TJV: All On from the Off

High speeds in the inky dark marked the start of the first night of this Transat Jacques Vabre, but as the darkness eased so an intense rhythm has been established


Multihull departure from Le Havre. Image copyright Marcel Mochet/AFP.

by Régis Lerat

It was only a few hours after the start gun fired in relatively gentle conditions off Le Havre that both the IMOCA Open 60 fleet and the Multi 50's racing in the ninth edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre to Costa Rica had a sharp reminder that fortunes can change in seconds.

After capsizing, already the hopes of Yves Le Blevec and Jean Le Cam seem to be in tatters after their new trimaran Actual is reported to have pitchpoled yesterday evening. The two co-skippers are reported to be OK and the boat is being towed towards Cherbourg.

Leading the Multi 50 fleet are the duo who set the pace off the start line yesterday Franck-Yves Escoffier and Erwan Le Roux on Crepes Whaou, gaining to lead by nearly 30 miles this morning.

Meantime it is the formidable pairing of Michel Desjoyeaux and Jérémie Beyou who have held the overnight lead in the IMOCA Open 60 fleet, now calculated to be just under three miles ahead of Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart on Groupe Bel.
After the quiet start the IMOCA Open 60's have been making good speed through their first night at sea, immediately into fast reaching conditions, already having made between 230 and 260 miles since the start.

Foncia are set up more in the south of the main group, while Alex Thomson and Ross Daniel on Hugo Boss are furthest to the north and west as the race exits the English Channel and heads for whatever the Atlantic chooses to throw at them. While the early gains and losses may be boost or sap the early morale, all the teams know only too well that a ridge of high pressure will quickly require to be negotiated.

After their excellent start Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson have worked hard through the night to lie third this morning on Aviva.


Groupe Bel's crew. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget.

François Gabart (Groupe Bel) – 2nd in the IMOCA Open 60 Class at 0800hrs:
“We had a relatively quiet departure but the breeze built as we worked out of the Bay of the Seine, especially around nightfall when we were off Cotentin. The night was very dark and the waves built. But as soon as the stars came out then it became a little easier and with more light we have been going well. The sea is flatter. It feels good to be at the front and eating miles, because the more you can do now, the more you feel like you are getting towards Costa Rica. Each mile is important and the idea is to go as hard as possible from the off and all the time we try to pace Mich (Desjoyeaux) to ensure he does not escape.

Dee Caffari (Aviva) second in the IMOCA Open 60's at 0800hrs:
“The wind was not exactly as we hoped so we all headed slightly high of course. As the afternoon progressed we were all very close and before we knew it the daylight had faded and it was dark. With the dark came the wind and a change of direction. In fact it so dark you could not see the large waves we were sailing into any longer. The real buzz came at about 2200hrs when we were surfing along at 23 knots alongside Akena. All you could see were navigation lights and the walls of spray leaving the bow wave. We were so close and both boats were doing similar speeds. It took us ages to get clear so we could relax again. With a cloud full of rain visibility was the worst it had been and we lost any navigation lights we were trying to track.” Now after what has seemed like forever, the sun has risen, the wind has dropped and the sea is left with a messy swell and about four yachts have reappeared. Just to leeward on the horizon we can see Foncia so that has made us smile with our porridge. Today we have light winds for a few hours before meeting a new depression and tackling the cold front late tonight. We will be busy today, that is for sure.”

Transat Jacques Vabre