Party Time : a lot of fun !
Party Time : a lot of fun !
- Caledonian Boat
- Type : monohull
- Crew : Antoine Monnin, Damien Meister, Florian Billet, Laurent Laroche, Nicolas Auteret (the skipper), and Virginie Auteret.
- Number of participations in the Groupama Race (2025 included) : 1 for the boat, 6th for the skipper.
Brought back from New Zealand in 2002, Party Time has participated in almost every race of the CNC ! “Originally designed as a very lightweight boat, ideal for planning in the large New Zealand bays, we have evolved it over the years to adapt to the wind conditions in New Caledonia,” explains Nicolas Auteret, the skipper.
For this new edition, the crew will consist of six people: Antoine Monnin, Damien Meister, Florian Billet, Laurent Laroche, as well as Nicolas (the skipper) and Virginie Auteret. “The team formed naturally because it includes some of the core crew members who sail on Party Time throughout the year,” Nicolas says. “We’ve had a great bond for several years, and we wanted a new challenge for Party Time. After careful thought and with the support of our partner Optic Discount, we decided to embark on the Groupama Race adventure.”
For the boat, this will be its first participation, but for Nicolas, this edition will mark his sixth ! “My best memory of the Groupama Race remains, without a doubt, the 2022 edition, where I was sailing double-handed with Patrick Baldi,” he shares. “We had magical night watches on the East Coast, sailing alone under a bright moon, accompanied by endless surf sessions. With good music in the background, those moments were almost surreal. What’s amazing is that the night sailing phases are the ones I fear the most in terms of safety… and yet, they’ve stayed with me forever.”
This year, the crew is approaching the race in an adventurous spirit, eager to have as much fun as possible. “Party Time has always had great glide in downwind conditions, so if we can surprise the regulars of the circuit… that would already be a big win for us !” the skipper concludes.