Sailing: start of the 16th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre in wild weather conditions

“Good luck”… The famous phrase too often misused (at least to our taste) seemed perfectly suited for the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, this Sunday off the coast of Le Havre. More than 30 knots of wind, gusts well beyond, rough seas with waves over two meters, all overlooked by a stormy sky... The conditions were very wild at 1:05 p.m. for the takeoff of the five Ultims, the trimarans giants (32 meters) who were the first to take off, their bows smoking, their mainsail reduced, heading towards the exit of the Channel, abandoning the traditional coastal route responsible for ensuring the spectacle. Immediately, these ocean monsters climbed onto their foils and took off above the waves to gain speed and reach 40 knots!

Twelve minutes later the six small Ocean Fifty trimarans (15 meters) set off, also deprived of a coastal route but who learned a few hours before their departure that they would make a compulsory stopover in the port of Lorient to let a storm pass. announced off Cape Finisterre in the coming days. For its 30th anniversary, the Transat Jacques is innovating, weather conditions necessitating, with in the end a crossing which will be divided into two stages, the accumulation of times establishing the classification. A system decided by Francis Le Goff, the race director, and therefore valid for the six Ocean Fifty trimarans but also the forty-four Class40 monohulls (12 meters), the last to cross the hectic starting line this Sunday at 1:42 p.m. (and authorized them to complete a short coastal journey).

The fourth category entered on this 16th edition of the coffee route was nailed to port by the race director. Delayed departure towards Martinique therefore for the forty Imoca monohulls (18 meters), those which in just one year will tackle the Vendée Globe, the solo round the world race. “We are disappointed not to be on the water but it is a wise choice by the race director,” commented Franck Cammas, aware that the quarantine of Imoca was not easy to fit into a port to let pass storm. “We did not have the capacity to offer this format with a stopover in the Imoca class for reasons of space in the port,” confirmed Francis Le Goff. Last year, the start of the Route du rhum was also postponed. The safety of sailors and boats remains the priority of the organizers. With reason...