The 03/11/2007
Ecover first on the starting line
of the 8th Transat Jacques Vabre, 47 monohull bows are now heading to Bahia (Brazil)
At 2 p.m., the starting gun was fired at by the Transat Jacques Vabre race committee, sending the 47 monohulls reeling into the English Channel. Some of the boats were early on the line (see list of individual recalls below) but all them gave repair and are now well into the race.
The atmosphere surrounding an offshore race start is always a special moment to go through.This morning the air in Le Havre was loaded with emotional good byes from the families and friends. Last minute feverish adjustments for the shore team were followed by cautious manoeuvres with the tender to get the hull in movement and leave the Paul Vatine Basin to reach the open sea.
The excitement of the skippers eager to go and race was blended with this specific weight upon the stomach at the moment the ropes are released to leave the dock. Sails are up now and the race they have been looking for for months has finally started.
The North-Easterly blow of 10-15 knots, forecasted to strengthen in the evening appears ideal for the newest boats to start in the race as they have not yet been fully tested. It is well knwon by the teams that the usual North Atlantic low pressure associated to rough conditions could have benefited boats with more miles under the hull.
Tactics in between Le Havre and Cape Finistere – Spain (the actual weather conditions should enable them to round the corner of Brittany around Sunday night), is seen as crucial by the competitors. They aim to stick to the pack. Loosing too much ground over their competitors at this stage of the race would mean unlikely possibility to catch up (unless a weather options shows up) for the rest of the course.
The picture on the boat for the next few days is likely to be skippers up on deck for manoeuvres. The sleeping shifts will be organized later on enabling them to rest in short slots of 1 to 2 hours.
If the weather informations for the next few days have been scrutinized before the start, no need to say they will be up the minds all along the route to Salvador de Bahia. On their descent to Spain the skippers will also prepare their route between the Canaries and Cape Verde Islands where stands a massive low pressure.
The duos in the monohull fleet (IMOCA and Class 40) setting sails from Le Havre today to head for Bahia are going to spend around 13 days at sea – for the least. They picked up each other because they know they can openly give their trust. Two complementary tempers and skills that can get the best of their boats and the best of each other during the race.
IMOCA – First 5 boats to cross the starting line
1- ECOVER (Golding / Dubois)
2- Gitana Eighty (Peyron / Levaillant
3- Groupe Bel (de Pavant / Col)
4- Generali (Eliès / Audigane)
5- Foncia (Desjoyeaux / Le Borgne)
Individual recall : 1Safran (Guillemot / Caudrelier)
Class 40 - Individual recalls : 10
AST- Sidaction- Pindar 40 – Fujifilm - EDF Energies Nouvelles - Groupe Partouche
Commerce Equitable - Ocean Warior – Kasimir Partner – Nous entreprenons
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