2017 Transat Jacques Vabre

[Photoboy]

Arkema Smashes Multi 50 Transat Jacques Vabre Record



Lalou Roucayrol (France) and Alex Pella (Spain) on their 50ft trimaran, Arkema have won the Multi50 class of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre after crossing the finish line in the Bay of All Saints in Salvador de Bahia on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 07:49:19 (UTC), 10 days 19 hours 14 minutes and 19 seconds after leaving Le Havre, Normandy France. Arkema covered the theoretical course of 4,350 nautical miles at an average speed of 16.81 knots but actually sailed 4,671 nautical miles at an average speed of 18.02 knots.




Arkema beat the previous record of 12 days 06 hours 13 mins set by Franck-Yves Escoffier and his son, Kevin Escoffier on Crêpes Whaou! in 2005 by 1 day 10 hours 59 minutes and 40 seconds.


After 30 years on the world’s oceans, the 53-year-old French skipper, Lalou Roucayrol, has probably sailed more multihull boats than any other skipper. He has marked the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, his 9th participation, with his first victory.




When his previous co-skipper, Karine Fauconnier was injured in training two months ago, Roucayrol was looking for excellence to win the Route du Café that is a particular favourite of his. Alex Pella, the formidable and multi-skilled Spanish sailor, making his third appearance, fitted that bill and more. Both had finished second in the race before and both had a hunger to go one step on the podium higher.

Leaving Le Havre in the lead, with the firm intention to staying in control of the race, the two men set the tone. But if there had to be a favourite in this newly competitive fleet with foils, it was FenêtréA - Mix Buffet, whose skippers, Erwan Le Roux and Vincent Riou, were the “dream team”, with five Transat Jacques Vabre victories between them. What followed was an exciting duel between the two Multi50, which took their turns at the top of the ranking. Before the Doldrums, Roucayrol / Pella were 100 miles behind but kept cool heads knowing that the Intertropical Convergence Zone can always shuffle cards.

Handicapped by a gennaker halyard failure, FenêtréA - Mix Buffet lost ground. Arkema made 160 miles in 42 hours and took the lead as soon as they caught the trade winds in the Southern Hemisphere. On the home stretch, Arkema kept their foot on the accelerator all the way to the finish line.






Erwan Le Roux and Vincent Riou, on their trimaran, FenêtréA-Mix Buffet, have finished second in the Multi50 class of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre after crossing the finish line in the Bay of All Saints in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 15:26:23 (UTC), 11 days, 2 hours 51 minutes and 23 seconds after leaving Le Havre, Normandy, France.

FenêtréA-Mix Buffet covered the theoretical course of 4,350 nautical miles at an average speed of 16.33 knots, but actually sailed 4,726 nautical miles at an average speed of 17.71 knots. It finished 7 hours 37 minutes and 4 seconds behind the winner, Arkema.








TRACKER

[Photoboy]

IMOCA Record Fall In Transat Jacques Vabre

Dick coasting to record win as Anglo-Spanish duo re-take lead



Jean-Pierre Dick and Yann Eliès on St Michel – Virbac were a few miles away from a record-breaking victory in the Imoca class of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre tonight (Saturday, November 18) and were expected to cross the finish line in Salvador de Bahia around 19:30 UTC.

Victory will make Dick the only person in the history of this bi-annual double-handed Route du Café, in any class, to have won four times. Dick, the 52-year-old skipper from Nice, won the Imoca class in 2003, 2005 and 2011.

A 19:30 UTC finish would also mean that Dick and Eliès will set a new record for the Transat Jacques Vabre to Salvador, with Dick beating his own record, of 13 days 09 hours 19 minutes and 2 seconds set with Loïck Peyron on Virbac-Paprec in 2005.

Photo sent from the boat St Michel - Virbac, skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Yann Elies, on November 17th, 2017 - Photo St Michel - Virbac

Behind them, in the Class40, the Anglo-Spanish pair of Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde (Imerys Clean Energy) had a strong night re-taking the lead, emerging from the Doldrums in the darkness and taking 20 miles from their four French pursuers. But many of the 26 boats still in the race this morning, have not said their last word.

Imoca: "We're counting the miles one by one"




TRACKER



ETAs

St Michel –Virbac, Saturday, November 18, 19:30 UTC

SMA – Sunday, November 19, 09:00

Des Voiles et Vous!, Sunday, November 19, 17:00

Malizia II, Monday, November 20, 12:00

At 15:00 UTC St Michel-Virbac still had 48 miles to go. They were sailing a few miles from the coast of Brazil, acutely conscious of fishing boats, UFOs and that the Ultime, Prince de Bretagne, dismasted on Wednesday, just 93 miles from the finish.

