A year ago, Edgard Vincens had other projects in mind than racing in the Mediterranean this summer. A year ago, this wine merchant from Bordeaux had just christened his brand new Class40, the 'Groupe Berkem', with which this 45-year-old and more than experienced sailor was preparing to pursue his dream: the Transat Jacques-Vabre 2023. And then the Route du Rhum. Fate decided otherwise. On the night of 30 to 31 May 2023, in the middle of the delivery trip from La Rochelle to Caen to take part in the Channel Race with his co-skipper, Julien Pulvé, the boat caught fire and sank. Along with the dream. And above all, two years of preparation for the great adventure came crashing down. And it's on a Class40 that he's been loaned, Jean-Pierre Balmes' 'Teata', based at La Grande-Motte, that the man who was, at 20, the youngest person to take part in the 1997 Solitaire du Figaro, comes to recharge his batteries on the MED MAX Occitanie-Saïdia Resorts. " I don't have any particular objective, I'm here to enjoy myself.says the sailor, who has no intention of being a figurehead either. With over thirty years' experience, from Figaro to J80 to Class40, the man who "was stealing (my father's) boat, with (my) sister, in the Arachon basin, at the age of 16".With him is a young sailor who is also 'in need': Vincent Domand, 32 years old from La Rochelle, brought up on the Olympic catamaran, the Nacra17, from the 'Vendée Formation' team in the Figaro3, embarked on a round the world adventure on Bruno Peyron's former maxi Orange, and sailed many other races with Arnaud 'Cali' Boissières. On his Imoca, moreover, the Rétais native broke the 'Tartine Cup' record in the Griffes du Lion challenge, initiated by Kito de Pavant. As for the course of the MED MAX Occitanie-Saïdia Resorts, Edgard Vincens, who touched down in the Mediterranean in 2022 on the Porquerolle's cup, the Giraglia and the Duo Max with Laurent Camprubi, and on the Paprec 600 Saint-Tropez 2024, finds it a very interesting one. "I'd have liked the West Indies even more". Mint tea rather than ti-punch isn't bad either.