Transat New York–Vendée:

Sunday, May 28, 2016 Transat New York–Vendée: Race time for Morgan Lagravière Morgan Lagravière will cross the starting line of the Transat New York-Vendée, his first transatlantic race on Safran, on Sunday at 21:30 (French time), after a parade in front of the North Cove Marina that began at 17:00. The youngest skipper in the race has been looking forward to passing Ambrose Light, the mark for the start, for a long time. Most of the 14 solo skippers in the race have only had a few chances to compete in Vendée Globe conditions. But for Morgan Lagravière, who has just turned 29 years old, the start of this transat feels like a debut that he has been anticipating for months. As he left the dock, it was not easy for him to restrain his competitive nature: “After all the work that's been done in the build-up to this, now I really want to test myself and compete with the others,” the skipper of Safran said. “We're all systems go and I'm feeling confident. It's also the race that will allow us to see where we are before the Vendée Globe, so it will, of course, be full of lessons.” Strength and composure right to the finish The young skipper, who has a powerful, foiling and latest generation boat, has shown how fast he learns, be it in the Olympics or the Figaro. That ability is his trump card for catching up with the favourites, who have had more time on their boats. The high-level of the competition does not worry Lagravière, who will rely on his intuition.