Having angled further offshore overnight, a lack of wind forced them to make four gybes back west yesterday afternoon allowing SMA to comeback 30 miles to 84 behind.

"We're counting the miles one by one The race isn't over yet," Eliès, for whom this would be a first victory in the Imoca, after his Multi50 win in 2013, said. "We've moved away from the coast to avoid the fishermen, we have to be careful because they're very small and low on the water. We're happy to still have a big lead on SMA. We know we have a lot of room to manoeuvre but we don't want to fall asleep."

In 13 days of racing, Dick and Eliès, the heavy favourites at the start in Le Havre, have made no serious mistakes. They have patiently built their lead mile by mile and looked uncatchable since they emerged from the Doldrums. They have been helped by the fact that the other latest generation foiling Imoca all have new skippers getting used to their boats. SMA is a 2011-boat without foils. But their performance has been commanding.

"We've been analysing the race from the start," Paul Meilhat, the skipper of SMA said. "And if we had our time again, we would follow the same route; St Michel-Virbac's perfect. There's no shame in the positions, it's easier to swallow second behind winners who've sailed so well."

Victory was a taboo subject for Dick when speaking last night, but he did recall his memories of arriving in the port of Salvador of Bahia, the destination where he announced himself on the world stage 14 years ago. It was his first victory on the Transat Jacques Vabre on his iconoclastic Farr-plan boat that was "my first real statement," he said. "Another page is turning over and whatever the outcome of the race tomorrow, we're very proud (of our performance)."

Behind SMA, Des Voiles et Vous! in third are gaining but not enough (251 miles behind the leader). Behind the podium, the race is on, with keenly fought battles throughout the fleet, which is all now grateful to be out of a Doldrums which hit their class hardest.

Class40: Imerys Clean Energy win on the west

ETA: The leaders, Thursday, November 23, 02:00 UTC

Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde are not the types to just go with the flow. Having suffered at the beginning of the Doldrums from their shift in the west, they re-took the lead last night, sometimes advancing at 8 knots while the group to the East - V and B, Aïna Enfance et Avenir, TeamWork40 - barely exceeding 3. "The Doldrums have been really difficult, more difficult than I imagined, especially psychologically," Sharp said. "A day in the Doldrums is a good dozen sail changes," Sharp said. "I haven't slept more than an hour in the last 24 hours and if the boat is in perfect condition, we're beginning to get tired."

Imerys Clean Energy made 206 miles in the last 24 hours, 24-30 more than their pursuers, who are now in their wake as they're diving to Salvador de Bahia headed by the south-east trade wind. Imerys Clean Energy has 1,130 miles to go.

"Last night was hard as it was still a little soft, and our English friends cleared off," Arthur Le Vaillant, co-skipper, Aïna Enfance et Avenir, "We're a little faster but Phil (Sharp) knows his boat well. There's not going to be much in it and we hope to get back in touch with him."

The Class40 emerged from the Doldrums overnight and Sharp is aware that his second-generation boat is inferior on paper to the latest generation V and B and Aïna Enfance & Avenir in the reaching angles and speeds they should have on the coasts of Brazil. They need a lead if they want to be first to Bahia and had 20 miles at 09:00 UTC.

Multi50

ETA

La French Tech Rennes St-Malo, Sunday, November 19, 01:00 UTC

Point café
Date : 18/11/17 - 16h06

Class40
1 - Imerys Clean Energy
2 - Aïna Enfance & Avenir
3 - V and B

Multi50
1 - Arkema
2 - FenêtréA - Mix Buffet
3 - Réauté Chocolat

Imoca
1 - St Michel - Virbac
2 - SMA
3 - "DES VOILES ET VOUS!"

Ultim
1 - Sodebo Ultim'
2 - Maxi Edmond de Rothschild



Paul Meilhat, skipper, SMA (Imoca)

"We sailed along the Brazilian coast all night, we met a lot of fishermen. Since this morning, we've had between 12-15 knots of easterly wind, we're going pretty quickly under a Code 0, we were averaging 15 knots. We crossed La French Tech (Multi50) several times, last night we saw their light. It was our last night at sea, we're not very tired; the late watches are beautiful, we're enjoying the lights and the stars. We've talked a lot over the last day, we're trying to enjoy being at sea. There are a few localised effects, we won't be slow with the spinnaker at the beginning of the night. Even if there is not much wind, it can suddenly come back a little. We've been analysing the race from the start. And if we had our time again, we would follow the same route; St Michel-Virbac's perfect. There's no shame in the positions, it's easier to swallow second behind winners who've sailed so well."

