The 52 SUPER SERIES will welcome an enthusiastic new French team to the circuit this season as Dr Jean-Jacques Chaubard’s Team Vision Future set out to raise their game on the world’s leading monohull circuit after several years of success in the Mediterranean and further afield. Regular podium finishes at events like Copa del Rey in their previous TP52 and GP42, such as finishing second to Alegre at the Bay of Palma summer showcase in 2017, left the passionate owner and his amateur crew with the desire to move up a level and try some 52 SUPER SERIES events.
Before they head to Sail Racing Palma Vela in early May, where they will be pitched against nine 52 SUPER SERIES teams all warming up for the start of the season in Mahon, Team Vision Future have been training hard from their base in Marseille. Before the Palma warm up they will have completed two IRC regattas there – the 38th Massilia Cup which they won last weekend and this weekend’s SNIM regatta which they are looking to win for the fifth time in a row.
They have been getting to grips with their new boat which is the former 2015 Botin designed Sled, doing all they can to ensure they are as competitive as possible.
“We are coming with humility. It is all a big change for our owner and us, not least because we are used to working on handicap with an allowance, but here we will be up against some of the best sailors in the world and if you are last you are last. There is no time compensation.” Says Mikael Mergui, the skipper-helm.
They sailed together first with a GP42 which was previously the Med Cup boat Near Miss and then raced the second Team Vision Future which was a TP52 which started out as the 2008 Artemis. Owner Dr Jean-Jacques Chaubard is an ophthalmic surgeon who runs Vision Future eye clinics in the south of France and has been racing for more than 20 years.
The crew are all amateur sailors with the exception of the skipper-helm Mergui. Many have come through the Olympic and dinghy classes in the Hyeres and Toulon area.
“We have had some great information and help from Don Cowie and the Sled guys and we are now really looking forwards to seeing how we get on at Palma Vela. We will be there early to train from the Sunday and so hopefully will be able to train and tune alongside the other boats.” Says Mergui.
“We will do Palma Vela and Mahon, then the Rolex TP52 Worlds in Puerto Portals and probably Porto Cervo depending how we get on in these events.”
Photo Credit: Thomas Deregnieaux / Team Vision Future – March Training, 2019
