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BNC - my::NET / LEON crew chase Rolex Sydney Hobart Double Handed dream

Home 2025 BNC - my::NET / LEON crew chase Rolex Sydney Hobart Double Handed dream

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If everything goes according to plan, Yann Rigal and Michel Quintin will cross the finish line in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in time for happy hour, and with days to spare before the big celebrations on New Year’s Eve.

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The sailors from New Caledonia entered their boat BNC - my::NET / LEON, in the Double Handed division of the 80th edition of the 628 nautical-mile race.  

They are among the 18 international entries in this year’s race which has attracted a total of 132 boats.

 The Sydney Hobart dream

Rigal and Quintin covered more than 1000 nautical miles during an eight-day journey from Nouméa to Sydney. The return leg from Hobart adds another 628 nautical miles. Add to this weather conditions that will be far from ideal for the delivery home. But these things don’t matter when one of the world’s most iconic races beckons.

Rigal and Quintin’s dream to compete in the race’s Double Handed division was put on hold due to the pandemic and recent civil unrest in New Caledonia. This year, they finally got their chance to sail to Hobart.

“It’s a long way for us to come to race in the Sydney Hobart,” Quintin said. “And we have to go back to Noumea in the cyclone season. But we’re excited because for a few years we have wanted to come here to be part of the race.”

Proven pedigree

Rigal and Quintin would love to equal BNC – my::NET / LEON’s (formerly Courrier Léon and later Banque de Nouvelle-Calédonie) two previous divisional wins in the race in 2015 and 2017.

As a fully crewed entry, Quintin co-skippered the yacht – then owned by Gery Trentesaux – as a fully crewed entry to second Overall and a divisional win in 2015. He returned in 2017 with Rigal as a crew member. They went on to win Division 4 again and set the race record for yachts under 11 metres.

That record still stands: three days, three hours, 22 minutes and 9 seconds.

The competition

Rigal and Quintin placed second Overall (first Double Handed boat) in the 2025 New Caledonia Groupama Race (654nm) in June, and they are eager to see how they stack up against the 19 Double Handed entries.

Among their key rivals is fellow JPK 10.30 Min River, owned by Jiang Lin and co-skippered by French offshore sailing legend Alexis Loison.

To outperform Min River won’t be easy. Loison brings formidable credentials, including two Double Handed Overall wins in the Rolex Fastnet Race (2013 and 2025). He also sailed on BNC – my::NET / LEON with Quintin when it finished second Overall in the 2015 Sydney Hobart.

Fingers crossed for a range of conditions

Still, Rigal and Quintin believe they have what it takes to produce a strong result.

“We think we can have a good result if we get good conditions and a bit of luck,” Quintin said.

Versatility is one of their strengths.

“We like all kinds of conditions – upwind, downwind, reaching, strong wind and light wind,” Quintin said. “If we get a mix of everything, maybe we can do well.”

Fatigue management

One of the biggest challenges in Double Handed racing is fatigue management. One of Rigal’s roles will be to make sure that Quintin gets enough sleep.

Rigal is the main navigator and bowman, while Quintin, the main “performer”, focuses on helming and sail trim.

Quintin’s drive for performance often means rest comes later in the race, sometimes not until 24 hours in, according to Rigal.

“The real challenge when you sail double handed with Michel is putting him to sleep, because he never sleeps,” Rigal said. “Once everything is set up, we try to sleep one after the other.”

Quintin adds, “There’s no rules for sleeping. We can have a 20-30 minutes maximum sleep. And we can sleep anywhere on board.”

Nourriture délicieuse (delicious food)

While sleep may be in short supply, good food certainly won’t be.

Asked whether freeze-dried meals would be on board, the response was immediate from both sailors: “We’re French.”

“We prepare homemade meals with our families, freeze them and heat them up on board,” Quintin said.

“We have good food: fish salad, sugar pork with rice, lasagna or pasta bolognese, carrot or chocolate cake and crepe Nutella.

“There is no compromise on the food on board.”