Yann Eliès, co-skipper, St Michel-Virbac (Imoca)

"We're counting the miles one by one, we cannot wait to be there but there is not much wind and we'll have to gybe a few times. It's a beautiful sunny day for sailing into Bahia. The faster the better. We've moved away from the coast to avoid the fishermen, we have to be careful because they're very small and low on the water. We'll see them again when we come back to the coast in a few hours, they're nice, some came to see us yesterday. Once we passed the Doldrums, we've been sailing on long gybes and that immediatel allowed us time to recover pretty well. It's very difficult to know what kind of state you're in when you're at sea. We'll find out back on land, but we're relatively fit, I think. For this last day, we're keeping the same watch system, we're try to stay in race mode; there are a few stupid things to avoid. The race isn't over yet, we'll tell you everything when you get there; we're happy to still have a big lead on SMA. We know we have a lot of room to manoeuvre but we don't want to fall asleep. Jean-Pierre and I talk a lot about strategy and routes. JP is very logical, there's a reason for everything. Everything's gone well, but we spare a thought for those behind (who were unlucky in the Doldrums). At the moment, we're enjoying it, we are savouring it...Another 8-10 hours of sailing and it'll be over. We're doing our best to arrive before sunset."

Arthur Le Vaillant, co-skipper, Aïna Enfance et Avenir (Class40)

"We're out of the Doldrums! Now we've got good conditions to get to Salvador de Bahia quickly. Last night was hard as it was still a little soft, and our English friends cleared off. We're trying to keep pace, us and V and B can see each other well, we're almost equal, they're 3 miles ahead, we guess its their sail, there's no AIS, so it's not easy to see its speed. I am on watch, there's a small squall ahead, I'm trimming, I'm trying to find an opening. We're a little faster but Phil (Sharp) knows his boat well. There's not going to be much in it and we hope to get back in touch with him. We don't know (if we can do it) but we know that it will be tight. We hope that there will be some opportunities, but normally it's just straight to the finish line!"

Phil Sharp, skipper, Imerys Clean Energy (Class40)

"We're doing a change of sail, it's normal in the Doldrums! We've made a dozen changes of sail a day, these last few days in the Doldrums have been really difficult, more difficult than I imagined, especially psychologically. Yesterday's wind was amazing, we had 2 or 3 hours with 25 and 35 knots, under the little spinnaker, and then nothing, for hours...Tonight is decisive, it's the last before the change of conditions. We would like to get out (of the Doldrums) in the lead because in reaching conditions, we know that we are slower than the third generation boats. After Cape Verde, we downloaded (weather) files that were pushing us to go to the west. This is something we could not

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St Michel-Virbac breaks record to win Transat Jacques Vabre Imoca class
Jean-Pierre Dick and Yann Eliès on St Michel-Virbac, have won the Imoca class of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre after crossing the finish line in the Bay of All Saints in Salvador de Bahia on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 20:11:46 (UTC), 13 days 7 hours 36 minutes and 46 seconds after leaving Le Havre, Normandy, France. St Michel-Virbac covered the theoretical course of 4,350 nautical miles at an average speed of 13.63 knots but actually sailed 4,652 nautical miles at an average speed of 14.55 knots.

On his 60ft foiling monohull, Dick became the only sailor in the history of this bi-annual double-handed Route du Café, in any class, to have won four times. The 52-year-old skipper from Nice, won the Imoca class in 2003, 2005 and 2011.

St Michel-Virbac also established a new record time for the Imoca class to Salvador with Dick beating his own record of 13 days 09 hours 19 minutes and 2 seconds set with Loïck Peyron on Virbac-Paprec in 2005 by 1 hour 42 minutes and 16 seconds.

16 octobre 2017, entre l'ile de Groix et les Glénan, navigation d'entrainement pour Jean-Pierre Dick et Yann Eliès sur le monocque 60 pieds IMOCA St-Michel/Virbac, préparation à la Transat Jacques Vabre 2017. Photo Yvan Zedda / St-Michel Virbac

Dick recalled today that was his first Transat Jacques Vabre win in 2003 into Salvador de Bahia in 2003, that really announced his arrival as a serious contender in the sailing world.

It was a first victory for Eliès in the Imoca class, after his Multi50 win in 2013.

