It’s not in Thomas Ruyant’s habits to stay inactive for a long time. Determined to take the start of the Vendée Globe again in 2020, he didn’t hesitate long before deciding to have a new boat built, even before finding the partners who would sponsor him. With the support of a few investors who had particularly enjoyed his talent on the 2016 Vendée Globe, Thomas asked Guillaume Verdier to design a latest generation foiler able to rival the best and, why not, reach the victory. In doing so, the sailor remains loyal to the approach that has always driven him since he started off-shore racing. Whether on the Mini-Transat that he successfully won in 2009 or on the Route du Rhum in 2010, the navigator from the North of France has built his projects with method always striving for excellence. The recipe : to rely on a group of trustworthy persons, and to be sure to build economical projects without limiting performance objectives.

The outcome is clear : the method works. With one Mini-Transat, one Route du Rum on Class 40 and one Transat AG2R on Figaro, only one victory on IMOCA is necessary for Thomas to become the first sailor to win the three big categories in off-shore racing. Meanwhile, he still needs to finish a Vendée Globe. The 2016 edition ended for him in a port of New Zealand where he managed to bring back his seriously damaged boat after hitting a UFO. This has inevitably left him with a feeling of unfinished business. This time round, he intends to defend his chances until the end… at the forefront of the course.