Carpooling with Armel Le Cléac’h

For his seventh participation in the Transat Jacques Vabre, Armel Le Cléac’h, Lexus ambassador since 2020, is among the favorites.

On October 29th, 200 skippers will set sail from Le Havre for the longest transatlantic race, heading to Fort-de-France in Martinique. An exceptional lineup that will celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the “Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre” in grand style. Among these sailors, Armel Le Cléac’h will be one of the race favorites. In seven participations in this event, he has already finished third twice (2011 and 2021) and second once (2015).

Armel is competing this year in the Ultim category on his Maxi Banque Populaire XI with co-skipper Sébastien Josse. In their preparation, the two men won the Banque Populaire 24 Hours Ultim Grand Ouest on October 1st, a promising victory ahead of the Transat.

It was on the Transat Jacques Vabre that the Maxi Banque Populaire XI made its competitive debut in 2021, finishing in a promising third place under Armel Le Cléac’h’s helm. It is a true technological jewel, designed with a team of 19 people and 150 companies over two years. Its impressive features include: 32 meters in length, a 38-meter mast, a sail area reaching up to 760 m², a weight of 16 tons, and two enormous foils that literally make the boat fly one meter above the water!

The passionate pursuit of performance, excellence, and reliability, as well as the constant focus on improvement, naturally brought Armel Le Cléac’h and Lexus together. Armel has been a brand ambassador since 2020 and daily drives a Lexus RX 450h+: “When I return from training in extreme conditions aboard Banque Populaire XI, I love being able to enjoy the silence, exceptional comfort, and top safety features of my Lexus RX in complete serenity. I love this calm after the storm.”

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