After leaving Le Havre on Sunday, November 5, at 12:35 UTC, St Michel-Virbac has led since the early morning of Tuesday, November 7 as they crossed the cold front that battered the fleet as the passed the Bay of Biscay. One of six latest generation foiling Imoca in the race, it was actually the older generation, foil-less SMA that has proved St Michel-Virbac's toughest challenger. That was something the two French sailors, Dick and Eliès, predicted before the start of their training partner, and SMA closed to within 28 miles in the Doldrums before of St Michel-Virbac escaped first and extended as the headed down the coast of Brazil.

[Photoboy]

A Three Way Dash For Finish In CLass 40'




Anglo-Spanish pair fights French and Physics

We may be about to witness the closest finish in Transat Jacques Vabre history as the Anglo-Spanish duo of Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde (Imerys Clean Energy) attempt to catch the two newer French boats in a three-horse race down the coast of Brazil.




TRACKER

As the Imoca peloton continued to arrive in comparatively relaxed fashion today, parading into the Bay of All Saints, the contest for the Class40 could barely be more furious behind them.








Class40

ETA: The leaders, Wednesday, November 22, 22:00 UTC

Locked together for the last fortnight, the three boats are passing Recife on the coast of Brazil and Sharp and Santurde have managed to stem further losses to just nine miles in the last 24 hours. At 17:00 UTC, with 325 miles to the finish line in Salvador de Bahia, Imerys Clean Energy was 17.2 miles behind the leader Aïna Enfance and Avenir, with second-placed V and B (Maxime Sorel / Antoine Carpentier), just 4.4 miles behind.

The three boats are all Manuard design, but the two French boats are version 3 of the Mach 40 design and Sharp's, version 2 and simply slower in the reaching wind angles they have had since the Doldrums. It may only be a half a knot, but over 24 hours that is heartbreaking.

Design physics has forced them into a tactical decision to head further offshore in the search for more wind, whilst the two front boats gybe closer to the coast (they are 12 miles from land). As the trade wind begins to swing behind them this evening, Imerys Clean Energy, should be able to hold its own. But until then perhaps their best hope is that the French boats will push too hard against each other.

"This contest won't be decided until the end," Aymeric Chappellier, the skipper of Aïna Enfance and Avenir said. "Imerys Clean Energy is 15 miles behind now. Of course, nothing is impossible, especially as there are 350 miles to go, and it will still be complicated. There's still a long way to go. The goal is not to get into a match-race but to sail as well as possible."








Imoca

Arrivals

Monday, November 20, 2017

Sixth-place Tanguy de Lamotte and Samantha Davies (Britain), on Initiatives Cœur at 20:15:39 (UTC)

Race time: 15 days, 07 hours 40 minutes and 39 seconds



Tuesday, November 20, 2017

Seventh Louis Burton and Servane Escoffier, on Bureau Vallée 2, at 04:37:58 (UTC)

Race time: 15 days, 16 hours 02 minutes and 58 seconds

Eighth Isabelle Joschke (Germany) and Pierre Brasseur, on Generali, at 13:08:01 (UTC)

Race time: 16 days, 00 hours 33 minutes and 01 seconds

Ninth Alan Roura (Switzerland) and Frédéric Denis, on La Fabrique at 14:39:16 (UTC)

Race time: 16 days, 02 hours 04 minutes and 16 seconds

Tenth Yoann Richomme and Pierre Lacaze on Vivo A Beira at 17:55:21 (UTC)

Race time: 16 days, 05 hours 20 minutes and 21 seconds

ETAs

Wednesday, November 22

Newrest-Brioche Pasquier & La Mie Câline – Artipôle, 06:00

Famille Mary – Étamine du Lys 14/15:00

As well as courage and intuition, ocean racing is all physics and mathematics; from the design of the boats to the autopilot algorithms and analysis of weather and routing. But for Tanguy de Lamotte and Britain's Samantha Davies on Initiatives-Cœur, there were other calculations to consider as they crossed the Atlantic. They finished sixth yesterday (Monday) in a powerful field, but overacheived even more in their other mission.

Their unique campaign raised enough money for 25 children from around the world in need of heart operations to have them in France. At the start in Le Havre they were aiming for 15. De Lamotte, who started working with the charity in 2004, is now handing over the helm of both boat and campaign to the capable hands of Davies.

Read more here

Point café
Date : 21/11/17 - 16h06

Class40
1 - Aïna Enfance & Avenir
2 - V and B
3 - Imerys Clean Energy

Multi50
1 - Arkema
2 - FenêtréA - Mix Buffet
3 - Réauté Chocolat

Imoca
1 - St Michel - Virbac
2 - SMA
3 - "DES VOILES ET VOUS!"

