AURES and Micoton 7 have the wind in their sails: The French Sun Odyssey 479 sailboat will fly AURES colours during the ARC 2017 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
On the 19th of November this year, the ARC 2017 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers will set sail from the Port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.
This annual migration is a “must do” for many sailors – attracting over 1,200 aficionadosand crew members, this year’s event is set to welcome over 200 boats. Their journey will end around two weeks later on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia in the Antilles.
Above all, the Micoton 7 is a family endeavour. Jehan de France, the yacht’s owner for the last two years, is one of AURES Group’s long-standing business partners, but it was thanks to his personal ties and time-honoured friendship with AURES that this sporting partnership sprang into being.
“I’ve always loved real adventure”, Jehan de France explained. “I’ve recently come back to sailing after a break, during which I took part in 5 Paris-Dakar rallies between 2011 and 2016, two by motorbike and three by car, clocking up a total of over 100,000 kilometres of off-road racing and clinching 30th place in the general classification of the first Dakar Rally in Argentina.
I had the idea of buying this Sun Odyssey yacht to sail to the Antilles with my four children in 2018”, he continued, “but we caught the racing bug, so decided to turn our Atlantic crossing from a leisure cruise into a bona fide race.
This is the 7th boat of its name. It has been upgraded and optimised for racing. Needless to say, the boat isn’t up there with the favourites, which are all pure racing yachts.”
The first six Micotons were regatta boats which Jehan de France raced in a number of offshore competitions,including the Solitaire du Figaro, Transat AG2R and several Class 40 races. He also escorted the trimaran “Géant”, with Michel Desjoyeaux, and the “Groupe LG” returning from the Vendée Globe in the 1990s.
The decision to take part in the ARC rally, Racing division, was therefore only natural. Jehan de France will be joined by his eldest son, Charles-Hubert (“Charlu”), aged 29, a keen regatta enthusiast and French Sailing Federation (FFV) sailing monitor and trainer. Charlu was the Flying15 worldwide runner-up, 2012 UNCL champion for IRC 1 boats and winner of the Rolex IRC 2 trophy.
The father-and-son team will be one of the few two-man crews taking part in the race.
Key figures on the ARC, the No. 1 transatlantic race in terms of numbers taking part:
- 18-21 days of sailing on average
- Best time on record: 7 days
- Latest arrival on record: over 30 days
- 2,700 nautical miles (4,600 km)
- 216 boats
- 1,265 crew members
For more information: https://www.worldcruising.com/world_arc/event.aspx
MICOTON 7, the boat
Her elongated hull lines and moderate freeboard lend Micoton 7 an attractive aesthetic and deliver an exceptional performance. This 15-metre sailboat has three cabins and offers the perfect balance between performance, comfort and ease of handling.
https://www.worldcruising.com/arc/event.aspx
https://www.bateaux.com/article/26294/micoton-7-un-sun-odyssey-479-francais-course-transatlantique
Contact:
Charles-Hubert de France: +33 (0)6 11 67 02 91
micoton7@gmail.com
