After a successful Solitaire URGO Le Figaro in 2019 with Yoann Richomme, HelloWork returns this season, with the Figaro Bénéteau 3 ready to take part in La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE. This time it will be Fabien Delahaye and Benjamin Schwartz, already training partners at Le HUB by OC Sport, who will take up the challenge! After an impressive 4th place at the Tour de Bretagne in 2019, the two skippers are excited to return to competition as a duo. They have been hard at work training since the boats launch in January and have great ambitions for HelloWork for the race between Concarneau and Saint Barthélémy, which will start on April 19. Read more from the two sailors below.
Same route, different boat
Benjamin: “This will be my first La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE and I am delighted to be part of it with HelloWork! This is the only Figaro Bénéteau 3 race that I have included in my program for the moment and it is a great way for me to end my first cycle on the circuit. It will be interesting to see what the new boat looks like on an Atlantic crossing - the accelerations can be quite strong, the angles are higher and the movements are greater due to the foils. I think it’s going to be fun because the boat is really nice as soon as there is a little air, it has interesting speed potentials. And then we have a nice reward at the end when we arrive in St Barth!”
Fabien: “I have participated three times in La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE with good results each time (winner in 2010, 4th in 2012 and 2nd in 2014) so it’s a race which I have good results and good memories. When you spend 20 days at sea as a duo, it’s always a good time to share the race together. And there’s something unique about this race being on a level playing field, which is what always makes you want to participate. This time it will be special because it will be the first Transat on the Figaro Bénéteau 3, meaning we have to think about the strategy completely differently. The race will not be won until right up to the finish line. The other unique thing about this race is that when you pass the door of the Canaries, you still have no visibility in terms of weather and strategy until the finish. It is therefore a bit of an educated bet on the choice of route to take to reach the Antilles. You have to know how to read the little clues and have a good feeling.”
An obvious duo
Benjamin: “It was an obvious decision to participate in this new edition of the La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE with Fabien. We have known each other since 2017 when we both worked at Dongfeng Race Team and we spent a lot of time together until the end of the Volvo Ocean Race campaign in June 2018. Then we both went to the Figaro, it was a return for Fabien and a discovery for me and we spent the whole of last season together, in training, in racing - we shared everything. So it is true that it was quite natural to participate in the La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE with him aboard HelloWork. After our Tour de Bretagne, I know that we are complementary on board, so it should go well.”
Fabien: “With Benjamin we are on the same wavelength. He is very sharp and interesting on this kind of project and he leaves nothing to chance. On the water he is a very good technician, he has the right perspective on all the maneuvers and details that can improve performance. The last time we sailed together in the race, we had a good performance on a format that was not favorable for us on paper, so it is very encouraging. And then we are complementary together: I am normally at the helm trying to make the boat move fast all the time, Ben is very good at maneuvering, setting sail, managing the boat. Finally, we have known each other for a long time, and this is for me a very important asset.”
On deck since January
Fabien: “Thanks to the complete support of Le HUB by OC Sport, we have been able to focus on our training. They have supported us on all the logistics, technical and sporting aspects - it’s a huge asset. We’ve been training a lot together since the launch to get our bearings. We continue to discover the boat but the big advantage is that we no longer have technical problems to solve, which had lost us a lot of navigation time in the pre-season last year. So we were able to navigate quickly after the launch. We are working a lot with Incidences sailmaker to have a specific set of sails for the Transat. We are also thinking about the essential little things because it is a 20-day race, so you have to think about “life on board” but also about “performance” with a boat that will necessarily be heavier than in training.”
Benjamin: “The last time we sailed together was on the Tour de Bretagne so we can say that we are picking up where we left off! We train a lot, in all conditions and it always goes well, we are comfortable. We are continuing to explore a number of possibilities in terms of the La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE, we are testing a lot of sails and working on all the little details. “
Ambitious goals
Benjamin: “Of course we have ambitious goals! I think we can legitimately have them as our duo is competitive. We want to offer HelloWork a beautiful result to thank them for their trust! We know that there will be a very good level on the race but we have set important goals and we will give ourselves the means to get there.”
Fabien: “Once again I only have good memories La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE so I have to want to taste it again! But we know that nothing will be certain and it will be necessary to concentrate until the end.”
A word from David Beaurepaire, Deputy Director of HelloWork
“After a successful first experience as a sponsor during the Solitaire URGO Le Figaro with Yoann Richomme, HelloWork is proud to repeat the experience and to launch a new challenge. This time it will be a transatlantic challenge, with the La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE.
It is a sport with which we share a large number of values, which deserves high standards, experience and determination! Humble and experienced, our two skippers promise us great emotions. It is with enthusiasm that the collaborators await the departure of the two skippers Benjamin Schwartz and Fabien Delahaye. We will involve our customers and partners so that they can join our enthusiasm for this sporting adventure. “
A word from Hervé Favre, President of OC SPORT Pen Duick
“Building on its success last year on the Solitaire URGO Le Figaro alongside Le HUB by OC Sport, HelloWork has chosen to renew its confidence and commitment with our team. HelloWork will participate in La Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE - the only transatlantic double-handed and equal arms race - as the title partner on one of our Figaro Bénéteau 3 boats.
In early 2019, we opened the HUB by OC Sport in Lorient, marking our return to the management of sports projects, our original profession. This renewal confirms the HUB’s unique positioning as a vital support platform for sponsors and sailors. It’s with great enthusiasm that we are once again joining HelloWork.”
About HelloWork
HelloWork, the benchmark digital player in employment, recruitment and training in France, supports workers throughout their professional lives, companies, recruitment firms, training centres and schools on the promotion of their training offers and much more.
HelloWork generated more than 17 million candidate-recruiter and candidate-training centre referrals to 11,000 customers in 2019. With 325 employees, €51.6 million in orders in 2019 and 20 years of experience, the various HelloWork platforms gather an average of 4 million unique Visitors per month (Médiametrie // NetRatings - Measure Internet Global - 2019). HelloWork is the first HR Tech company in the FrenchWeb500 ranking (30th position).
Read more about what they do here
