Last minute sign-up for the Arkea Ultim Challenge, sailor Eric Peron is about to complete his solo round-the-world trip. A true feat achieved in approximately 66 days aboard his giant catamaran Adagio. Also an Alpina ambassador, the man from Quimper provided a brief assessment of his race as he approached the final stretch. So, what’s it like to accomplish such a worldwide sailing trip?
Eric Péron, the sixth man!
Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild), Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire XI), Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3), Tom Laperche (SVR-Lazartigue), Anthony Marchand (Actual Ultim 3). For a long time, it was thought that there would be 5 competing in the first round the world race in maxi-catamaran, known under the name Arkea Ultim Challenge. But at the very end of September, a sixth man, Eric Péron, finally confirmed his participation, at the helm of Adagio.
Less than a month later, the navigator born in Quimper officially became Alpina ambassador until 2027. A strategic partnership for the watch brand, whose name was already associated with other high-profile athletes such as freerider Victor De Le Rue or surfer Aelan Vaast.
He, who won the Tour de France à la voile in 2012 and participated 10 times in the Solitaire du Figaro, thus embarked on his first solo round-the-world tour, departing from Brest on January 7, 2024. A serious challenge, especially since his multihull already displays a few kilometers on the meter, much more than the competition!
When announcing his partnership with Alpina, Eric Péron explained that he was passionate about vast expanses: “The sea, my playground, is part of it; the mountains, Alpina’s territory, also. This convergence is perfectly natural, I love their pioneering, adventurous, and innovative spirit. I like the challenge of single-handedly maneuvering a boat.”
From the impossible mission to the accomplished feat, a look back at 66 days of Arkea Ultim Challenge
This man-machine relationship, Eric Péron has been able to experience closely for more than 60 days, both with his maxi-catamaran and his Alpina watch. And it was as he approached the final sprint that he agreed to answer our questions. Not easy when one is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean: even Elon Musk’s Starlink was not infallible in establishing the connection!
After an initial attempt aborted shortly after crossing the Equator (at the level of Mauritania, north of French Guiana), it was off the Strait of Gibraltar that Eric Péron was finally able to share his impressions. If we have already had the pleasure of exchanging on Masculin.com with sailors such as Romain Attanasio and Alan Roura, this is the first time that one of them has answered us while still in the race. Considering that the days are marked by naps of 17 to 20 minutes and multiple maneuvers, we can only thank Eric Péron for the time he has given us.
While the finish line in Brest is still more than 500 miles away, we already dare to ask him for a first assessment of these two months spent at sea. “The objectives have been achieved because we are not so far from the finish. I have always said that being on the starting line was an impossible mission and that being at the finish would be a feat.”
Thus, the final ranking is almost anecdotal, even if he should put his name in fifth place at this first Arkea Ultim Challenge, two weeks after the winner Charles Caudrelier, but only two days after Anthony Marchand. “The battle with Anthony has been an added source of motivation, it’s clear. We had a lead to catch. It would have been the icing on the cake, but the weather decided otherwise. We remained at 180 miles, but it’s already good.”
Philosopher, Eric Péron only wants to retain the positive side of this trip around the world. And even when asked if he has had periods of discouragement, the Quimper native knows how to put things into perspective: “Yes, there are tough moments, when you feel vulnerable, exhausted. In such cases, you have to hang in there, tell yourself that in the end, you surely still have reserves somewhere. I always tell myself that there are plenty of people on earth who do extraordinary things much harder than what I am doing. So I think of them when things are not going well!”
For now, the skipper of Adagio will be able to enjoy some well-deserved rest, with an arrival expected on March 13, 2024 in Brest, after spending approximately 66 days at sea.
