They were one of the winningest race boats in the Caribbean this year. GFA Caraibes, a Surprise 25 sailed by the Martinique-based team of skipper Tristan Marmousez and crew Laszlo Dubois, Erwan Renoult, Alexis Etienne, and Mathieu Bidault, earned first-place class finishes at Grenada Sailing Week, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and Antigua Sailing Week. With their success and the support of their sponsor, the team decided to fly to Switzerland to race in the prestigious Bol d’Or Mirabaud 2024. This is the world’s largest lake regatta, with more than 500 boats and 3,500 crew members participating annually. The legendary course features a non-stop 66.5-nautical mile course that circles Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alpine mountains. In the end, GFA Caraibes finished 9th out of 80 entries, with a time of 19 hours and 47 minutes, in the one-design Surprise Class.
“We were euphoric at the finish. We didn’t think we could finish in the top 10 in our first Bol d’Or. Plus, sailing for the first time on a lake, in Europe, in such a long race, in our rented boat, and with the lake sails we had. It was a real feat!” says Marmousez. “Our Caribbean experience helps us with endurance and resistance to sleep because we often make long deliveries to participate in CSA regattas. It also helped us when there was a strong wind. We had excellent speed compared to the best.”
Marmousez says the team is still planning for next year’s Caribbean racing season. “There could be some new features and a few ‘surprises’ for 2025.” www.facebook.com/LaMorri ganeEquipedeVoile/
