D-7 • October 17, 2015
One Great Saturday Raises the Curtain on the 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre
For the skippers of the 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre competition opened today. There is more than a week to wait until the race to Itajaí, Brazil starts but today the cutthroat action was all about the prologue. The skippers took to the Eure basin to race in a fleet of J80 sportsboats. At the end of the crewed regatta in was the team of Newrest / Matmut (Fabrice Amedeo / Eric Peron) who narrowly snatched victory ahead of Maître CoQ (Jérémie Beyou / Philippe Legros).
Meantime on shore the emotions welled close to the surface as the rue Jean Maurel was inaugurated in the presence of the family of the past race winner and four times Race Director accompanied by the Depute Mayor of Le Havre, Edouard Philippe. And the Race Village itself, extensive and exciting, thronged by tens of thousands of visitors, supporters of the 42 boats and 84 skippers.
In the Prologue six rounds were sailed initially and so six teams emerged to go forwards. Concise 2 (Philippa Hutton - and Squire Pip Hare), Safran (Morgan Lagravière - Nicolas Lunven), Newrest / Matmut (Fabrice Amedeo – Eric Peron), Maitre CoQ (Jérémie Beyou - Philippe Legros), Team Concise (Jack Bouttel -Gildas Mahé) and Bretagne - Crédit Mutuel Elite).
After progressive eliminations it went to a match race between Newrest / Matmut and Maître CoQ
Two Class 40s Baptised.
Today saw the first two baptisms of the 12th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre! Setin Manuel Cousin group, co-skippered by Gerald Quéouron can go forwards now after testing the sponsor’s skills at breaking the champagne. Arnaud Boissières did the honours but races the IMOCA 60 Le Bateau Des Metiers By Aerocampus.
V And B, the Class40 of Maxime Sorel, co-skippered by Sam Manuard was baptized by Yvan Bourgnon who also competes in the Multi 50 (Rennes Saint-Malo French Tech).
Sorel’s Class40 is a new Mach 30, a third generation designed by Sam Manuard which is well capable of a Top 5.
Rue Jean Maurel and the village inaugurated
At 1030hrs this morning, Edouard Phillippe, the deputy mayor of Havre, inaugurated the Rue Jean Maurel, which is named after the sailor who was a past race winner and four times Race Director. It is a moving tribute particularly as the Rue Jean Maurel crosses the basin named after Paul Vatine, Maurel’s close friend and co-skipper who was lost at sea during the race.
The Depute Mayor recalled:
"Jean Maurel won the first edition of the race back in 1995 with Fred Dahirel, the first edition to go two up. Then in 1999 he experienced the worst scenario possible when he lost his friend and co-skipper Paul Vatine. In 2005, Jean Maurel became the Director of the race. With this street, at the entrance to the Paul Vatine the basin, Jean’s name is now written into the memory of Le Havre. It is as these two sailors, these two friends never wanted to leave. "
Inauguration of the street Jean Maurel with Edouard Philippe, Mayor Le Havre, with Nathalie Maurel and her daughter during the T
In officially opening the village Edouard Philippe said: "Le Havre, a large commercial port since the early years chose to turn also to sailing and especially to this competition inaugurating then hosting the Transat Jacques Vabre since 1993. Our ambition is to make this transatlantic the best of races. The public seem to love it because they can meet the skippers in accessible, simple conditions. This is also something we think makes the Transat Jacques Vabre unique. "
2013 Title Defenders
Class40
GDF SUEZ
Sébastien Rogues & Fabien Delahaye
20d 21h 41min 25sec
Multi50
Fenêtréa Cardinal
Erwan Le Roux & Yann Éliès
14d 17h 40min 15sec
Imoca
PRB
Vincent Riou & Jean Le Cam
17d 00h 41min 47sec
MOD70
Edmond de Rothschild
Sébastien Josse & Charles Caudrelier
11d 05h 03min 54sec
Press contacts
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Press officer
+33 (0)6 62 08 75 44
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