The 16th Transat Jacques Vabre is finally underway for the Imocas. The most popular of the four Transat classes started on the morning of 7 November in the race across the Atlantic to Fort-de-France on Martinique, which was shortened to 3,750. It was a rough start in 20 to 25 knots of wind for the record field of 40 Imocas, who have now largely coped well with the equally challenging first night at sea.
I'm really deeply disappointed! But we have to come to terms with it and move on" (Pip Hare)
Two crews have to serve a five-hour penalty because they passed the start line incorrectly. This was not the first time Louis Burton and Davy Beaudart on "Bureau Vallée" had to deal with this. Pip Hare and Nick Bubb on "Medallia" were also annoyed about their mistake. The penalties must be completed before the 30th parallel north - i.e. up to 120 nautical miles south of Madeira. The crews have to pass through a virtual gate of their choice and then pass through it again five hours later. This explains the now unusual "Bureau Vallée" course.
Pip Hare from Great Britain commented clearly on her team's failure at the start: "This is absolutely not what we wanted, not at all! I'm really disappointed! But we have to accept it and move on. We still have 3,500 miles to sail and a lot of people will have their own problems."
Can the Queen of Hearts sting in the TJV?
Meanwhile, the pedal is to the metal at the front of the Imoca field. The co-favourite boats "Charal" with Jérémie Beyou and Franck Cammas (2022) and "For People" (2023) with defending champion Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière are already engaged in a thrilling duel at the top. However, Samantha Davies and Jack Bouttell on the new "Initiatives Cœur" (2022) also put a lot of pressure on "Charal" on Wednesday morning, just 10 nautical miles behind.
The Brit Sam Davies could become only the second female sailor after her compatriot Ellen MacArthur to achieve a podium place in the Imoca class in the Transat Jacques Vabre. Ellen MacArthur sailed with Roland Jourdain on "Sill et Violia" to second place behind Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron on "Virbac Paprec" in 2005. Other Imoca sailors also have additional individual motivations in addition to the top result they are aiming for. Franck Cammas, for example, could become the first sailor to win the Transat Jacques Vabre five times if "Charal" is successful.
"Malizia - Seaexplorer" in her element
Above all, however, is the struggle for the new pecking order in the Imoca class, whose protagonists are positioning themselves for the Vendée Globe 2024/2025. How strong can the latest Imocas become? And how well can the 2022 designs and earlier ones hold their own? What is the Ocean Race endurance test worth for those teams that took part in the crewed circumnavigation and were able to optimise their boats intensively - like Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia?
The Transat Jacques Vabre will provide some, but by no means all, of the answers. It is remarkable that Thomas Ruyant already seems to have his very young racer, which was only launched in March 2023, well under control. However, it is also remarkable that Boris Herrmann and Will Harris have already moved up to sixth place with "Malizia - Seaexplorer" after a rather solid start. The rough conditions are currently in favour of the German "strong wind rocket".
We are not happy with all the strategic decisions we have made" (Andreas Baden)
After the first night at sea on Wednesday morning, Andreas Baden from Kiel on board "Nexans - Art & Fenêtres" reported on the rough conditions for the pursuers, many of whom, in contrast to Boris Herrmann, also still need the solo return race from the Caribbean to France for their Vendée Globe qualification and will therefore not go full throttle in the TJV under all circumstances.
In the meantime, Andreas Baden and his skipper Fabrice Amedeo have moved up to 28th place and wrote: "Hi, the first 24 hours of the race are over. We are currently sailing under J3 headsail and reef 3 in the main in about 30 knots of wind. Still cross, which is relatively uncomfortable and shakes the boat well. After the technical problems we had during the day yesterday, we're not really happy with all the strategic decisions we made."
"Sign for Com" in 18th place
Andreas Baden continued: "Unfortunately, the crossover points between the headsails and reefs are still difficult to assess. Unfortunately, we only had four real training outings before this race. That's extremely little time to get to know a boat like this well. But it will certainly get better on the way. Our goal for today is to turn left and head into the Bay of Biscay, as it gets warmer towards the south. With the high humidity out here, it can be uncomfortable at times. Apart from that, the mood here is good and we both got a bit of sleep tonight."
In the Class 40, the "Sign for Com" co-skippers Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink were 18th in the field of 40 boats still sailing after their start on 6 November, fighting to catch up with the top group. The winners of the first leg are still in the lead here: Ambrogio Beccaria and Nicolas Andrieu on "Alla Grande Pirelli" are fighting with the crews on "Amarris", "Inter Invest" and "Ibsa" for the top position after a good 48 hours within just one nautical mile.
Constantly shifting winds between ten and 38 knots
On Wednesday morning, Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink sent a short interim report on developments since the start on board. Like the entire fleet, the young professionals from Hamburg have had to contend with wind and waves throughout since the start on Monday morning in Lorient. The crossing of the Bay of Biscay demanded a lot from them. Constantly shifting winds of between ten and 38 knots kept them on their toes.
According to the only all-German duo in the 16th Transat Jacques Vabre, the usual two-hour rhythm of sleeping and waking was not possible. The cold temperatures and the constant washing over of the boat did the rest to test the sailors physically. On board the "Sign for Com", the guide rail of the J1 furler also broke shortly after the start. The corresponding repair was successfully carried out with an electric angle grinder at the front of the bow despite a lot of swell. There are now no more restrictions.
The wind is not exactly the best discipline for us and our boat" (Melwin Fink)
Lennart Burke and Melwin Fink are now hoping for the wind to shift. According to Melwin Fink, the wind should shift to reaching or downwind around 2 pm. The "Sign for Com" crew is hoping for downwind, but above all to be able to leave upwind sailing behind them. Melwin Fink explains: "Upwind is not exactly the favourite discipline for us and our boat." With a changing wind direction, Burke and Fink are hoping to climb further up the rankings. Although the gap to the front runners is currently just over 30 nautical miles, they are still sailing within touching distance of the top ten.
A quick look at the Ultims, which have been sailing since 29 October, where "SVR Lazartigue" has now taken the lead again ahead of "Banque Populaire XI" and "Edmond de Rothschild". The Ultim giants are currently engaged in thrilling battles for supremacy in their class at around the 10th parallel south.
UPDATE on 8 November, 12.10 pm!
Compass problems on board the "Malizia - Seaexplorer"
After a message from Boris Herrmann to YACHT online on the morning of 8 November, it is clear why "Malizia - Seaexplorer" suddenly fell behind. Boris Herrmann reports: "We have problems with an electronic compass this morning. We are now trying to steer the ship with a replacement compass. But it's not working as well as expected. That's why we're travelling a bit slowly and have lost a lot of time in the last few hours."
Boris Herrmann continued at around 12 noon on Wednesday: "That makes our start a little less glorious after this rough night. The boat sailed well until this morning. We were well placed after the front. Now we've lost a lot of ground because of this electronics issue. But we are trying to solve the problem and stay on the ball."
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