Transat Café L'Or: Under pressure - Ultims, Imocas and Class40 launched

There are more pleasant omens than a series of three capsizes in the last 24 hours before your own start. This was the case in the two-handed Transat Café L'Or race. The Ocean Fifties had already started the race on Saturday at their own request and in consultation with the race organisers.

Transat Café L'Or: first a strong wind start, then a stormy night

The multihull duos wanted to avoid the expected 30 knots and more of wind in the night from Sunday to Monday. They were not rewarded for their "early start". On the contrary: Three trimarans capsized in the first 14 hours of the racekept their crews, rescue services, race organisers and observers on their toes. In addition, the "Viabilis Océans" co-skippers Baptiste Hulin and Thomas Rouxel will enter the Aber Warac'h to repair their mainsail.

All three capsized crews were rescued safely from the air before the other three classes followed in the race on Sunday afternoon. They started in a fresh 24 to 29 knots of wind and were expecting wind forces of over 30 knots and around three metres of wave for the night.

"It's all downwind until tomorrow morning. As soon as we are around the corner in Brest, we should be able to hoist the gennaker tomorrow during the course of the day and sail downwind into the Bay of Biscay," said Andreas Baden from Kiel, who is contesting the Transat Café L'Or with Fabrice Amedeo on the Owen Clarke Imoca "FDJ United - Wewise", which was built in 2077 and is already quite old, before the start of the race.

Four classes and four courses at Transat Café L'Or

A course of 4350 nautical miles from Le Havre to Fort-de-France on Martinique was set for the Imoca fleet in the Transat Café L'Or. The Ulim giants even have 6200 nautical miles to master. The course of the Ocean Fifties, which started earlier, is almost 5000 nautical miles long. The Class 40 duos have to complete the shortest route with 3750 nautical miles. With the different course lengths, the organisers want to ensure that all teams arrive at the finish port within a manageable time window.

With much anticipation, "11th Hour Racing" skipper Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris were one of the first Imoca crews to leave the dock in the Paul Vatine basin on Sunday morning. Frankie Clapcich is embarking on her first transat on Boris Herrmann's former "Malizia - Seaexplorer" with his trusted co-skipper Will Harris. "We're really looking forward to the start," said Will Harris on Sunday shortly before the start of the race. But "Frankie" Clapcich also knew: "It's going to be a sporty night!"

It's going to be a windy race! Very interesting weather-wise. There will definitely be no early decisions." Will Harris

The starts on Sunday afternoon were spectacular to watch. The Imocas in particular, especially "Charal" with Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière and "Bureau Vallée" with Louis Burton and Clément Commagnac, raced off in the high 20s as if there was no tomorrow. The boats shot across the starting line like lightning, reminiscent of the spectacular foil rush of "Paprec Arkéa" at the Kiel start of the Ocean Race Europe.

Change of course: safety stop for the Class40 fleet

Frankie Clapcich and Will Harris also put the pedal to the metal. At times it looked as if the Italian-American and the Brit were flying their bows very high and losing speed, but 20 minutes after the start, third place showed once again that this boat likes pressurised conditions. And all the fleets will have plenty to do with that in the coming days.

This prospect of an approaching low pressure system and the worsening weather forecast for the coming days prompted the race committee to change the course for the Class 40 fleet. The 42 Forties are stopping off in A Coruña to seek shelter and avoid the worst of the weather. According to the organisers, the restart for this class will take place "as soon as the conditions allow".

The "stage classifications" will be calculated in real time. The overall classification for the Transat Café L'Or Le Havre Normandie will be calculated on the basis of the combined times of the two stages, according to the decisions of the jury. The routes for the Ultims and Imocas remain unchanged.

From tri to cat: why "Lazare x Hellio" capsized

The first detailed update on one of the three Ocean Fifty capsizes the day before has now also been published. Tanguy Le Turquais, Vendée Globe seventeenth and co-skipper of the capsized "Lazare x Hellio", said: "The strange thing about it is that we capsized over the bow as if we were downwind, even though we were 70 degrees to the wind, hard upwind, a sailing point where you normally capsize sideways."

Clarisse Crémer's partner continued: "About 20 minutes before the capsize, Erwan and I heard a 'bang' and thought we had hit something. So I immediately went to the centre hull to check. Everything was fine and we continued our journey. When we capsized a little later and looked out of the hull window, we realised that we had become a 'catamaran'."

Part of the port float of "Lazare x Hellio" was torn off. Tanguy Le Turquais said: "This clearly caused the boat to capsize. We suspect that the noise we heard came from the lee float hitting something that caused the 'bang' in the hull. It must have been big enough for water to enter and the structure to give way. Today, with everything we know, we suspect that's exactly what happened."

After collision with a buoy: Yoann Richomme's "Paprec Arkéa" halted for repairs

A total of 71 two-handed crews were active in the four classes on their four courses early on Sunday evening in strong winds. The leaders in the classes after two and a half to three hours of racing at around 5 p.m.: In the Ultims, the current leader "Banque Populaire XI" fought a thrilling duel with "SVR Lazartigue". In the Ocean Fifties, "Wewise" was in the lead.

Among the Imocas, "Charal" was just ahead of "Macif Santé Prévoyance". Behind them, Elodie Bonafous ("Association Petits Princes - Queguiner") and Justine Mettraux ("Team Snef - Teamwork"), two female skippers with their respective co-pilots Yann Eliès and Xavier Macaire, put the pressure on. "11th Hour Racing" was initially in sixth place out of 18 Imocas, with "FDJ United - Wewise" in 16th place.

Yoann Richomme and Corentin Horeau were unlucky when their "Paprec Arkéa" collided with a buoy off Le Havre. The collision caused damage to the rigging and starboard outrigger at a boat speed of 16 knots. The sailors were fine. They had to secure their mast before returning to Le Havre for a quick repair pitstop. Repair stops are permitted in the Transat Café L'Or, but must last at least four hours.

Until 5 November in Fort-de-France?

Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin set the fast pace at the start of the 42 Class40ies with "Faites un don sur SNSM". Sasha Lanièce and Sanni Beucke went into the first night in 41st place with "Alderan". The fastest boats are expected to cross the finish line off Fort-de-France on 5 November. The finish line will be closed on 20 November. Click here for the race tracker for all four classes at the Transat Café L'Or.

REPLAY! The live broadcast of the Sunday start at the Transat Café L'Or: