From mountains to oceans
New Zealand skipper Conrad Colman and ultra-trail runner Mathieu Blanchard are joining forces to cross the Atlantic, combining endurance, sharing, and discovery.
2 worlds, one same goal
After completing two editions of the Vendée Globe—in 2017 and then in 2024—solo and without using fossil fuels, New Zealand skipper Conrad Colman is taking on a new challenge: crossing the Atlantic with a co-skipper who is new to sailing but an ultra-trail specialist: “I like the idea of exchange. I pass on my sailing knowledge, and in return I discover the world of trail running with Mathieu. It's a complete adventure, both human and athletic.”
It all started with a conversation between someone who wanted to compete in a sailing race one day and an experienced skipper who loves challenges and the inspiration that can be found in other sports. As a student in Colorado, Conrad was a competitive mountain biker who loved losing himself on mountain trails for hours on end, pushing his limits on steep slopes. Although sailing has taken over the last 15 years, he is delighted to be back on the trails, even if a meniscus injury during the last Vendée Globe has dampened his enthusiasm for long rides somewhat.
Discovering offshore racing
Frenchman Mathieu Blanchard—a high-level ultra-trail runner—is much more accustomed to mountainous terrain, extreme elevation changes, and long hours of exertion in the great outdoors, but now he is going to discover the open sea. The goal? To transfer his ultra-endurance mindset to a nautical project, learn quickly, and adapt to a whole new environment.
I want to experience a great adventure, so strong emotions: I want to feel cold, afraid, pain, I want to suffer, be angry, be happy, marvel at starry skies
Heading to Martinique
This Transat Café L'Or is much more than just a race: it is a human adventure, an exchange of skills between two worlds—the sea and the mountains—and an opportunity to show that endurance, resilience, and ambition can be experienced just as well on a trail as on the ocean. The crossing promises to be full of challenges and lessons for the two athletes, who are eager to set off from Le Havre.
Race information
Departure: Sunday, October 26, 2025, from Le Havre, Normandy.
Start time: between 2:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Finish: Fort-de-France, Martinique, after approximately 10 to 15 days at sea
Distance: approximately 3,750 nautical miles, or nearly 7,000 kilometers.
Format: double-handed race, open to IMOCA, Ocean Fifty, and Class40 classes
