# Retour à la base

The Retour à la base, formerly Transat B to B (short for "back to Brittany") is a transatlantic single-handed yacht race exclusive to IMOCA 60 yachts, which first took place in 2007. It was introduced as a return race from destination of the Transat Jacques Vabre to Brittany, Metropolitan France, home to most IMOCA teams.
Since its introduction it was held every four years in the year before the Vendée Globe except 2019.
A crewed edition was planned for 2021 but was cancelled later.

## History

| Year | Name | Parcours | Distance | Winner | Time |
| 2007 | Transat Ecover B to B | Salvador de Bahia - Port-la-Forêt | 4 200 | Loick Peyron (FRA) | 14d 9h 13m 25s |
| 2011 | Transat B to B | Saint-Barthélemy - au large de Espagne | | François Gabart (FRA) | 9d 9h 11m 30s |
| 2015 | Transat Saint Barth-Port la Forêt | Saint-Barthélemy - Port-la-Forêt | 3 400 | Sébastien Josse (FRA) | 10d 5h 18m 17s |
| 2023 | Retour à la Base | Fort-de-France - Lorient | 3 500 | Yoann Richomme (FRA) | 9d 0h 03m 48s |

## 2007 Edition

List of 2007 participants :
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Time |
| 1 | Loick Peyron (FRA) | Gitana Eighty | 14d 09h 13m 25s |
| 2 | Kito De Pavant (FRA) | Groupe Bel | 14d 12h 22m 49s |
| 3 | Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) | Foncia (1) | 14d 13h 43m 24s |
| 4 | Yann Elies (FRA) | Generali | 14d 19h 22m 02s |
| 5 | Marc Guillemot (FRA) | Safran (2) | 15d 08h 25m 44s |
| 6 | Bernard Stamm (SUI) | Cheminées Poujoulat (3) | 15d 16h 24m 34s |
| 7 | Samantha Davies (GBR) | Roxy | 17d 17h 38m 46s |
| 8 | Yannick Bestaven (FRA) | Cervin EnR | 18d 00h 57m 48s |
| 9 | Arnaud Boissières (FRA) | Akena Vérandas | 19d 00h 57m 26s |
| 10 | Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (FRA) | Maisonneuve | 20d 06h 21m 45s |
| 11 | Rich Wilson (USA) | Great American III | 21d 23h 22m 34s |
| 12 | Derek Hatfield (CAN) | Spirit of Canada | 22d 02h 20m 21s |
| DNF | Dee Caffari (GBR) | Aviva 111 | demasted |
| DNF | Mike Golding (GBR) | Ecover III | issues with electronics |
| DNF | Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA) | Brit Air | demasted |

## 2011 Edition

List of 2011 participants :
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Time |
| 1 | François Gabart (FRA) | MACIF | 9j 09h 11min 30s |
| 2 | Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA) | Banque Populaire VI | 9j 13h 08min 10s |
| 3 | Vincent Riou (FRA) | PRB 4 | 9j 15h 30min 20s |
| 4 | Mike Golding (GBR) | Gamesa | 9j 18h 58min 00s |
| 4 | Alex Thomson (GBR) | Hugo Boss 4 | 10j 01h 43min 00s |
| 5 | Marc Guillemot (FRA) | Safran 2 | 9j 21h 33min 00s |
| 6 | Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) | Virbac Paprec 3 | 11j 06h 55min 00s |
| 7 | Louis Burton (FRA) | Bureau Vallée (1) | 11j 19h 25min 00s |

## 2015 Edition

List of 2015 participants :
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Time |
| 1 | Sébastien Josse (FRA) | Edmond de Rothschild | 10d 05h 18m 17s |
| 2 | Fabrice Amedeo (FRA) | Newrest - Matmut | 12d 23h 57m 42s |
| 3 | Enda O'Coineen (IRE) | Currency House Kilcullen | 13d 22h 19m 55s |
| 4 | Morgan Lagraviere (FRA) | Safran (3) | 16d 13h 32m 02s |
| DNF | Paul Meilhat (FRA) | SMA | |
| DNF | Eric Holden (CAN) | O CANADA | |
| DNF | Thomas Ruyant (FRA) | Le Souffle du Nord | |