Ultim
1 - Sodebo Ultim'
2 - Maxi Edmond de Rothschild




Aymeric Chappellier, skipper, Aïna Enfance and Avenir (Class40)

"We have a dozen knots at the moment. The wind will start to favour us and we'll be able to go under the big spinnaker by the end of the day. This contest won't be decided until the end. Whether you're in the lead or second, it doesn't change much in the immediate future. The advantage is it means we're in the game. But we can't rest on any laurels. We're on the lookout for the slightest flurry of breeze, the slightest change in wind direction, anything. We're trying to think of all the possible scenarios and to do everything we can do until the finish to try to stay ahead. Imerys Clean Energy is 15 miles behind now. Of course, nothing is impossible, especially as there are 350 miles to go, and it will still be complicated. There's still a long way to go. The goal is not to match-race but to sail as well as possible."

Isabelle Joschke (Germany), skipper of Generali (Imoca)

"It was demanding, it was difficult, and sometimes a little scary, we went to find the limits of the boat and our own limits too. This was a race where we exploded out of the blocks and then came to a complete standstill in the Doldrums. That was really difficult because we hoped to finish the race with the leading boats, who we'd been fighting with since the start. In the Doldrums, all those hopes disappeared. But it motivated us to give the best of ourselves. It was three races in one: before, during and after the Doldrums."

Sam Davies (Britain), co-skipper of Initiatives-Cœur (Imoca)

"It was an amazing race. It was really intense, especially the first week - but for me that was kind of my favourite bit as well; I love it when it's full on and windy and rough. I can't wait to sail again. We're learning a new boat, there are bits that we missed that the leaders knew – they did an amazing job - Jean-Pierre (Dick) and Yann (Eliès), and Paul (Meilhat) and Gwénolé (Gahinet) had an amazing race, hats off to them. I'm going to use them as an inspiration The welcome in Salvador is brilliant. For me, there are memories from 2001, I did my Mini-Transat and that was the first time I'd come to Salvador."

Tanguy de Lamotte, skipper of Initiatives-Cœur (Imoca)

"The circle is complete; I came by Mini to Bahia some years ago (2004), and I now I'm finishing in Bahia. The boat is top; it was the first foiler for both of us, and it adds intensity in everything. It feels natural that Sam should take the helm of this boat (Davies will the boat and campaign into the 2020 Vendée Globe). We have two objectives: sport and solidarity and we've been able to save a lot of children, that's 150 since we started the projec

[Photoboy]

Neck and Neck Finish For Class 40 Leaders

French and Physics defy Anglo-Spanish duo
The closest finish in Transat Jacques Vabre Class40 history is still on the cards at around 23:00 tonight (Wednesday), but the Anglo-Spanish duo of Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde (Imerys Clean Energy) will need to play a joker from up their sleeves if they are still to be at the table and upset their French rivals on the line.

Meanwhile, in Salvador de Bahia, the final three 60ft monohull Imoca boats crossed the line in the Bay of All Saints today in more relaxed fashion. Thirteen Imoca left Le Havre and thirteen made it to Salvador de Bahia.




TRACKER






Class40

ETA: The leaders, Wednesday at November 22, 23-24:00 UTC



With 80 miles left to the finish in Salvador de Bahia, the three-horse race seemed to have narrowed to two as the latest generation French boats continued to pull away remorselessly from the Anglo-Spanish duo of Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde (Imerys Clean Energy). But on the eighteenth day of the race, adrenaline is driving them all through the fatigue.

At 16:00 (UTC) V and B (Maxime Sorel / Antoine Carpentier) had edged past Aïna Enfance and Avenir (Aymeric Chappellier / Arthur Le Vaillant) into the lead, but only by 1.6 miles, with both making 9 knots in what has become a match race. Imerys Clean Energy was 33.7 miles behind.

"The end of the race is coming, the conditions for sailing are incredible, but unfortunately we're not in the position we'd like," Sharp said at lunchtime. "We lost the lead while reaching. There's nothing we can do at this angle, these boats are faster, we did the best we could, but they've just been irresistible. But all is not lost, we made this small shift offshore, we had no hope staying on this line 15 miles behind. We know that at night there's very little wind at the finish in Bahia, so you never know. We'll give everything right up to the line."

That is not just wishful thinking. Even the larger and faster multihulls and 60ft Imoca monohulls have parked up in the Bay of All Saints, so it could still favour a boat arriving later with momentum.

