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Nicolas Troussel is the eighth champion to be invited at the XVIIIe Trophée Clairefontaine that will be raced from 30 August to 2 September at La Trinité-sur-Mer (Morbihan, Brittany). Photo free of rights for press use, subject to the compulsory mention: Photo Benoît Stichelbault.
A talented young single-handed racer has been invited to take up the last place to be filled at the XVIIIth Trophée Clairefontaine des Champions de Voile which will be raced from Thursday 30 August to Sunday 2 September at La Trinité-sur-Mer (Morbihan, Brittany). His name is Nicolas Troussel, the recent winner of the Belle-Ile - Marie-Galante single-handed transatlantic race (BPE Trophy) last spring, after also having won the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro single-handed race with panache.
Nicolas Troussel will join the Team Alinghi trio, double winner of the America's Cup, comprising Luc Dubois (design team), Pierre-Yves Jorand (coach) and Yves Detrey (crewman), in La Trinité.
“Nicolas Troussel is an exceptional case in the Figaro Bénéteau one-design class, in that his sailing is of an incredibly high level”, explains Yvan Griboval, designer and general coordinator of the Trophée Clairefontaine. "At the age of 33, Nicolas already has the following to his record of achievements: The Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro single-handed race last year, the BPE Trophy single-handed transatlantic race this year, and the AG2R double Transat with his friend Armel Le Cléac'h in 2004. He has already won three classic races. He sails in the wake of his illustrious elders: Gilles Gahinet, Philippe Poupon, Jean Le Cam and Michel Desjoyeaux. So it is usual to see him included in the Trophée Clairefontaine club of champions”.
Eight champions competing in the XVIIIth Trophée Clairefontaine:
Apart from Nicolas Troussel and the Alinghi Team, six other competitors are in contention.
Winner of the race in 2006, Franck Cammas will defend his title. He is also invited because of his victory at the end of the ORMA crew-manned multihull championship 2006 and more recently for his series of records with his maxi trimaran, including the legendary crossing of the North Atlantic and the greatest distance ever sailed in 24 hours.
Jérémie Beyou, winner of the Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro single-handed race and the French Solo Offshore Racing Championship, on Delta Dore in 2005, is invited as the runner-up in the Trophée Clairefontaine 2006.
Loïck Peyron is invited for his podium 2006 (third) and, incidentally for his seven victories in this speciality. This is a record! The Team manager of the Gitana team and now skipper of the Gitana Eighty monohull in anticipation of the Vendée Globe, would willingly add an eighth star to his crown as the king of the Trophée Clairefontaine.
Vincent Riou, recent double winner of the Calais Round Britain Race on PRB, is invited as the current title holder as winner of the Vendée Globe.
Yann Eliès is invited due to his recent and second title of French Solo Offshore Racing Championship, won at the end of the Course des Falaises at Fécamp (Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy) last September.
Michel Desjoyeaux, the most titled of our single-handed sailors and three times winner of the Trophée Clairefontaine (2001-03-04) is invited for all his sailing achievements.
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