## 2023 Edition

The course is between Fort-de-France, Martinique, overseas France and Lorient, Brittany, Metropolitan France. It was held as a qualification race for the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe following the Transat Jacques Vabre in the 2023 IMOCA 60 race calendar.
32 skippers started the race. For several skippers it was the first solo race in an IMOCA 60, among others Sam Goodchild, Yoann Richomme, Violette Dorange and Nico Lunven. Several skippers who announced to compete had to cancel their participation due to damages taken during the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre or illness. Most notably reining Vendée Globe winner Yannick Bestaven and Charlie Dalin.
The race start was on 30th November 2023. Tanguy Le Turquais and Jean Le Cam started several days later.
List of 2023 participants :
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Boat | Boat | Finishing time (UTC+1) | Elapsed time | Ref. |
| Pos. | Skipper | Sail No. | Boat Name | Year | Finishing time (UTC+1) | Elapsed time | Ref. |
| 1 | Yoann Richomme (FRA) | FRA 24 | Paprec Arkéa | 2023 | 09/12/2023 17:03:48 | 9d 00h 03m 48s | |
| 2 | Jérémie Beyou (FRA) | FRA 3 | Charal (2) | 2022 | 09/12/2023 22:53:31 | 9d 05h 53m 31s | |
| 3 | Sam Goodchild (GBR) | FRA 100 | For the Planet | 2019 | 10/12/2023 00:43:21 | 9d 07h 43m 21s | |
| 4 | Boris Herrmann (GER) | MON 1297 | Malizia - Seaexplorer | 2022 | 10/12/2023 13:02:41 | 9d 20h 02m 41s | |
| 5 | Damien Seguin (FRA) | FRA 13 | Groupe Apicil | 2015 | 10/12/2023 15:55:53 | 9d 22h 55m 53s | |
| 6 | Sam Davies (GBR) | FRA 109 | Initiative Coeur 4 | 2022 | 10/12/2023 17:36:29 | 10d 00h 36m 29s | |
| 7 | Louis Burton (FRA) | FRA 02 | Bureau Vallée (2) | 2020 | 10/12/2023 21:33:11 | 10d 04h 33m 11s | |
| 8 | Nicolas Lunven (FRA) | FRA 85 | Holcim - PRB | 2022 | 11/12/2023 4:28:54 | 10d 11h 28m 54s | |
| 9 | Isabelle Joschke (FRA) (GER) | FRA 27 | MACSF (2) | 2007 | 11/12/2023 10:12:23 | 10d 17h 12m 23s | |
| 10 | Romain Attanasio (FRA) | FRA 10 | Fortinet - Best Western (2) | 2015 | 11/12/2023 14:20:04 | 10d 21h 20m 04s | |
| 11 | Pip Hare (GBR) | GBR 77 | Medallia | 2015 | 11/12/2023 14:41:14 | 10d 21h 41m 14s | |
| 12 | Clarisse Cremer (FRA) | FRA 15 | L’Occitane en Provence (2) | 2019 | 11/12/2023 21:33:24 | 11d 04h 33m 24s | |
| 13 | Benjamin Ferré (FRA) | FRA 30 | Monnoyeur Duo For a Job | 2011 | 12/12/2023 00:34:42 | 11d 07h 34m 42s | |
| 14 | Conrad Colman (USA) (NZL) | NZL 64 | Mail Boxes Etc. | 2007 | 12/12/2023 02:30:42 | 11d 09h 30 m 42s | |
| 15 | Alan Roura (SUI) | SUI 7 | Hublot | 2019 | 12/12/2023 03:38:59 | 11d 10h 38 m 59s | |
| 16 | Arnaud Boissières (FRA) | FRA 14 | La Mie Câline (3) | 2010 | 12/12/2023 07:59:02 | 11d 14h 59 m 02s | |
| 17 | Thomas Ruyant (FRA) | FRA 59 | For People | 2023 | 12/12/2023 08:59:46 | 11d 15h 59m 46s | |
| 18 | Kojiro Shiraishi (JPN) | JPN 11 | DMG Mori Global One | 2019 | 12/12/2023 09:11:42 | 11d 16h 11m 42s | |
| 19 | Sébastien Simon (FRA) | FRA 112 | Groupe Dubreuil | 2021 | 12/12/2023 11:36:00 | 11d 18h 36m 00s | |
| 20 | Tanguy Le Turquais (FRA) | FRA 1000 | LAZARE | 2008 | 12/12/2023 17:07:00 | 12d 00h 07m 27s | |
| 21 | Sébastien Marsset (FRA) | FRA 83 | Foussier-Mon Courtier Energie | 2006 | 12/12/2023 17:37:59 | 12d 00h 37m 59s | |
| 22 | Louis Duc (FRA) | FRA 172 | Fives Group - Lantana Environment | 2006 | 12/12/2023 22:38:27 | 12d 05h 38m 27s | |
| 23 | Violette Dorange (FRA) | FRA 01 | Devenir | 2007 | 13/12/2023 00:34:55 | 12d 07h 34m 55s | |
| 24 | Guirec Soudee (FRA) | FRA 22 | Freelance.com | 2007 | 13/12/2023 02:17:45 | 12d 09h 17m 45s | |
| 25 | Manuel Cousin (FRA) | FRA 71 | Coup de Pouce - Giffard Manutention | 2007 | 13/12/2023 04:53:38 | 12d 11h 53m 38s | |
| 26 | Antoine Cornic (FRA) | FRA 1461 | Human Immobilier | 2006 | 13/12/2023 06:19:23 | 12d 13h 19m 23s | |
| 27 | Fabrice Amedeo (FRA) | FRA 56 | Nexans - Art et Fenêtres (2) | 2007 | 13/12/2023 08:04:46 | 12d 15h 04m 46s | |
| 28 | Szabolcs Weöres (HUN) | HUN 23 | New Europe | 2007 | 13/12/2023 08:18:57 | 12d 15h 18m 57s | |
| 29 | François Guiffant (FRA) | FRA 20 | Partage | 2004 | 13/12/2023 14:11:01 | 12d 21h 11m 01s | |
| 30 | Denis Van Weynbergh (BEL) | BEL 207 | D'Ieteren Group | 2014 | 14/12/2023 07:35:53 | 13d 14h 35m 53s | |
| 31 | Jingkun Xu (CHN) | CHN 5 | Singchain Team Haikou | 2007 | 14/12/2023 12:24:51 | 13d 19h 24m 51s | |
| 32 | Jean Le Cam (FRA) | FRA 29 | Tout commence en Finistère - Armor-lux | 2023 | 18/12/2023 22:37:24 | 18d 5h 37m 24s | |