Loïck Peyron announced as skipper of Maxi Banque Populaire V

by Marine Carrié on 8 Jun 2011 Loick Peyron was announced today as the skipper of the Maxi Banque Populaire V. The press conference was held in Paris with Olivier Klein, CEO of the Commercial and Insurance Bank of BPCE Group, making the announcement.

Peyron, a La Baule native and holder of 42 Atlantic crossings and three laps around the World, will now be the skipper of the largest ocean racing trimaran ever built on the next Bank’s attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. Within the Team Banque Populaire, led by Ronan Lucas, Loïck Peyron joins Jeanne Grégoire and Armel Le Cléac'h.

Owner of the Maxi Banque Populaire V, a Figaro Bénéteau and a 60-foot monohull, Official Partner of the French Sailing Federation, the French Sailing Olympic Team, of Eric Tabarly Association and of the CNOSF, Banque Populaire 'is in full sail' and heads for 2012, reaffirming its performance objective. After having designated Armel Le Cléac'h to helm her new monohull for the next Vendée Globe, she has now entrusted Loick Peyron with the helm of her maxi multihull for the next record attempt round the world sailing crew non-stop and unassisted.

Loick Peyron, with impressive credits on all types of boats, is a multihull specialist who has developed numerous boats in this category. His experience with world tours and the G-Class is unquestionable. At the helm of the Maxi multihull Innovation Explorer, he ranked second in 'The Race', the first 'no limits'

Loïck is a perfect ambassador of the Banque Populaire’s values. Enterprising, intelligent, audacious and always ready to face new challenges, he is also one of the most popular sportsmen in France for many years. Olivier Klein, CEO of the Commercial and Insurance Bank of BPCE Group has, during the press conference, stressed the consistency in the selection Loïck Peyron.

'The Maxi Banque Populaire V is an illustration of the credo that animates every Banques Populaires: confidence in the willingness of men to reach their full potential through their projects and work, through their desire to excel, their personal commitment, as their team spirit. Every day in our regions, Banques Populaires accompany daring and enterprising people to make their desire to act a reality. This project also demonstrates the taste of the Bank for challenges. Loick Peyron, by his exceptional career and his appreciation of challenges seemed the perfect candidate to lead this ship so emblematic of our company. '

Loick Peyron said he was 'very pleased to be entrusted with such a great project within a high quality team. ' He also 'thanked Banque Populaire, the historic sailing sponsor, for her confidence. '

A new chapter in the sailing history of the Bank, a major player in the nautical world, has begun. It is now time for Loick Peyron and his crew to write the lines.

The beginning of the season will be dedicated to training, in the next few days off Lorient, home port of the largest multihull. Then, from June 17 to 21st, the Maxi Banque Populaire V and her team will take part in the Record SNSM and in the historic Fastnet race in August.

Then, the time will come to prepare for the Jules Verne Trophy which standby’s period is set for early November 2011.

About Banques Populaires
The Banque Populaire network consists of 18 regional Banques Populaires, of the Credit Cooperative and of the Casden Banque Populaire. Independent, these banks exercise in all areas of commercial banking and insurance in a close relationship with their customers. Banque Populaire, with 7.8 million customers (including 3.8 million members) and 3,300 branches, is part of the second largest banking group in France: BPCE Group.

Loick Peyron
Portrait and credits extract
Skipper of the  Maxi Banque Populaire V
Born on December 1, 1959 in Nantes
Married, four children

Son of a sailing enthusiast, Loïck learned how to sail alongside his two brothers Stephen and Bruno at the Pouliguen, in the Loire-Atlantique region. In 1972 he was twelve years old when his uncle Jean-Yves Terlain took him to attend the launching of Vendredi-13, with which he will later participate in The Transat. Impressed, the man who is sometimes today referred to as  'the Last of the Mohicans, 'is, as a child, already dreaming of becoming a professional skipper. From that moment the young man devoted himself to speed on sea and becomes passionate, in a permanent quest for performance. That is it; he will sail around oceans and undertakes his first transatlantic crossing at eighteen years old.

