. “The downwind legs under spinnaker in heavy conditions through the North passage between the East and West coasts are always something special — moments where fatigue and adrenaline collide.”

For this new edition, their main goal is to enjoy every second:
“Our ambition is above all to have a blast — but also to challenge ourselves in managing the effort and the race, which will obviously be quite different from sailing with a full crew.