Skipper Alan Roura, Hublot ambassador since 2022, is continuing to push himself ever further. The Genevan is preparing to compete in two Atlantic crossings this autumn, one as a duo (the Transat Jacques Vabre) with fellow countryman Simon Koster, and one singlehandedly (Retour à La Base). This is a huge challenge, but one which will help him improve his skills aboard his IMOCA Hublot. It will also help Roura give himself the best possible chance to shine at the next Vendée Globe – one of the hardest races in the world – which is set to take place next November.

I always have this desire to push myself ever further, this conviction that I can always do better, that it’s possible to draw the best out of a boat. It is this feeling that is driving me to take on this incredible adventure with Hublot, before I contest my third Vendée Globe. The mission is all the more challenging as we have decided to complete it on board a boat which was designed for another sailor. We had to really apply ourselves to understand it and make it how we wanted it to be. We have put in place a system which uses the expertise and skills of everyone involved to ensure this project is a success. At the end of this long road lies the Vendée Globe, the “Everest of the seas” and the ultimate goal. It is the kind of challenge where you simply cannot ever give up, and that’s a good thing: it is exactly this mindset that we have cultivated with Hublot and the entire team – Alan Roura

A challenging autumn ahead at this moment in time, everything still needs finalising. We need to understand this IMOCA, improve its reliability, and build confidence on board like never before. We must accept that, when conditions deteriorate out there on the ocean, the learning curve can be steep. But Alan is the kind of person that will never give up. He will demonstrate this once again this autumn, in a season that is set to be particularly challenging. In the space of two months, the skipper will cross the Atlantic twice. The first crossing will begin on 29 October, when he takes on the “Transat Jacques Vabre”, the longest of the transatlantic routes, between Le Havre and Fortde-France in Martinique, in the company of Swiss co-skipper Simon Koster. Just a few days after arriving in Martinique, it will be time for the skipper’s second crossing, the “Retour à la Base”. The return journey from west to east will take the boat from Fort-de-France to Lorient, this time solo and in conditions that can be very demanding. This is a great opportunity to build up experience and deepen skills. Each day on board, each challenge and each success will be of great value, for there is just one purpose behind all of this: to be as prepared as possible for the Vendée Globe, the ultimate dream of anyone with a passion for ocean racing (departing in just over a year, on 10 November 2024).