In the 1990s, at the helm of the trimaran Fujicolor, he won many races and no fewer than 4 titles of ORMA* Championship in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2002. Loïck Peyron has been consistently sailing, always multiplying experience on different boats. No sailing boat model escapes him and he has, over the years, built himself a formidable record in racing ocean. He has, in particular, won three times The Transat, (race alone), participated in three rounds the world, crossed 42 times the Atlantic, including 15 times solo.

Loick also has qualities in communicating in an outstanding way, always eager to share his passion for sailing. Officer of the Legion of Honor, he is, beyond a harden sailor, a major advisor in the field of shipbuilding in line with big names like Eric Tabarly

An Exceptional career
- In 1985, he won the Race of Europe aboard 'Lada Poch'.
- In 1985, he won a leg victory in La Solitaire du Figaro.
- In 1987, he won La Baule-Dakar aboard 'Lada Poch 2'.
- In 1990, he finished second aboard 'Lada Poch 3', on the Vendee Globe Challenge although he had to divert to give assistance to Philippe Poupon who capsized.

- Between 1992 and 2005,  eight times winner of the Trophée Clairefontaine and two times twice of the Transat.
- Between 1993 and 1999, he won 13 victories and two second ranks out of 15 Grand Prix.

2000 to date ...
During the 2000-2001 edition of The Race, he finished second aboard the maxi trimaran Innovation Explorer and undertook  this circumnavigation with crew in 64d 22h 32min38s.

- In 2001, he won the Transat Jacques Vabre aboard the trimaran 'Fujifilm'.
- In 2005, he won the Transat Jacques Vabre with Jean-Pierre Dick on the 60 foot monohull Virbac-Paprec.
- Between 2005 and 2007, he got eight victories out of nine races.
- From 2006, the Rothschild family appointed Loick Peyron as General Directora of Gitana Team. The team built a 60-foot monohull, 'Gitana Eighty,' with which Loick Peyron won The Transat in 2008.
- A few months later, during the Vendee Globe, 'Gitana Eighty' dismasted fifteen miles behind the leader, forcing Loïck to retire.

- Loick Peyron participated in the 2010 'Alinghi adventure ', alongside Ernesto Bertarelli, as co-helmsman in the the America's Cup battle.

- On April 4, after three months at sea with Jean Pierre Dick, skipper of 'Virbac Paprec 3', he won the Barcelona World Race (dual race around the world by the three caps). The 21 and 22 January

2011, during the Barcelona World Race, Loick Peyron and Jean-Pierre Dick set a new 24h record on a  60 feet monohull covering the distance of 506.333 nautical miles.

Excerpt from interview
Olivier Klein Director General Commercial and Insurance Bank of BPCE Group.

New challenges and a commitment remaining strong
'We are very pleased to entrust Loick Peyron with the Maxi Banque Populaire V’s helm. He is a friendly sailor with an exceptional talent.  I have no doubt that the Team Banque Populaire with Loïck will perform great things in this exciting adventure. '

'The appointment of Loïck concludes a series of announcements confirming our willingness to engage in sailing in a performance quest along with a desire of proximity. Performance with our three skippers, Armel, Jeanne and Loïck within the Team Banque Populaire, proximity with all our actions and those of regional banks for the development of sailing in France. '

Loick Peyron Skipper of Maxi Banque Populaire V
'I am very pleased and honored by the confidence that Banque Populaire has in me. And also aware of the enormous burden and the high liability represented by the Jules Verne Trophy. It's also great, a difficult challenge to overcome, but if there is something that I know how to do, is to adapt myself. For the human parts and the mechanical aspects, there is a great team around and everything seems well established. I now have to use this tools already created and manage them, it still remains a heavy load. '

Banque Populaire V has got a high potential
'On the Maxi Banque Populaire V, everything seems to have been nicely done and from the outside, I had a good feeling about the boat's potential. She has already proven it with the first nice records which are the North-Atlantic crossing, the 24h record and the Mediterranean, and has got everything to beat the Jules Trophy Verne.

The almost entire program has been achieved, this boat holds, and for a long time, the most beautiful records. The Jules Verne only remains! We hope to have some chance on the weather as it is now what prevails on this record. One attitude of today’s records hunters is knowing that it can sometimes take several attempts.'

No reason to change the crew
'About the crew, it a priori turns out that there is no reason change anything, except for some downtime of some of them. Having the experience of the boat and of records is a benefit when getting into a team already in place ».

