Attention female sailors who wish to participate in their first competitive transatlantic race, the TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR Le Havre Normandie is renewing its Cap pour Elles initiative.

On the occasion of International Women’s Sport Day, the organization has just opened applications for a third edition, with a scholarship and personalized support for a female duo on a Class40*, to line up at the start from Le Havre on October 26.

What to remember:

• The call for “Cap pour Elles ” projects is open until February 21, 2025.
• The selected all-female duo will win funding and professional support to participate in the TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR Le Havre Normandie on October 26.
• Astronaut Claudie Haigneré will be the patron of this third edition.
• The winning duo will be announced on March 8.

 Pamela Lee and Tiphaine Ragueneau, winners of the 2023 edition of Cap Pour Elles © Jean-Marie Liot / Alea

Created four years ago, the Cap pour Elles project has become a key event. With this initiative, the organization of the TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR aims to support women, both financially and athletically, in their offshore racing endeavors and to highlight the feminization of the discipline. This support benefitted Julia and Jeanne Courtois in 2021, followed by Pamela Lee and Tiphaine Ragueneau in the last edition in 2023. “Cap pour Elles allowed us to immediately embark on a big-scale project, something I hadn’t perhaps considered right away,” explains Tiphaine Ragueneau, who is now competing on the Figaro circuit. “Since we succeeded in completing it, I was much less afraid to launch my own project. I told myself that I was capable of it.”

Who can participate? To apply, you must:

• Be a duo of adult women
• Not have participated in an offshore transatlantic race (except for the Transat 6.50)
• Have sailing experience and an ambitious nautical project.

Following the selections, the winners will benefit from funding to develop their Class40 project, and their registration fees will be covered. In terms of sports, they will follow a training program established by the Normandy Sailing League.In terms of management, they will be supported by recognized professionals to manage their communication and seek financial partners.

High-end coaching

To encourage and guide them in their offshore racing project, the winners will be coached by Anne Combier, an experienced mentor who has worked with the best sailors for over 30 years. Anne Combier pioneered the role of Team Manager and has previously supported Catherine Chabaud, Karine Fauconnier, and more recently Yannick Bestaven (2021 Vendée Globe winner).

The duo will also be supported by Claudie Haigneré. The French astronaut and patron of the 2025 TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR edition has also agreed to mentor the two female sailors who will win the project. Her incomparable experience will be a valuable asset for these young sailors.

How to apply?

Send your application file before February 21, 2025, to cappourelles@transatcafelor.org.

Each application must include:

• A presentation of the project, motivations, budget, values, and ambitions of the duo (maximum 4 to 5 pages)
• A presentation video (maximum 3 minutes, vertical format)
• A sailing CV (free format).

After February 21, the jury will review each submission and interview the candidates. They will announce the top 3 shortlisted applications on February 26. The public will then vote for their favorite duo of sailors.The winning duo of this third edition of Cap pour Elles will be revealed on March 8, International Women’s Rights Day.

*Class40: A 40-foot (12.18 m) monohull accessible to amateur sailors in offshore racing, both budgetarily and technically.

by Transat Café L’OR