Transat Jacques Vabre: On an upward trend - five Germans taking part from Sunday
Tatjana Pokorny
· 26.10.2023
Never before in the 30-year history of the Transat Jacques Vabre have so many German sailors taken part at the same time. Five of them will be competing against France's offshore elite and international challengers on the historic coffee route from 29 October. The frontman is Boris Herrmann, who is competing for the second time since 2019 with his loyal co-skipper Will Harris on "Malizia - Seaexplorer".
German sailors compete in two of four classes
Will Harris had only just joined Team Malizia the first time round. The German-British duo achieved twelfth place in 2019 and wants more this time. Munich-born French-German Isabelle Joschke will also be competing in the Imoca class with Pierre Brasseur on her 2007 VPLP/Verdier design "Macsf". Andreas Baden from Kiel will be making his Transat debut with skipper Fabrice Amedeo on "Nexans - Art & Fenêtres", also in the Vendée Globe class. In Class 40, Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink on "Sign for Com" are the only purely German team at the start.
A record fleet has gathered in Le Havre for the TJV anniversary year: A total of 95 double-handed crews, including a noticeable number of mixed teams, are competing in one of the four classes Ultim (5), Ocean Fifty (6), Imoca (40) and Class 40 (44). One reason for the enduring success of the race is its consistency, which is once again evident 30 years after its premiere: All the title defenders are taking part, albeit in some cases in new constellations and with new boats.
The favourites at the 16th Transat Jacques Vabre are mainly French
In the "Battle of the Five Musketeers", superstar Charles Caudrelier is once again the favourite among the Ultim giants. This time he is without Franck Cammas, who is one of the favourites in the Imocas with Jérémie Beyou. Caudrelier will drive "Edmond de Rothschild" across the Atlantic with Erwan Israël and will be chased in particular by Armel Le Cléac'h and Sébastian Josse on "Banque Populaire", by François Gabart and Tom Laperche on "Lazartigue" and by Thomas Coville and Thomas Rouxel on "Sodebo Ultim 3".
Caudrelier's forecast: "The TJV is a wonderful race with a brand new course to Ascension Island. It is a complex and challenging course. It will be close between the Ultims because they are all sailing at a similar level and are getting closer and closer to their full potential." Ocean Fifty title defender Sébastien Rogues will also be competing with a new co-skipper. He wants to step on the gas with Matthias Souben on "Primonial": "It will be a tough 15-day sprint. The advantage of two-handed crews is that you can operate at 100 per cent at all times."
We are strong and confident in choppy seas and more wind. In less wind - and this race traditionally tends to be lighter - it becomes more difficult for us." (Boris Herrmann)
Defending champion Thomas Ruyant and Boris Herrmann both describe the presentation of 40 Imocas on the TJV start line as "crazy". Ruyant is entering the race with his "For People", which was only christened in March and designed by Antoine Koch and Finot-Conq, and co-skipper Morgan Lagravière, which has at least a handful of favourites in this class. These include the recently crowned Défi azimuth winners Beyou and Cammas on the 2022 design "Charal" as well as the azimuth speed kings Yoann Richomme and Yann Eliès on the 2023 rocket "Paprec Arkéa" or Charlie Dalin and Pascal Bidégorry on "Macif - Santé Prévoyance", a design by CDK Technologies and MerConcept from 2022.
Boris Herrmann and Will Harris, who came seventh in the Imoca warm-up in the Défi Azimut, partly due to a navigation error, want to go one better in the Transat on the 2021 christened "Malizia - Seaexplorer". Boris Herrmann says: "The Défi Azimut was good training for the Transat. We didn't have any technical problems after the summer refit. Our changes seem to have made the boat faster. The Défi Azimut has given us good self-confidence."
Amedeo's mission is to qualify for the Vendée Globe
Andreas Baden hopes for a "respectable result" with Fabrice Amedeo on "Nexans - Art & Fênetres" after the Azimut dress rehearsal with an overtaken boat was extremely uncomfortable: because an inspection hatch had opened, the Franco-German Imoca duo had to fight heavy water ingress and gave up as a precaution and with an eye on the important Transat Jacques Vabre.
Fabrice Amedeo, whose foiler sank in November 2022 on the Route du Rhum after an explosion and fire on board, is now attacking with a revised Owen Clarke design from 2007. The Frenchman urgently needs the solo return race Retour à la Base from the Caribbean to France, in which Boris Herrmann is also taking part to assess his position and return to solo sailing after the TJV, for his Vendée Globe qualification.
We only step on the gas when danger threatens" (Andreas Baden)
With this in mind, Amedeo's chosen 34-year-old co-skipper Andreas Baden from Kiel says ahead of his eagerly awaited Transat premiere: "We are competing because we want to be in the mix. We have ambitions to show in the non-foilers with a light boat that we have a solid ship that can be pushed. The return regatta is very important for Fabrice, but we won't be sailing with the handbrake completely on. We'll only step on the gas if there's a risk."
