Transat Jacques Vabre: NO ULTIMS-"The question did not arise"

Ultims were in this race in 2017 but not next year. Banned because there is TOO MUCH INTEREST??!! Or is it really because "they just didn't ask"?!!!
From: https://voilesetvoiliers.ouest-france.fr/
machine trans:

Sylvie Viant, efficient race director, perfectly summarized all that. Some winners of the 2017 edition (Maxime Sorel, Antoine Carpentier and Yann Eliès) came to do the job on stage to say in essence that they adored this race and were eager to be there again. Nothing new under the sunlights of the show? Oh yes, we would forget: "there will be three classes at the start: IMOCA, Multi50 and Class40". In other words, no giant trimarans. No Ultim.

The Ultim? The problem does not arise

The only multihulls on the starting line will be the "small" Multi50 of fifteen meters. A confrere present in the audience asked for confirmation. Sylvie Viant's answer: "the question did not arise. The Ultims have a definite program and they have not approached the Transat Jacques Vabre at all. Our notice of race is published and there are only three classes leaving. The problem does not arise for the moment. "[ emphasis dl] Which act.

The question is not trivial, since it refers to the recent postponement of the Brest Oceans, the solo World Tour in Ultim, report decided after the damage suffered on the Route du Rhum by the boats of Sébastien Josse, Thomas Coville and obviously the destruction by the sea after capsizing the People's Bank IX of Armel Le Cléac'h. This Brest Oceans will not leave at the end of 2019, so the Ultims - potentially - might want, if need be, to run the Transat Jacques Vabre. Except officially they did not ask.[emphasis dl] And if by chance they did it (there were Ultims in 2017) and that was accepted - which is a lot of "if", you are granted - it would not necessarily do the business of other categories of boats. Because the skippers of IMOCA,

Yann Eliès: "the Ultim must learn to share"
Interviewed privately after the conference, Yann Eliès explains: "Whenever there is a race multiclasses - and it is also valid for the route du Rhum - the Ultim win 80% of the media fallout. This is a real problem for example for our IMOCA class where we work on length, with sponsors who are committed and who also represent a lot of money and investment ... so it is necessary that the Ultim learn to share. I am not completely closed to their coming because I understand that they will need to navigate, but we must find solutions. It is no longer possible to see all journalists leave after the arrival of the second Ultim and there is no media return for others. "

https://media.ouest-france.fr/v1/pi...height=0&fill=0&focuspoint=50,25&cropresize=1
Yann Eliès (left alongside Maxime Sorel) poses the problem of media return in multi-class races. | Jean-Marie LIOT - Alea
According to Yann Eliès, simple solutions could be implemented to correct this problem. "Technically, it is not complicated: it would be enough to draw a longer course for Ultim so that everyone is at the same time on arrival or at least within a maximum of five days. We must allow journalists to be present on the spot for the podiums of all classes, so that everyone can exist. I do not want to wear my yellow vest, but I still campaign for a better distribution of the return on investment! "