Eighteen hours trapped under the hull, three months later at the start of the Rhum
On August 2, 2022 off the Sisargas islands in Galicia, Laurent Camprubi's Class40 loses its keel and capsizes in seconds in 30 knots of wind. He remains trapped for eighteen hours in a 30 cm air pocket under the inverted hull, hypothermia at 34 °C, before being winched up by Spanish Salvamento Marítimo divers. On November 6, he starts the Route du Rhum in Saint-Malo.
A challenging course built in reverse
Born in 1960 in Marseille, Camprubi came to sailing late, after careers in rowing, motorcycle racing, auto racing, and marathon running. Licensed at the CNTL (Cercle Nautique et Touristique du Lacydon), he racked up Mediterranean titles from 2010: IRC4 champion in 2010, IRC1 in 2013, IRC double in 2013 and 2014, IRC solo in 2016. Three consecutive wins at the Quadrasolo (2012, 2013, 2014). In 2016 he won the Giraglia Rolex Cup and finished 2nd in the 400 Milles de Saint-Tropez. Since 2014, he has been registered with the Centre d'Entraînement Méditerranée (CEM) to prepare for solo offshore racing.
The Class40 Jeanne, rebuilt after the capsize
The Class40 Jeanne (no. 179) is a Cape Racing 40 designed by Étienne Bertrand, built by Cape Racing Yachts in Cape Town and launched in May 2022. After the capsize and keel loss, the boat went through the V1D2 yard in Caen for a complete rebuild: new Rivoyre Engineering keel, new Axxon mast, standing and running rigging redone, Incidences sails, NKE HR electronics. Camprubi started the 2022 Route du Rhum with this boat repaired three months after the accident, which he had then renamed Glace Romane.
Skysat preparation
Skysat handles the electronic and embedded systems preparation of the Class40 Jeanne for the current season.
Achievements
- Mediterranean IRC4 champion (2010), IRC1 (2013), IRC double (2013, 2014), IRC solo (2016)
- 2016 Giraglia Rolex Cup, 2nd in the 400 Milles de Saint-Tropez 2016
- Three wins at the Quadrasolo (2012, 2013, 2014)
- 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre in Class40 — 24th with Jean-Pierre Balmes
- 2022 Route du Rhum in Class40 — at the start three months after his capsize in Galicia
- 2024 Porquerolles Race — 3rd
