All news

Fastnet Astern, Home in Sight

For several days now, Manu Cousin (Coup de Pouce) has been sailing in a rather unusual timeframe. The kind where the rankings no longer tell much of the story, where the others have already finished, yet every mile still matters. The only competitor still at sea in this Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne, the skipper from Les Sables d’Olonne continues his long journey back towards Vendée. A journey that is proving anything but straightforward. After a particularly laborious passage around Ireland, the iconic Fastnet lighthouse finally slipped into his wake during the early hours of last night. A symbolic milestone. A relief, too. But certainly not a release just yet.

Manu Cousin (Coup de Pouce)

Fastnet, At Last

On a chart, Fastnet is simply another waypoint. For sailors, it is something entirely different. The famous Irish lighthouse is one of those landmarks that have punctuated the history of offshore racing for decades. Countless sailors have left its silhouette astern during some of the sport’s greatest ocean races. Manu Cousin knows it well. Like many sailors on the IMOCA circuit, he has passed it numerous times during training sessions and RORC races. The challenge, however, was getting there. Lately, the weather has done everything possible to complicate the task. Strong winds, then no wind at all. A brief breeze, then another patch of calm. A frustrating stop-and-start journey that repeatedly delayed his appointment with the legendary rock. “The day wasn’t easy. It’s still very much on and off. I was hoping to stay ahead of the light-air patch blocking my route, but in the end it caught me. I wasn’t completely stopped, but I certainly wasn’t moving very fast.” While the Coup de Pouce skipper had hoped to round the symbolic landmark yesterday afternoon, he ultimately had to wait until 01:00 this Friday morning to do so. By then, the wind had returned and progress resumed its familiar rhythm: demanding, upwind and every bit as tiring as before.

“It picked up again in around 20 knots of breeze, with gusts reaching 30 knots. But perhaps that’s not the most important thing. Fastnet is really the moment when you stop thinking about how far there is still to go and start thinking about home.”

Familiar Waters, But Not Easy Ones

Passing Fastnet also marks a change of scenery. Ahead now lie the Celtic Sea and then the English Channel, waters that sailors from France’s Atlantic coast navigate throughout the year. In that sense, familiar reference points gradually begin to return. A quiet source of comfort after nearly twelve days spent in the vastness of the North Atlantic. The conditions, however, remain far from welcoming. For several hours, Manu Cousin has been sailing through dense fog. “We’re back in more familiar waters, but they require a lot of vigilance. The traffic is returning: cargo ships, fishing vessels, commercial traffic… And right now, I have almost no visibility at all. Then there’s this miserable drizzle that eventually finds its way through every layer of clothing.” On board, the wear and tear is beginning to show as well. After nearly twelve days at sea, sleep has become little more than a succession of carefully managed micro-naps. “Psychologically, it feels good to be getting closer to places we know. But there is still a lot to monitor. The fatigue is definitely building and I’ll continue working in short twenty- to thirty-minute naps while keeping a very close eye on the AIS and everything happening around the boat.”

Manu Cousin (Coup de Pouce)

Home Still Has to Be Earned

The French coast is now drawing nearer. With it comes the prospect of a little sunshine, milder temperatures and a less hostile environment than the one accompanying the Coup de Pouce skipper over recent days. But the Vendée Arctique appears to have one final trick in store. After the fronts, the gusts, the long hours of upwind sailing and countless manoeuvres, another challenge is already waiting on the route ahead: a vast light-air zone stretching across the Bay of Biscay. The equivalent of one last red traffic light that refuses to turn green just when you can already see the light shining through your living-room window. “I’ve downloaded some very detailed weather files, but there’s inevitably still a degree of uncertainty. I’m just hoping I don’t get stuck for too long outside Les Sables d’Olonne.” Arrival is now expected on Sunday. There are still several hundred miles to sail. Still a few traps to avoid. But for the first time in quite a while, something has changed. Fastnet is behind him. Les Sables d’Olonne is beginning to take a more tangible shape on the horizon. “Right now, I’m mostly looking forward to getting home, seeing everyone again and, of course, being back in my own house.” Sometimes, that prospect alone is enough to make the final miles feel a little lighter.

Share this article

Latest news

Manu Cousin (Coup de Pouce)

When the Race Becomes an Inner Journey

Last night, Nico d’Estais (Café Joyeux) crossed the finish line of the Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne. A few hours later, in the middle of the night, Arnaud Boissières (APRIL Marine) followed suit. Now, only one IMOCA remains at sea between the High North and Vendée: Manu Cousin’s (Coup de…
À son arrivée ce jeudi.

Arnaud Boissières Finishes 7th in the Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne

It is now Arnaud Boissières’ turn to cross the finish line. The Les Sables d’Olonne-based skipper has achieved his objective: taking his IMOCA April Marine – Seeking Co-Partner all the way to the Arctic Circle while building valuable experience and confidence on board. Throughout the race, he also…
Nico d'Estais (Café Joyeux)

Nicolas d’Estais (Café Joyeux) Finishes Sixth in the Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne

Nicolas d’Estais completed his first Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne after delivering an impressively accomplished performance. The only daggerboard IMOCA in the fleet, the Café Joyeux skipper built his race with clarity, commitment and enthusiasm. Constantly on the attack, precise in his…
Ambrogio Beccaria lors de l'arrivée.

How did Ambrogio win?

He had to work incredibly hard before claiming victory. The Italian skipper (Allagrande Mapei) emerged victorious from a battle that seemed to go on forever until the night between Monday and Tuesday. Admittedly, he had to contend with a long stretch of calm, but that wasn’t the only challenge. A…
Nico d'Estais (Café Joyeux)

The Final Miles Never Come Easy

After more than nine days battling the North Atlantic, the finish line is finally drawing near for Nico d’Estais. With fewer than 100 miles remaining, the Café Joyeux skipper is expected to complete his Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne this Wednesday evening or during the first part of the…
À l'arrivée ce mardi matin.

And in everyone’s minds, Charlie

The memory of the winner of the last Vendée Globe was everywhere on Tuesday morning as the top four sailors sailed down the channel and followed the finish-line protocol. There was a palpable sense of emotion in the wake of the leading skippers, including Sam Goodchild, at the helm of MACIF Santé…
Nico d'Estais (Café Joyeux)

When the Leaders Remind Us That Nothing Is Ever Decided

The Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne has just delivered a powerful reminder—brutal for some, exhilarating for others—of why offshore racing stubbornly refuses to follow a script. For eight days, Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) appeared to have victory firmly within his grasp. Then the…
À son arrivée aux pontons ce mardi matin.

Ambrogio Beccaria, the incredible winner of the Vendée Arctique!

Ambrogio Beccaria, the unstoppable comeback! Crossing the finish line at 03:07, the Allagrande Mapei skipper claimed victory after 8 days, 14 hours, 5 minutes and 50 seconds of racing. He treated himself to a race that was unprecedented in its route – never before had IMOCA skippers reached the…