A close finish…

«We‘ve come a long way! When I think of the boat that I almost lost off The Azores that carried us all the way in this race, I can only be pleased.» Pascal Quintin knows more than anyone: while he has not won the race, it is no mean feat to have completed the race and to have finished in Saint-Malo on board his trimaran. In the spring of 2007, Pascal miraculously recovered the multihull that he was forced to abandon in the last Route du Rhum in November 2006. At a time when she was thought to be definitively lost, the boat was spotted off the Azores: Pascal decided he would attempt to recover the wreck and carried out an exemplary restoration job. Using recycled materials, he rebuilt his boat and decided to sign her up for the Transat Québec Saint-Malo. While he knew that winning was beyond his wildest dreams, he gave himself one goal: he wanted to prove that a boat was not dead as long as someone believed in her. This he has now achieved...

The Belgian crew on Ocean of Smiles was greeted by a crowd on the quayside in Saint-Malo. It was as if a lot of their fellow countrymen had decided to gather in mass to welcome them to the Breton city. It was with champagne corks popping that the five sailors completed their voyage taking first place in the FICO rankings. Even if Christophe Bullen knows that he took advantage of the circumstances forcing Yannick Bestaven to carry out a pit stop for repairs, the crew worked flat out to have a great race. In the end, their achievement was deservedly celebrated by all the friends that turned up to welcome them to the quayside. It proves that a little bit of faith goes a long way!