Corporate 02 may 2022 Let's sail together, until the Vendée Globe 2024

Let's sail together, until the Vendée Globe 2024

The Fives Group and Lantana Environnement set sail for the Vendée Globe!

Fives - an international engineering group headquartered in France - and Lantana Environnement - an association that promotes pollination initiatives - are embarking on the Vendée Globe adventure with Louis Duc at the helm. The Normandy skipper gave a new lease of life to his 2006 Farr design IMOCA last year, and it underwent a two-stage optimization-recycling campaign this winter. The vessel will be launched in Caen on Wednesday, May 4, with new rigging, angled daggerboards... and new livery, representing "Fives - Lantana Environnement."

Following a 2021 season primarily dedicated to repair and recycling work on his IMOCA (financed via crowdlending) and ending with a superb Transat Jacques Vabre alongside co-skipper Marie Tabarly, Louis Duc can now focus his sights fully on the 2024 Vendée Globe, thanks to the support of the Fives Group and the association Lantana Environnement as title sponsors; plus the company Best Énergies and the partner club "Votre entreprise autour du monde."

A long-term partnership underpinned by shared values and ambition

There is already a long-standing relationship between Louis Duc and the Fives Group, given that the group's Lorient subsidiary (Five Syleps) was Louis' very first sponsor during his very first offshore race: the 2005 Mini Transat!* This time, the entire Fives Group is on board with the Normandy skipper for 3 years, with the Vendée Globe on the horizon.

Frédéric Sanchez, Chairman and CEO of the Fives Group:"This is a first for Fives! A very meaningful first. A sailor has to tackle difficult conditions. He must be resilient, think in the long-term, work in a team and innovate. And these reflect our own challenges each day, supporting our customers. First and foremost, Fives is a group of passionate men and women, proud to be pioneers and above all, proud to show that industry can do it.

The Group has worked hard for over 15 years to reduce the industry's carbon emissions. Our technological solutions actively make a difference in the fight against climate change and the energy transition by our customers, who are keenly aware of the need to reduce their environmental impact worldwide. Louis Duc's IMOCA renovation project echoed Fives' ambition to spearhead the industry of the future - a virtuous and mutually responsible industry."

Gardens for bees, a common cause

The landscaping network Lantana Paysage/ALPE, an early sponsor of Louis Duc's IMOCA project, has established the Lantana Environnement association. This organization's goal is to aid pollination by offering members - but also individuals, companies and landscapers - the opportunity to host hives and plant honey-producing flowers.

In line with their 2021 commitment, the Lantana landscapers' network chose to showcase their environmental values on Louis' sails.

Guillaume de Germay, Chairman of Lantana Environnement: "As landscapers, we feel we have a part to play in this vital mission to protect the environment. We have exhibition gardens where we can host hives and plant honey-producing species, which is why we created Lantana Environnement.

Our work with Louis on his Vendée Globe project aims to promote this action amongst as many people as possible, so that it spreads and brings new hive hosts together, outside our network of landscapers. As everyone, whether individuals or companies, can get behind this action and host a hive. Beekeepers are also involved in this project to install and manage the hives and swarms."

Best Énergies

Best Énergies, an engineering firm dedicated to energy saving, joined Louis Duc last year, within Club Veam (Votre Entreprise Autour du Monde). Won over by the project, its CEO Emmanuel Bigot chose to go one step further: "Louis' project mirrors our initiative to make continuous improvements in our energy engineering projects. We both want to improve the performance of this vessel. Renew, recycle, optimize: that's what we endeavor to offer in terms of onboard energy production. We share common values with Louis, and what better way to establish a link with our development in the island sector and assist with clean energy self-sufficiency than a boat?"

New livery, new rigging, new daggerboards

Decked out in its new livery, the Fives - Lantana Environnement IMOCA will be launched in Caen on Wednesday. Louis and his team have successfully completed two optimization-recycling projects side by side this winter, including salvaging François Gabart's old mast (with which he won the 2012 Vendée Globe) and fitting angled daggerboards (using Manuel Cousin's daggerboard trunk molds). The sails were resized to fit the new rigging. The boat was transformed and optimized to accommodate its new add-ons.

Louis will tackle qualification in a few days, before setting off for the Vendée Arctique in early June.

* In 2005, Louis salvaged an (already) derelict Mini 6.50 and completely renovated it for the Mini Transat. History is repeating itself, and the values are clear!

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Relationships based on trust and hard work

Louis Duc, Fives - LantanaEnvironnementskipper: "We are fortunate to welcome two title sponsors. They are newcomers, although we have known each other for a long time.

The Fives Group has supported me on and off since 2005 through its Lorient subsidiary. This time, the entire Group is behind us - it's a major milestone in this relationship of trust which has been built over the years. I am extremely happy to share this Vendée Globe project with them.

We also know Lantana Environnement very well, as it is an association established by Lantana Paysage (our title co-sponsor in 2021, who supported us in 2015 in Class40).

Guillaume de Germay moves heaven and earth to work with us. He truly believes in this sailing partnership to help improve awareness of Lantana Environnement.

So these are two sponsors who have been involved in our projects for years, and we are growing together, because these are relationships based on trust and hard work.

Finally, Best Energies wants to help develop the boat's equipment: optimizing the existing situation and innovating (battery systems, recoverable energies, etc.). There are already solutions around, but it is exciting to discuss and reflect on innovations that could benefit everyone later on."

"It's going to be like a brand new boat"

Louis Duc, Fives - LantanaEnvironnementskipper: "It's great to manage to launch in early May! Last year it was late August, so we're making progress (laughs)! The first objective of the season is the Vendée Arctique.

I can't even think ahead to the first journey as we have so much work to do... I'm really keen to discover the new version of the boat, but we're not going to rush anything. We need to finalize everything properly before testing these major changes at sea.

With the new daggerboards, it's going to be like a brand new boat. We'll need to tame it! The Vendée Arctique will truly be a race of discovery."

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Fives, your partner for a more virtuous industry

The Fives Group has been at the heart of industrial revolutions for over 200 years. From the first railway lines to the elevators at the Eiffel Tower and space exploration, FIVES has always spearheaded the industry of the future. A pioneer in reducing carbon emissions, the Group is a crucial partner in the industry's energy transition. Through digitalization, promoting the circular economy, the development of new processes and new sources of energy, FIVES supports its customers with its technological leadership.

Lantana Environnement

Devoted to environmental protection, the landscapers from the Lantana Paysage/ALPE network and their employees wanted to step up their initiatives.

Our trusted and reliable members seek to encourage pollination and the installation of hives, not just in their own exhibition gardens (planting honey-producing flowers), but also by getting other hosts involved through local and national advocacy activities.

The non-profit organization Lantana Environnement aims to encourage the installation of hives, by establishing agreements between hosts and responsible beekeepers.

Best Énergies

Best Énergies is an engineering firm specializing in the design and engineering of power plants to optimize, secure profits and reduce the environmental impact of energy production and distribution facilities and other public utilities.

Best Énergies has been ISO 9001 certified since 2014. Its experience in the energy market, renewable energies, energy efficiency and the quality of its services allow it to form long and medium-term partnerships with major public and private clients.

The technical expertise and know-how of its teams is recognized and established through professional qualifications, including several with the RGE label.

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Fives - Lantana Environnement IMOCA 2022 schedule

May 4 Launch

Mid-May Qualification

June 4 - 25 Vendée Arctique

July 13 - 23 Drheam Cup

August Technical work

Sept. 15 - 18 Défi Azimut

November 6 Start of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe

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