Imerys Clean Energy was first across the start line in Le Havre, has led the race for 12 and was first out of the Doldrums. It had a 20-mile cushion, a lot in the context of a race where one mile has sometimes separated these top three, but it proved not be a comfortable one.

The French 40ft monohulls are version 3s of the Manuard Mach 40 design and Sharp's version 2 is simply slower in beam reaching wind angles.

"With nothing to lose, we decided to implement a different strategy - to sail further east offshore in the hope that we'd find a stronger breeze in the night," Sharp said. Disappointingly, this prediction didn't materialise and the Mach 3s inshore enjoyed the same breeze. I think it will take some unlikely calms or an angry fisherman with long floating nets to slow down the front runners now – having been victim of this myself in the past, anything is possible."

Softening winds have already seen the two French boats head right into the coast in the search for any zephyr. Imerys Clean Energy, forced further offshore looking for different wind, has gybed back towards them. Aïna Enfance and Avenir reported tearing their spinnaker and getting their keel caught on a net overnight...there are still some pitfalls along the road.

Whatever the outcome, all three boats will smash, by over five days, the Transat Jacque Vabre record of 22 days 13 hours 2 minutes 22 seconds set by the Italian duo Giovanni Soldini and Pietro D'Ali on Telecom Italia in 2007 (the first time Class40 had been included in the Transat Jacques Vabre and the last time the race went to Salvador).



Imoca

Romain Attanasio and Aurélien Ducroz on Famille Mary – Étamine du Lys completed the set of 13 Imoca in Salvador de Bahia, crossing the line in the Bay of All Saints at 16:17:27 (UTC). Attanasio was reunited on the pontoon with his partner in life and on land, Britain's Samantha Davies and their son Reuben. Davies had finished sixth on Monday evening with Tanguy de Lamotte on Initiatives Cœur.

Arrivals

Wednesday, November 22

Eleventh Arnaud Boissières and Manuel Cousin on La Mie Câline – Artipôle at 05:42:45 (UTC)

Race time: 16 days, 17 hours 07 minutes and 45 seconds

Twelfth Fabrice Amedeo and Giancarlo Pedote (Italy) on Newrest-Brioche Pasquier at 10:16:16 (UTC)

Race time: 16 days, 21 hours 41 minutes and 16 seconds

Thirteenth Romain Attanasio and Aurélien Ducroz on Famille Mary – Étamine du Lys at 16:17:27 (UTC)

Race time: 17 days, 03 hours 42 minutes and 27 seconds

Point café
Date : 22/11/17 - 16h06

Class40
1 - V and B
2 - Aïna Enfance & Avenir
3 - Imerys Clean Energy

Multi50
1 - Arkema
2 - FenêtréA - Mix Buffet
3 - Réauté Chocolat

Imoca
1 - St Michel - Virbac
2 - SMA
3 - "DES VOILES ET VOUS!"

Ultim
1 - Sodebo Ultim'
2 - Maxi Edmond de Rothschild




Phil Sharp, skipper, Imerys Clean Energy (Class40)

"V and B and Aina are an evolution to the Mach 2 boat that we're on, they're generation 3 boats - it's beamier and much more powerful in the hull. It's much more suited to beam reaching conditions in strong winds, which are unfortunately the conditions we've had all the way since the Doldrums. We fulfilled our objective of being in the lead at the exit of the Doldrums, we had a 20-mile lead, but it wasn't enough of a cushion to fend off the Mach 3's when they were in their prime condition. There wasn't a lot we could really do except helplessly watch them pass us. Now, we're 20 miles behind, so it's looking like a difficult shout to catch them before the finish but we've been doing everything we can to make up the gap. Are feeling is that we have nothing to lose and we have to enjoy the end of the race, keep the boat at its maximum and just be grateful for what an amazing opportunity we've had in this race. We're both looking forward to the finish, it's been a long race, two and a half weeks has gone pretty quickly, but this has been our home long enough and we're looking forward to getting back to land and celebrating the performance we put in. We've worked really hard for this race and pushed ourselves right to the limit of mental and physical fatigue. We're pleased with what we've done and it will nice to have a few caipirinhas with friends and family waiting at the finish to celebrate that."

Maxime Sorel, skipper, V and B (Class 40)

"The longest day...Hello earth, this is our last message to you, we have less than 200 miles left to go and it's going to be smoking hot finish; we're not sure on how this story ends."

