Presentation
Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2019, Apivia logically ranked among the favourites for the Vendée Globe 2020-2021, not only because this Guillaume Verdier design oozes power and high-performance, but also because her skipper, supported by Mer-Concept’s shore team gathered around François Gabart, already boasted a more than flattering track record on the Figaro circuit. Equally, the adaptations to the IMOCA monohull were completed alongside Yann Eliès no less…
In short, the boat is of noble birth because, from her very first tacks, she demonstrated formidable potential coupled with remarkable versatility. In terms of reliability, the perfect condition of the boat helmed by the duo Dalin-Eliès, both on her victorious arrival in Salvador de Bahia and on returning from her delivery trip home, confirmed that the homeopathic adaptations for solo sailing (ergonomics, visibility) were in no way detrimental to her seakeeping and racing qualities.
These performances were confirmed during the Vendée Globe 2020-2021 when, despite damage to the foil casing on her port side in the Southern Ocean, Charlie Dalin took line honours in Les Sables d’Olonne, ultimately ranking second behind Yannick Bestaven, who was awarded a time bonus after diverting to assist with recovering Kevin Escoffier after his shipwreck. Winner of the Rolex Fastnet, then second in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Paul Meilhat in 2021, Charlie Dalin has proven to be also untouchable in 2022, further confirming the osmosis between the sailor and his perfectly optimised machine.
The skipper from Le Havre won the Guyader Bermuda 1000 Race, then the Vendée Arctique Les Sables d'Olonne, and was a favorite for the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, his last race aboard APIVIA, which he eventually finished in 2nd place.
Although she was due to be sold to Team Banque Populaire for Clarisse Crémer, the team decided to part company with the sailor, whose qualification for the next Vendée Globe was in doubt. She was eventually bought by Alex Thomson Racing, who then hosted the skipper's project in England, sponsored by L'Occitane en Provence.
Clarisse Crémer will be back at sea alongside Alan Roberts in 2023. The duo have spared no effort to get to grips with this IMOCA, one of the most successful in the fleet, and have racked up several top 10 finishes over the course of the season.