"Holcim-PRB" sets course for the Caribbean outside the TJV classification
Boris Herrmann sees the fact that, in addition to Amedeo, a whole series of Imoca skippers still need the Retour à la Base, which is to be sailed single-handed, as proof of qualification for the desired Vendée Globe start as a TJV plus point for his team. "We are already qualified for the Vendée Globe and don't have that pressure. We already know our boat very well, while others are still struggling with their younger newbuilds. We see that as an advantage on our side."
For those who desperately need the solo race back to Europe, a potentially stormy TJV opener could prove to be a high hurdle. Who wants to risk breaking in a race that they need less than the return journey? Ex-Malician Nico Lunven has it a little easier, who, after switching to Team Holcim - PRB did not even qualify for the Transat Jacques Vabre. After an initial compact refit with co-skipper Rosalin Kuiper and other team technicians, Lunven will transfer "Holcim - PRB" to the Caribbean in "safety mode" from 31 October, almost parallel to the TJV, and start the return race solo from there.
Isabelle Joschke attacks the Transat Jacques Vabre with a Transat third
The German-French Isabelle Joschke is one of eight women who want to step on the gas in the Imoca class. With co-skipper Pierre Brasseur, the Munich-born 46-year-old from Lorient is one of the most experienced players in the field after three TJV participations (8th, DNF, 12th). With "Macsf", her VPLP Verdier design from 2007, she had to abandon the last Vendée Globe after a strong performance, only to break in the storm.
German Transat fans will probably remember Isabelle Joschke's co-pilot Pierre Brasseur as Jörg Riechers' team-mate. Ten years ago, the Hamburg native achieved the best German result in the history of the Transat classic with the Frenchman in the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre in the Class40 with "Mare" and third place. However, such a podium finish will be difficult to achieve for all German participants in the 16th TJV edition.
There has been an enormous increase in performance in the Imoca class." Boris Herrmann
Will Harris says: "If we sail a very good race and make good decisions, we can sail into the top five. We can fight in this top area." But Boris Herrmann also knows: "There has been a huge improvement in performance in the Imoca class. If we don't sail into the top ten, it's not the end of the world. And the Transat Jacques Vabre is also not the Vendée Globe, where other things are important." In addition, "Malizia - Seaexplorer" is still sailing with the only slightly optimised replacement foils from the Ocean Race. The German Imoca will receive a new set of perfectly fitting wings in April 2024.
Lennart Burke, 24, and Melwin Fink, 21, have full throttle in their heads for their Transat premiere, which they are contesting as the only purely German duo on the Class40 "Sign for Com". After some remarkable performances this season, the young German professionals have rapidly advanced into the extended top group of high-performance forties with their Pogo 40 S4 from 2022. After the summer refit on Fehmarn and intensive training in France, they are ambitious.
Melwin Fink: "We are confident that we are prepared for the autumn lows."
Lennart Burke says: "All the top crews are here. A top ten finish would be really wonderful." His co-skipper Melwin Fink, the second youngest sailor in the 16th Transat behind "Edenred" co-skipper Basile Bourgnon, who was born a week and a half after him, reports from Le Havre: "You're constantly bumping into great sailors here. Everyone who is anyone in ocean racing is gathered here this week. It's extremely impressive."
What is probably the youngest crew in the field was ready to go by the middle of the week. "Our boat work has been completed, the boat is ready to go, materials and catering are ready," says Melwin Fink. Dry and wet meals, sausage, cheese, pumpernickel, biscuits, crisps, Haribo, plenty of water and one Coke per sailor per day are already on "Sign for Com". Like the rest of the fleet, the sailing and new flat-sharing friends from Hamburg are also preparing for heavy weather. "We are confident that we are prepared for the autumn lows," says Melwin Fink.
The atmosphere here in the harbour is incredible. We've never experienced anything like it." Melwin Fink
Until the start on Sunday, Fink and Burke, like the other sailors, are enjoying the electrifying atmosphere in the Transat harbour of Le Havre. "The atmosphere here in the harbour is incredible. We've never experienced anything like it," says Fink. And he sends his thanks to Boris Herrmann: "We have him to thank for the growing interest in our sport in Germany. Boris has a huge following. And he also helps us. He recently lent us his dinghy and lets us use his hangar to store things, and also gives us advice. All the media work he does in Germany is also good for us."
After fourth place in the Fastnet Race, eighth place in the Channel Race and fourth place in the Azores Race, the German up-and-comers are highly motivated as the Next Generation Sailing Team go into their biggest race to date, in which they want to compete with the best and most experienced Class 40 experts for a top place.
The TV hint: In Germany, NDR will be streaming the TJV launch live on 29 October from 1 p.m. on ndr.de will be broadcast in the original English version. If the start has to be postponed, new transmission times will be announced.
TheTransat Jacques Vabre-Preview in the video:
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Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
