From Martinique Cata Raid 2025 Press Release #3
All pictures by Pierrick Contin
Le Robert – Le Prêcheur A tough leg and a lot of fun!
The 28 F18 had a great time on this marathon 30-mile leg between Le Robert and Le Prêcheur. With strong conditions at the start, a series of capsizes off Grand Rivière and misty conditions at La Perle, this first leg was lively to say the least!
We knew this first leg of the Martinique Cata Raid would be crucial. On paper, it’s a tough stage with more than 30 miles to cover and numerous pitfalls to avoid: a physically demanding first part of the race with lots of wind, heavy seas, traps to avoid and competitors to contain.
Caravelle, Grand Rivière, La Perle… these emblematic sites of the island with their enchanting names evoke strategic points of passage for the sailors, where the slightest slip-up can be costly.
The end of the race, downwind of the island, is just as tricky, with unstable winds where all the cards can be reshuffled. To tackle the final rush, you have to keep your wits about you, be clear-headed and fresh… as much as possible in this glorious sunshine.
More than placing, the main challenge is to prevent the gaps from widening. In a race run on time, the slightest slip-up can be costly. The loss of water does nothing to dampen the spirits of the troops. We need to get going again, and fast!
The day’s race lived up to all its promises and the fact that 4 boats crossed the line in less than 10 seconds gives an idea of the sporting level and the commitment of the crews on this tenth edition of the Martinique Cata Raid!
Despite being handicapped by the loss of their port rudder, Victorien Erussard and Fred Moreau on Energy Observer won ahead of Nicolas Gillet and Nicolas Poix (Socoveam Anmizi). Matthieu Marfaing and Bastiaan Tentij (Cirrus – MM Sailing) take third place, just 9 seconds behind the day’s winners!
Tomorrow, the fleet will set off for the second leg on a 13-mile sprint between Le Prêcheur and Schoelcher.
They said :
Victorien Erussard & Fred Moreau – Energy Observer
“We made an offering to Poseidon; we could have done without it for ourselves and for Poseidon. More seriously, we had a great race, a great day, worthy of the Martinique Cata Raid! It was the longest and windiest stage, with the famous Caravelle and Grand Rivière sections.
We got off to a good start, but then we eased off a bit, in spite of ourselves, but we still managed to stay with the leading pack.
We don’t really know how it happened, but after an hour and a half, we lost our rudder! It was a bit of a blow to our morale at the time, we thought the race was over. In the end, we realised that we’d managed to sail safely while limiting the damage in terms of time. At Grand Rivière, in the gusts, all our rivals started to desalt, so we found ourselves in the lead. We also knew that there would be a new start at La Perle, which didn’t fail to happen. It was also a little less dangerous for us with a less manoeuvrable boat.
At the end, it was a case of Olympic-style racing between three buoys: it was all about commitment! We’re happy to have won, we’re tired but it’s a great feeling!”
Nicolas Gillet & Nicolas Poix – Socoveam – Anmizi
“We’re happy, we wanted to get off to a good start and get out among the frontrunners and that was the case. We followed that up with a very good upwind leg to the Caravelle! Nico and I are always surprised to find ourselves in the lead. We didn’t want to take any risks at Grand Rivière, but that didn’t stop us from losing the water. For the record, at the World Championship we desalinated twice, but the water was so cold that we learnt to get back on board very quickly! And that’s exactly what happened today! The end of the race is down to nothing; with the race to the finish, we’re happy, it’s good to get through this first leg in this way”.