After a close duel, Tom Laperche of France and Franck Chammas from Normandie won the ULTIM division in the Transat Cafe L'Or Le Havre Normandie 202025.

The two crossed the finish in Fort-de-France Bay on Wednesday at 22:13.58 local time, aboard SVR-Lazartigue. They completed the 6,670-nautical-mile double-handed race between Le Havre and Martinique in 10 day, 13 hours, 3.58 minutes, and 58 seconds.

They won after holding off a late charge by fellow French sailors Thomas Coville, Benjamin Schwartz and Sodebo who finished just four hours behind. Sodebo reached the finish line at 2:40 local time, Thursday, with a race duration of 10 days 17 hours 30 minutes 9 seconds.

The course took sailors on a journey of epic proportions across the Atlantic. They were able to turn at the Saint Peter-Saint Paul islands in the South Atlantic before sprinting back to the Caribbean.

Transat CAFE L'OR, a biennial Atlantic showdown, attracts the best offshore sailors from around the globe in four different divisions. The ULTIMs, which are massive, high-speed, multihulls, will be joined by the IMOCA fleet and the Ocean Fifty, a rising class of boats, as well as the always-competitive Class40s. Together, these boats represent the best of ocean racing technology and skill.

The ULTIMs finished first. Martinique is expected to receive the IMOCAs, 60ft monohulls that were used in the Vendee Globe Race and Ocean Race.

The IMOCAs are currently led by the French duo Jeremie Beyou & Morgan Lagraviere, followed by Britain's Sam Goodchild & France's Lois Berrehar. Third place is held by the Italian-British pair Francesca Clapcich & Will Harris.

(source: Reuters)