GUYADER BERMUDES 1000 RACE : See you in Brest on 4 may, start on 7 may !

The 4th edition of the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race will run from 4 to 14 May 2023, with the start scheduled for Sunday 7 May.

The 1,000-mile course is identical to last year’s, save for the fact that the skippers will contest the race in double-handed format this time around. Kicking off the IMOCA season – it’s the 1st race of the year in France - it’s also a great way to start preparing for the Transat Jacques Vabre. 

The Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race is gradually becoming one of the unmissable events in the IMOCA GLOBE SERIES championship. As such, this 4th edition is retaining everything that sets the event apart and is so appreciated by the skippers and their partners. The first race of the season contested in France, it starts off a new year for the majority of the IMOCA class, following their winter refits. There will be two programme highlights: the Défi Pom’Potes (speed runs) on Friday 5 May in Brest Harbour and the race start on Sunday 7 May. 

DEBUTING THE DOUBLE-HANDED FORMAT 

Up ahead will be a 1,000-mile course offshore of Brittany. The route will be punctuated by two waypoints: the Gallimard waypoint offshore of Cape Finisterre (Spain), then the Fastnet Rock (Ireland), prior to a return to Brest. The Gallimard publishing house is once again partnering the race with a literary project being run parallel to the event. 

From a sporting perspective, it was Charlie Dalin who took the win in 2022, after 4 days, 10 hours and 47 minutes of racing. This year and for the first time in the history of the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race, the sailors will set sail double-handed and will be accompanied by an on-board reporter tasked with sharing the adventure with those back on land. This double-handed race is shaping up to be the perfect way for the sailors to rediscover their automatic reflexes at the start of a season culminating this autumn with the Transat Jacques Vabre. Moreover, the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race will serve as a qualifier for the transatlantic race, forcing the sailors to exercise caution throughout the race. 

Around forty sailors and around twenty boats are expected on the start line. Though five of them will still be slugging it out in The Ocean Race, there should still be a significant number of IMOCA skippers in a position to take the start. Naturally, the race will also be a great opportunity to assess the quality and handling of the new boats, and compare the first of the latest generation launches, that of Jérémie Beyou (Charal) and the more modern craft, that of Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) and Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut). Though the exact line-up is hard to determine at this stage of course, doubtless those sailors wishing to compete in the next Vendée Globe, in less than two years’ time, will make every effort to be there. As such, it promises to be a fantastic spectacle, laden with suspense, so be sure to set a date for this coming May! 

François Cuillandre, Mayor-President of the City / Metropolis of Brest, President of Brest Événements Nautiques: “Once again it will be a great pleasure to host the ‘Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race Brest-Brest’, part of the IMOCA GLOBE SERIES, the world championship for the fleet, for the second year in a row. Completing the event will serve as qualification for the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023, thus confirming the role of Brest and its harbour in the offshore racing domain. As fine connoisseurs, the locals of Brest will doubtless be out in force.”

Christian Guyader, President of Guyader Gastronomie: “After a number of years with the Grand Prix Guyader in Douarnenez, which gave rise to the first edition of this race, Guyader Gastronomie is proud to once again be supporting the IMOCA class and its skippers in this latest edition of the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race, setting sail from Brest for the second time. Through this partnership, which we hope will continue long into the future, we are delighted to play a part in boosting the influence of this region of Brittany. Social interaction and performance are the values we share with the skippers and the organisers of this event.”

Mélanie Kerguenou, Director of Bermudes: “4th edition! We’re very pleased to be in a position to continue the long partnership we have forged with IMOCA within the context of this 4th edition of the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race. This edition is another opportunity to share our values of performance and social interaction, together with our passion for adventure with some exceptional sailors and the welcoming public in Brest. Given how much the race has expanded since its debut edition based in Douarnenez in 2018, we’ve had to move to a port able to accommodate all the competitors and we’re thrilled to see that the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race is setting out from Brest again this year and is continuing to contribute to the Finistere region’s dynamism, which we really cherish.”

Antoine Mermod, President of IMOCA: “We’re very proud to bring together so many talented skippers within IMOCA. Supported by their partners and surrounded by professional teams, they have a real thirst for competition! As a result, we’re very happy with our collaboration with Gwen Chapalain and this family of loyal partners, who make it possible for us to enjoy preparing for another Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race. As a result, in early May, we’ll have IMOCAs in Newport for The Ocean Race, and in Brest for this first double-handed race of the season. It’s incredibly motivating!”

Gwen Chapalain, organiser: “Sea to See, together with all the partners of the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race and the IMOCA class, is proud to produce the first event of the season, a ‘westbound’ race on Breton soil. In this 4th edition, the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race will provide a wonderful spectacle in Brest Harbour and a battle royal in the speed runs during the Pom’potes challenge, as well as during the 1,000-mile double-handed race.”

The Programme 

Thursday 4 May: The IMOCA fleet moored in Brest’s Marina du Château

Friday 5 May: Défi Pom'Potes: speed runs in Brest Harbour

Sunday 7 May: Start of the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race 

From Thursday 11 May: Arrival of the boats 

Saturday 14 May: Prize-giving