Matondo Congo - Route de l’équateur The second run of the Matondo-Congo – Route de l’équateur Yacht Race will be starting out from Marseille (France) on 15th April. A fully crewed race over a 4 500 mile original course from France to Central Africa, run only by the Class 40 and marked by the presence of Florence Arthaud, who has entered with another big fish from ocean racing, Luc Poupon, right hand man for his brother Philippe during the twenty years of the Fleury Michon saga. Skippers and crew of 3 who have signed up for this race come from a wide range of major yacht racing disciplines in ocean and regatta racing, with backgrounds including Route du Rhum, Vendée Globe, Figaro, Mini Transat, America’s Cup, Tour de France à la Voile, Giraglia, or the Jules Verne Trophy. The Mediterranean competitors are particularly well represented this time round. Some of them are already no stranger to the highest steps on the podium, others are likely to be there in the very near future … Patrice Carpentier, Michel Mirabel, Marc Lepesqueux, Philippe Fiston, Franck Ferey, Alexis Lepesteur, Jean-Michel Gandon and Alexia Barrier. Read article

Virbac-Paprec, FICO World Champion 2006 Jean-Pierre Dick, Fico and Imoca World Vice-championOn Wednesday, 10 January, in Saint-Malo, Virbac-Paprec will take its place on the third step of the Route du Rhum podium. As sponsors, Virbac and Paprec therefore win the FICO World Championship for Sponsors 2006. Jean-Pierre Dick, takes second position in the FICO and IMOCA rankings behind Jean Le Cam.

The FICO championship unites sponsors and skippers participating over the two last years in a programme including the Vendée Globe 2005, the Transat Jacques Vabre 2005 and the Route du Rhum 2006.

In 2005 and 2006, Virbac-Paprec, skippered by Jean-Pierre Dick, was always in the forefront holding 6th place in the Vendée Globe 2005, a victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2005 and 3rd place in the Route du Rhum 2006. Read article