Ronan Lucas, Director of the Team Banque Populaire

For synergies
'We are very pleased to welcome Loïck in the Team. He benefits from an extensive experience, with whom we hope winning this great challenge that is the Jules Verne Trophy. We have often been competitors in the ORMA championship and have had great battles. He has an undeniable talent and incredible vista. I think it is one of the best sailor in France and even worldwide. '

'In terms of the Team Banque Populaire, now that our fleet is in full force, we will go for synergies and skills of the Team, especially in the fields of electronics, composite, information technology, logistics and administration for the benefit of every Banque Populaire’s boats from the Figaro to the Maxi, including of course our new 60 ' monohull. The goal is to place the different sports teams and their respective skippers in the best conditions for everyone to achieve their goals. Achievements and developments of a boat can be used for the entire fleet. '

'In response to the fleet development and performance objectives, I am surrounded by the Team in place for seven years that continues and has expanded this winter with a new technical director and referring during the Trophée Jules Verne, Pierre-Emmanuel Hérissé. 'PE', as we all call him, in charge of the technical coordination between the different projects, will also have an eye on the 60 ' monohull as it has a long experience of these boats.

The Team’s added value lies in its experience over many years in the development and construction of high performance boats such as the trimaran 60 feet Banque Populaire IV and the Maxi Banque Populaire V. So today, we put our knowledge at the service of all our projects. Including that of our Research Department headed by Kevin Escoffier, who is currently working on the ballasts’s redistribution of the Monohull 60 'Banque Populaire, while ensuring the follow up on the Maxi’s repairs with Pierre-Yves Moreau, , « boat captain », for her next attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. '

Extract from Loïck Peyron’s credits
42 Atlantic crossings, including 17 solo
- Three around the world races
- Five ORMA Champion titles

2011
Barcelona World Race: Winner on Virbac Paprec 3 with Jean-Pierre Dick

2008
- SNSM Record: Winner aboard the monohull Gitana Eighty
- The Transat: Winner on Gitana Eighty
- Opi Ouest France: Winner on  Domaine du Mont d'Arbois, an Open 7.50 of the Gitana Team
 
2007
- Transat Ecover BtoB: Winner on the monohull Gitana Eighty
- Transat Jacques Vabre: 8th on Gitana Eighty with Jean-Baptiste Levaillant (transatlantic double)
- Lake Geneva Bol d'Or: Winner on Okalys (D35)

2006
- Julius Baer Challenge: Winner on Okalys (D35)

2005
- Lake Geneva Bol d'Or: Winner on Okalys (D35)
- Julius Baer Challenge: Winner on Okalys (D35)
- Transat Jacques Vabre: Winner, double as co-skipper on the monohull Virbac-Paprec of Jean-Pierre Dick
- Route des Iles : Winner with Dimitri Deruelle
- Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner

2003
- Transat Jacques Vabre: Second, double as co-skipper on Belgacom trimaran Jean-Luc Nélias
- Figaro: Sixth

2002
- Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner

2001
- Transat Jacques Vabre: Third on the trimaran Fujifilm
- The Race: Second on the catamaran Innovation Explorer

1999
- Claire fontaine Trophy: Winner
- Transat Jacques Vabre: First on Fujicolor II with Franck Proffit
- Course de l’Europe: First on Fujicolor II

1998
- Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
- Route du Rhum: Fifth Fujicolor II
- Course de l’Europe: Winner on Fujicolor II

1997
- Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
- Course de l’Europe: Winner on Fujicolor II
- Transat Jacques Vabre: Third on Fujicolor II

1996
- Transat: Winner on Fujicolor II
- Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
- Transat Quebec-Saint Malo: Winner on Fujicolor II
- Grand Prix de Fecamp: Winner on Fujicolor II

1995
- Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
- Course de l’Europe: Winner on Fujicolor II
- Grand Prix de Fecamp: Winner on Fujicolor II
- Grand Prix de Saint Nazaire: Winner on Fujicolor II

1994
- Multihull Trophy: Winner on Fujicolor II
- Twostar: Second on Fujicolor II

1993
- Multihull Trophy: Winner on Fujicolor II
- Transat Jacques Vabre: Third monohull on Fujicolor II
- Course de l’Europe: Winner on Fujicolor Banque Populaire website