Fabrice Amedeo, skipper, Newrest-Brioche Pasquier (Imoca)

"This crossing has been a mixture of joy and frustration, but that frustration will turn into positive energy for the future."

Arnaud Boissières, skipper, La Mie Câline – Artipôle (Imoca)

"The crossing? We started in the cold with waves and finished in the warm without wind. It's not been unpleasant, but it was a little longer than expected."

[Photoboy]

V & B Smash Class 40 Record!




French boat smashes record to win Transat Jacques Vabre Class40 ahead of Anglo-Spanish duo

Maxime Sorel and Antoine Carpentier on V and B, have won the Class40 of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, after crossing the finish line in the Bay of All Saints in Salvador de Bahia on Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at 23:19:15 (UTC), 17 days 10 hours 44 minutes and 15 seconds after leaving Le Havre, Normandy France.

V and B covered the theoretical course of 4,350 nautical miles at an average speed of 10.40 knots but actually sailed 4,513 nautical miles at an average speed of 10.77 knots.

Winner Class 40 category in 17d 10h 44mn 15s - VandB, skippers Maxime Sorel and Antoine Carpentier, during arrivals of the duo sailing race Transat Jacques Vabre 2017 from Le Havre (FRA) to Salvador de Bahia (BRA), on November 22nd, 2017 - Photo Jean-Marie Liot / ALeA / TJV2017

V and B beat the previous record of 22 days 13 hours 2 minutes 22 seconds set by the Italian duo Giovanni Soldini and Pietro D'Ali on Telecom Italia in 2007 (the first time Class40 had been included in the Transat Jacques Vabre and the last time the race went to Salvador) by 05 days 02 hours 18 minutes and 07 seconds.

In one of the closest finishes in Transat Jacques History, Aïna Enfance and Avenir (Aymeric Chappellier / Arthur Le Vaillant) finished second, just 17 and 42 seconds behind. Sorel, who finished second with Sam Manuard, the designer of his (and the second-placed) 40ft monohull in the last edition of this bi-annual double-handed Route du Café, in 2015, only finally moved into the lead in the later afternoon today (Wednesday).

And after over 4,500 miles of crossing the Atlantic, Phil Sharp (Britain) and Pablo Santurde (Spain) on Imerys Clean Energy are only 35 miles from the finish line.

Sharp and Santurde led the race for 12 days but in a boat that is a generation older than the two ahead was technologically outrun in the final straight in beam reaching conditionas along the coast of Brazil.


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Four podiums full and seven boats still racing
After a late night finish that will go down in transat racing legend, the podiums of all four classes in the 13th edition of the Transat Jacque Vabre are complete.

If the Ultime class had seemed like a close finish on Monday, November 13, with less than two hours separating first and second place, the Class40 was balanced on a razor's edge. Maxime Sorel and Antoine Carpentier on their 40ft monohull, V and B, beat Aymeric Chappellier and Arthur Le Vaillant, on Aïna Enfance and Avenir by just 17 minutes and 42 seconds.

Phil Sharp (Britain) and Pablo Santurde (Spain), on Imerys Clean Energy, who led the race for 12 of the 17 days finished hours later still under the cover darkness in the Bay of All Saints in Salvador de Bahia.

"What an incredible fight we have been through over the last two and a half weeks," Sharp said. "An intense three-way boat design battle against the Mach 3s Aina Enfance et Avenir and V and B, a battle against different weather extremes, and a battle against our own personal limits."

The biggest winner of the day though was Sam Manuard, who watched as the first four places in the Class40 were taken by boats he designed.

Sharp and Santurde won the race-within-a-race between the older generation boats, beating Bertrand Delesne and Justine Mettraux (Switzerland), on TeamWork40 into fourth. Imerys Clean Energy was pushed past its supposed maximums but still could keep pace with the latest generation French boats that remorselessly hunted him down and passed him.

"Whilst Phil's Mach 2 is a great all-rounder, the Mach 3 evolution was designed to achieve different goals," Manuard, who finished second with Sorel in V and B in 2015 explained. "Clearly the gains are in reaching and they also have a sweet spot in certain downwind conditions. Phil and Pablo have done an amazing job, once again proving what great sailors they are."

