On 1 November, Pierre Leboucher will set off from Saint-Malo on his first Route du Rhum, at the helm of the Class40 Institut Imagine. His boat sails in the colours of this research institute dedicated to genetic diseases, based at Necker-Enfants malades Hospital in Paris, helping to raise awareness of its work. Marfret is supporting the skipper by shipping his boat back from Guadeloupe on board the Marfret Niolon.
This partnership builds on a relationship that began in 2023, when Pierre Leboucher raced the Transat Jacques Vabre double-handed with Xavier Macaire, then sponsored by the company, which shipped their boat back from Martinique. A former Olympian and stage winner in the Solitaire du Figaro, he won the Jules Verne Trophy earlier this year as part of the Sodebo Ultim 3 crew. He now takes on the legendary solo transatlantic race, in its most competitive class, with 49 Class40s entered.
Once he crosses the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre, Marfret will take care of bringing the Class40 back to mainland France. It is an operation the company knows well: the Marfret Niolon, the ro-ro vessel serving the MPP line, has already shipped several racing yachts home after major ocean races. Equipped with purpose-built cradles, it carries them in optimal conditions, and our teams take particular care with loading and lashing these boats, as valuable as they are fragile.
To follow his race, visit the official website: www.routedurhum.com
Fair winds, Pierre!