This Monday morning, Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue was the first boat to cross the finish line of the iconic Rolex Fastnet Race, completing the 695-nautical mile (1,287 km) nonstop course from Cowes, Isle of Wight, to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin via the iconic Fastnet Rock in 1 day, 17 hours, 18 minutes, and 4 seconds.

Aboard the blue trimaran were six sailors : Tom Laperche (skipper), Amélie Grassi, Antoine Gautier, Emilien Lavigne, Franck Cammas, and New Zealand’s Peter Burling. The team edged out Banque Populaire by just 44 minutes.

Tom Laperche – Skipper, Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue : “Two entries in the Rolex Fastnet Race and two wins aboard Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue – I’m thrilled,” said skipper Tom Laperche. “This race is a huge part of sailing history and it really means something, especially this year with four Ultim boats on the start line. I had great memories of the last edition – we had a real battle with Banque Populaire. The start in the Solent had been intense, and I was a bit anxious we’d have a repeat. But this time, it was much more tactical – a real regatta. We got off to a great start, led out of the Solent, and then the wind along the English coast was very patchy. The Irish Sea was tricky. We had a good push toward the Fastnet. Rounding it in the lead (after 1 day, 4 hours, 2 minutes, and 53 seconds) aboard SVR-Lazartigue, doing 40 knots, was just amazing. Transitioning from upwind to downwind at full speed – that was awesome. The return leg was mostly downwind, but we had to make strategic calls to choose the best gybes while keeping a close eye on our rivals. The crew did an incredible job – there were a lot of maneuvers. The boat had only just been relaunched on July 3, so this win is also a validation of all the work done over the past few months in the MerConcept workshops in Concarneau. It’s very promising for the future, but we’ll keep pushing to get even better.”

Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue also won the previous edition in 2023, setting the course record of 1 day, 8 hours, 38 minutes, and 27 seconds (until 2019, the finish line was in Plymouth). At that time, Tom Laperche was co-skipper alongside François Gabart.

“This is my first victory as skipper,” added Tom. “During our four years sailing together, François taught me so much. This transition is just beautiful. It’s an incredible story.”

The team is now focused on upcoming two-handed races with Franck Cammas joining Tom Laperche as co-skipper :

• 24H Ultim (September 26–28)

• Transat Café de l’Or (October 26), from Le Havre to Fort-de-France, Martinique.

Franck Cammas : “The Rolex Fastnet Race gave me a great opportunity to discover this very unique boat. The crew already handles her extremely well. Tom has fully embraced his skipper role – he always knows how to trim the boat and where to set the pace. He anticipates everything and finds the balance between speed and safety. We have full confidence in him. That’s hugely motivating for what’s ahead.”

Amélie Grassi : “A great win for Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue – we keep the title ! It was a fantastic race with strong teamwork throughout. Everything felt fluid on board. As always in the Rolex Fastnet Race, it was intense. Starting with 450 boats in the Solent was a bit of a rush ! Then we had to handle lots of sail changes as we managed patches of light wind on the way to the Fastnet. We never stopped working. On the way back, the boat was flying over flat seas – it was magical.”