Ocean Fifty Solidaires en Peloton

A Speedy Delivery Trip where We Get to Grips with it All

Mid-October, our star reporter Brieuc Maisonneuve got the chance to join as delivery crew on the trimaran Solidaires en Peloton, skippered by Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, between Saint-Malo, in Brittany, and Le Havre, in Normandy. This multihull is none other than the former Arkema 4, built by Lalou Multi. During our express delivery trip, the trimaran covered 160 nautical miles in less than 9 hours - an impressive average of 18 knots. Conditions were ideal with 20 knots true on a reach, ensuring lightning-fast acceleration and we even recorded peaks of 34 knots! It was for Brieuc, his eyes reddened by the salt spray after five hours at the helm, an unforgettable experience, marked by the precision of the adjustments and the calmness of the skipper.

Upwind, slightly luffing prevents the windward float from lifting too much, while the small C-shaped foil on the leeward side manages to lift the trimaran slightly, relieving the pressure on the rig.

Departing Saint-Malo, Brittany, with everything up on an almost flat sea.

As wide as they are long, the Ocean Fifty trimarans are extremely powerful.

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Published 11/02/2026

By Brieuc Maisonneuve

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Issue: 206

Published: apr. / may 2026

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There are Sunday evenings when the sound of a train on its tracks causes a rush of adrenaline rather than the melancholy of returning from a weekend away. Yet now on the high-speed train taking me to Brittany, I had already been traveling for nearly 24 hours since leaving Nassau, in the Bahamas. I tried to remember how long I have known Thibaut Vauchel-Camus; our first meeting was at least fifteen years ago, I think, at a time when he was on the podium in F18 while I was still rounding the buoys at best, or picking up pieces of broken catamarans at worst...

Then we raced against each other in Class40, before finding ourselves shipwrecked together in the Azores in November 2022, after capsizing our respective multihulls in the same storm during the last Route du Rhum... that kind of adventure inevitably creates bonds... And it was while discussing a proposed article on the Ocean Fifty class that Thibaut made me this offer: “Come and sail with us from Saint-Malo to Le Havre!” The kind of offer you can’t refuse...

I hadn’t set foot in Saint-Malo since November 9, 2022, and it was with a certain emotion that I walked through the town after getting off the TGV train. The “Cité Corsaire”, as the famous port town is known, even asleep in the coolness of this foggy October night, brought back many memories of sailing races and adventures, some more boaty than others.

In the early morning, I wandered down to the pontoons of the Bas-Sablons Marina, where I could see from a distance the mast of the three-hulled “beast,” which towered high above the spars of all the other boats.
On board, I met Lolo, the boat captain, who was busy preparing the multihull while Thibaut was welcoming a distinguished guest, Gabrielle Tuloup, a teacher and novelist who would also be making her debut aboard Solidaires en Peloton. Also signing on for the adventure was Thomas Gaveriaux, an excellent sailor with a background that includes the America’s Cup and project management in Imoca.

The four of us set sail with the help of Lolo in the team’s RIB. The light over Saint-Malo on that beautiful autumn day was magnificent, and I took advantage of the fact that the wind hadn’t yet picked up too much to send up a drone and take some initial pictures. With about ten knots of breeze, under mainsail and J1, we are already gliding along at 15 knots on a perfectly flat sea, and I was enjoying filming the multihull. But as soon as we passed the ancient fort of Petit Bé, the wind increased and the boat sped up at an incredible rate. Tucked under the cap in the central hull, I found it difficult to concentrate as the acceleration was so violent: Solidaires en Peloton was flying at over 30 knots.

Thibaut, who has always had a flair for showmanship, didn’t hesitate to pull the helm a little to let the trimaran rise very high on one hull. As we set about switching from J1 to J2, I took advantage of the boat bearing away sharply to catch my drone, which was running out of steam. I ...

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