3rd place in Class 40 category - Imerys Clean Energy, skippers Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde, celebration at pontoon, during arrivals of the duo sailing race Transat Jacques Vabre 2017 from Le Havre (FRA) to Salvador de Bahia (BRA), on November 23rd, 2017 - Photo Jean-Louis Carli / ALeA / TJV2017

It was a fact that the French skippers were keenly aware of as they passed Imerys Clean Energy in the same wind on Monday, November 20. "We felt for Phil and Pablo (Imerys Clean Energy) because they couldn't do anything," Antoine Carpentier, co-skipper of V and B, said. "We spent the day ovetaking them in the trade winds, we went 1.5 knots faster. We didn't dare to get them on the VHF for fear that it is badly received." Rivals and comrades – such is the spirit in offshore sailing and the warm hugs on the pontoon between all three teams were testimony to the spirit of this Route du Café.

Read the finish report here

Read the blow-by-blow of the Class40 race here

Lanterne rouge

Meanwhile, back in the Atlantic, seven boats are still trying to reach the line. The most pressure is probably on the lanterne rouge (backmarker) Esprit Scout, which because of a technical pit stop is far behind the rest and may struggle with an active Doldrums, which it will enter tomorrow. It must average 7 knots over the 1,500 miles still to go if it is to cross the finish line before it officially closes on December 2 at 23:19:15 UTC

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The race of the amateurs
The Italian duo, Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciani on Colombre XL became the first of the amateur duos to finish in the Class40 of the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, when they crossed the line in the Bay of All Saints early on Friday morning.

6th place in Class 40 category - Colombre XL, skippers Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciani, celebration during arrivals of the duo sailing race Transat Jacques Vabre 2017 from Le Havre (FRA) to Salvador de Bahia (BRA), on November 24th, 2017 - Photo Jean-Marie Liot / ALeA / TJV2017

Amateur in the technical not the perjorative sense, because Juris, the 61-year-old maritime industry manager from Milan, and his regular collaborator, Luciani, the 32-year-old architect from Venice, handled their first Transat Jacques Vabre with great skill and showed consistent speed.

The Transat Jacques Vabre has four classes, but within each of the fleets the battle lines are drawn between the generations of boat – those are competitive edges being talked about around the crews on the pontoons of Le Havre. By any measure, Colombre XL definitely won its class.

The Anglo-Spanish duo of Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde almost defied gravity by beating the two Manuard Mach 3 that caught him in the final straight to Salvador. And Juris and Luciani have equally over-performed in their Pogo 40 S2Finot-Conq-designed boat, built in 2011 for a budget well below the Manuard Mach 40 and Verdier Tizh 40's around them.

"We're very happy to be here in Brazil, that's more important to us than the rankings," Juris said. "I didn't think we'd finish 6th. At the same time, in the other Class40 races, we always placed well. In the Sables-Horta race we were 6th with the same boat, and the same in the Normandy Chanel Race with 30 boats, we're probably the first non-professional crew here in Bahia, that's good."

6th place in Class 40 category - Colombre XL, skippers Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciani, celebration during arrivals of the duo sailing race Transat Jacques Vabre 2017 from Le Havre (FRA) to Salvador de Bahia (BRA), on November 24th, 2017 - Photo Jean-Marie Liot / ALeA / TJV2017

Juris, a former member of the Italian Olympic team (Finn class), and Luciani were always in the hunt. After a cautious start in the cold front, they moved into 6th place on November 10th, and never let go of it. As those ahead got stuck in the Doldrums, Colombre XL closed to within 50 miles. But having made a significant western shift as they entered, the duo lost too much ground on the front five to challenge in the final stretch. In truth, their boat would not have had the pace. Reaching in the south-east trade wind, as they approached the coast of Brazil they has re-aligned themselves far behind TeamWork40 and Région Normandie Junior Senior by Evernex.

They held off any potential challenge from the other amateur rookies behind them, Tom Laperche and Christophe Bachmann on Le Lion d'Or, who finished eight hours later in 7th. Laperche, a 20-year-old student, and Bachmann, a 48-year-old architect were racing on a brand new Verdier Tizh 40 but have considerably less experience than Juris and Luciani.

There are five boats still racing, who among other professions include a neuroradiologist and a stomatologist.

Arrivals

Friday, November 24

Sixth Massimo Juris (Italy) and Pietro Luciano (Italy) on Colombre XL at 05:28:53 (UTC)

Race time: 18 days, 16 hours 53 minutes and 53 seconds

Seventh Tom Laperche and Christophe Bachmann on Le Lion d'Or at 13:35:04 (UTC)

Race time: 19 days, 01 hours 00 minutes and 04 seconds

ETAs:

Saturday, November 25

Eärendil 21:00

Gustave Roussy 23:00

Sunday, November 26

Gras Savoye 12:00

Monday, November 27

Mussulo 40 Team Angola 13:00

Friday, December 1

Esprit Scout