ALL ENTHUSIASTIC AND MOBILISED!
**Close-knit and determined partners
This race, which for a long time seemed to be an unattainable dream for many skippers and ocean racing enthusiasts, has been made possible thanks to the commitment of the partners mobilised to ensure the success of this first edition. The ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE - Brest corporate club, supported by l'association des Conquérants Bretons, la Région Bretagne, ARKEA and organiser OC Sport Pen Duick, demonstrated this on Wednesday evening by bringing them all together at the Maison de la Bretagne, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.
The evening was an opportunity to grasp the importance of the challenge the sailors will be taking on next January. The testimonies of Anthony Marchand and Yves Le Blevec (Actual Ultim 3) were invaluable in understanding the harshness of what awaits them at sea and the difficulty of holding on in sometimes perilous conditions. Alongside the skippers and their teams, our close-knit and determined partners are fully committed to the success of this event, which is sure to go down in the history of ocean racing.
THEY SAID:
**Cedric Malengreau, Director of the Secrétariat Général et de la Communication Institutionnelle du Crédit Mutuel Arkéa :**L'ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE - Brest marks a new stage in Crédit Mutuel Arkéa's commitment as title partner of an exceptional event that will put Brest, le Finistère and the whole of Brittany in the spotlight. This race, which will set off from Brest on 7 January 2024, represents a real human and technological challenge: the skippers of the most extreme ocean racing yachts will compete in a solo round-the-world race. We are very proud to be able to support such an event in Brest, one of the historic birthplaces of our Group and the location of its head office.
Fortuné Pellicano, Regional Councillor and Delegate at the Maison de la Bretagne : « We are delighted to be able to hold this discussion at the Maison de la Bretagne, which has been made available by the Brittany Region. I would like to salute the Conquérants Bretons association for its commitment. The win-win relationship that unites us, like other associations, helps to bring this fine facility to life. We're also delighted with this incredible sporting challenge set up by the OC Sport Pen Duick teams.»
Olivier Le Bras, Regional Councillor at la Région Bretage, Vice-President of the Jeunesse, égalité, citoyenneté Commission: "Brittany's history is closely linked to the world of agriculture, and the same is true of the maritime world. Sailing and ocean racing demonstrate this by providing over 900 jobs in the region. La Région Bretagne support for this race was an obvious choice. Saint-Malo is hosting the start of la Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, Lorient will be the finish of the Retour à la Base and there was no major race in Finistère and Brest. This popular celebration couldn't be held anywhere else!**
Vincent Holley, president of l’Association des Conquérants Bretons (ACB) : "Our association has been in existence for 60 years, and we're working hard to bring our regions closer to Paris. Whether we are executives or entrepreneurs, we are all in love with Brittany. We work hard to show that it is possible to establish a long-term presence in the region and to be valued and develop in France and internationally. With the ACB, we were keen to promote this event, the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE - Brest, an incredible challenge that is so close to our values._"
Joseph Bizard, Directeur Général d’OC Sport Pen Duick : "There are few great challenges that sailors haven't wanted to take on. We've been aspiring for years to race around the world in such powerful multihulls. This race was an obvious choice, even if it is an exceptional challenge: while 11 people have already walked on the moon, only 4 have sailed around the world single-handed and non-stop. The technology and reliability of the boats help to make such an event possible. The support of our partners - ARKEA, la Région Bretagne, la ville de Brest and Brest Métropole - is essential. From the outset, they have believed that this project makes sense for our company. We've needed 15 years to put this event together with these great sailors, and every day we look forward to seeing this first edition of an extraordinary race come to fruition."
