BREST, AS AN EVIDENCE !

Julien Carmona, Président of Crédit Mutuel Arkéa and of Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne : « Le Crédit Mutuel Arkéa is proud to be the title partner of the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE - Brest alongside local economic and institutional players, with whom we have the pleasure of exchanging and working on a daily basis. The headquarters of our group is in fact located near Brest and this territory represents one of our historic employment areas. As a financial partner, we rely on our strong local roots to closely support regional economic players towards responsible and sustainable development. Beyond our obvious passion for sailing and ocean racing, we wish through our commitment to the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE - Brest to make our city shine on a global level, while making all of its know-how known ".

The people of Brest are proud to be often considered residents of the “capital of the oceans” and the holding of the international “One Ocean Summit” a year ago only reinforced this conviction. They live with the sea, they work there, they feel it, they breathe it. An observation that many sailors have been able to make and perceive throughout history. The exceptional maritime location of Brest has allowed it, over the centuries, to establish itself as an essential port for great maritime adventures. “From La Pérouse to the trophée Jules Vernes, Brest, a port of records, bears a unique maritime history”, confirms the Mayor and President of the Metropolis, François Cuillandre. With 18,000 m² of a harbor of breathtaking beauty, the city saw extreme adventurers leave, at the end of the 18th century, researchers and scientists in search of El Dorado. Since then, Brest has continued to make itself the port of welcome and departure for all those who, in one way or another, have chosen the sea as their horizon. Commercial sailors, scientists based in research institutes such as Ifremer or IUEM, soldiers on mission or in transit, extreme sailors too.

The “port of records”

In the second part of the 20th century, challenges became essentially sporting. Research and progress in this area are pushing many talents, skippers and teams to attempt records. Atlantic record, around-the-world record… Brest is gradually establishing itself as “the port of records”, a must for all those daring people who wish to challenge the times.

Attempts to go around the world are very rare, in particular because of the complexity of the sequence between weather systems. Since the last Trophée Jules Vernes record, established by Francis Joyon and his crew in 2016, none of the six attempts undertaken has been completed, which demonstrates the complexity and technical challenge that this journey represents. Nevertheless, technical knowledge and the constant ability of the teams to optimize each aspect of their project contribute to lowering the record time: from 169 days (Alain Colas) in 1973 to 40 days (Francis Joyon), this mark has been divided by four in the space of a quarter of a century.

It is in the wake of these pioneers, these skippers who are so keen to defy time, that the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest was created and will offer this first edition. The race is indeed a logical connection with the rich history of oceanic challenges. Except that to cross the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific and back to France, there will now be several of them fighting at the same time, offering the general public a series as unique as it is exciting in the heart of winter 2024 The skippers, most of whom are used to leaving and returning to Brest for records, will go there for a race, a great solo first and the unique opportunity to make history. “Brest is a natural host land for this new offshore race that is coming. It is a privilege for our territory and above all the fruit of long-term work to make Brest and its harbor the departure and arrival port for this new challenge. Brest, capital of the oceans in more than one way and for a long time!”, concludes François Cuillandre.