Edenred sets sail for the second year in a row

Following on from its sponsorship during the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2018, Edenred, the global leader in payment solutions for the working world, has renewed its commitment to Class40 yachtsman Emmanuel Le Roch. The French skipper will sail under Edenred colors for the entire 2019 racing season and participate for the first time in the Transat Jacques Vabre. In this double-handed transatlantic race, participants will set sail from Le Havre, France on October 27 and head toward Salvador da Bahia in Brazil.

After helping Emmanuel Le Roch realize his dream of participating in his first Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race, the Edenred Group will continue the “True Dream” adventure alongside the skipper in 2019. The agenda for the year includes nearly 10,000 nautical miles of sailing, with the Défi Atlantique up first, followed by the Normandy Channel Race, the Armen Race and then the Transat Jacques Vabre, the last big event in a season focused on teamwork. The name of the sailor who will serve as co-skipper alongside Emmanuel Le Roch for the Transat Jacques Vabre will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“Edenred is proud to continue this inspiring partnership with Emmanuel Le Roch. Emmanuel represented the Group so well during the Route du Rhum, showing extraordinary courage and selflessness. His personality and values perfectly embody the commitment, imagination and simplicity that drive Edenred’s 8,500 employees in 45 countries. This year again, he can be assured of the enthusiastic support of our teams, particularly since the route for the Jacques Vabre race connects two of the Group’s most emblematic markets, Brazil and France,” said Bertrand Dumazy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Edenred.

An intense season ahead

The first race of the season, the two-stage Défi Atlantique, will depart from Guadeloupe on March 23. After a short stopover at Horta in the Azores, the participating crews will set sail for La Rochelle, where they are expected to arrive mid-April. “In a Transat Jacques Vabre year, the Défi Atlantique is a good opportunity to clock up some miles and gain some more experience,” said Emmanuel Le Roch. “I feel honored to have Edenred’s support for the second year in a row. The 2019 racing season is particularly intense. That makes it even more motivating and exciting. Edenred’s project will once again be focused on people, and I’m delighted to be bringing all of the Group’s employees on board with me. Their support during the Route du Rhum was unwavering, in the good times and the bad. I feel very lucky to have the Group by my side, and I look forward to continuing the adventure.”

KEY DATES FOR 2019

March 23: Défi Atlantique (Pointe-à-Pitre > Horta > La Rochelle, crew of 2 or more)
May 19: Normandy Channel Race (starts and ends in Caen, via the Isle of Wight, Tuskar Rock and Fastnet lighthouse in Ireland, double-handed)
May 30: Armen Race (starts and ends in La Trinité-sur-Mer, via the Chaussée de Sein and Île d’Yeu, crew of 2 or more)
October 27: Transat Jacques Vabre (Le Havre in France > Salvador da Bahia in Brazil, double-handed)