Twelve Duos Remain in Transat Jacques Vabre

(November 14, 2015; Day 20) – After the finishes of the last IMOCAs yesterday, Friday, only the Multi50 Arkema – now in the Gulf of Rio and expected Sunday afternoon, and 11 Class 40s are still on the Transat Jacques Vabre race course from Le Havre to Itajaí, Brazil.

The third Multi50 ended their chances when they pit stopped in Salvador de Bahia. Arkema, Lalou Roucayrol and Cesar Dohy, have a NE’ly flow but their finish tomorrow is likely to be complicated as another stormy low settles over Itajaí.

The two leaders of the Class40, Le Conservateur, Yannick Bestaven and Pierre Brasseur, have eked out a few more miles on second placed V and B, Maxim Sorel and Sam Manuard and are now over 20 miles up. They are in stronger 20kts NE’ly trace winds off Salvador.

Brazilians Eduardo Penido and Renato Aruajo are leading a group of three out of the Doldrums, 39 miles up on British-South African duo Pip Hare and Philipp Hutton Squire.

Yannick Bestaven, skipper Le Conservateur (Class40): “We had winds of over 25 knots of wind and so we sailed overnight with the large spinnaker and one reef in the mainsail. It was hard on the helm but we took shifts. This morning swapped to the small spinnaker. We are getting down South well. We arrive within four days.”

FINAL STANDINGS
Multi50
1 – FenêtréA Prysmian, Erwan Le Roux and Giancarlo Pedote
2 – Ciela Village, Thierry Bouchard and Oliver Krauss
3 – Arkema, Lalou Roucayrol and César Dohy

Imoca
1 – PRB, Vincent Riou and Sébastien Col
2 – Banque Populaire VIII, Armel Le Cléac’h and Erwan Tabarly
3 – Queguiner – Leucemie Espoir, Yann Elies and Charlie Dalin

Ultime
1 – Macif, François Gabart and Pascal Bidégorry
2 – Sodebo Ultim’, Thomas Coville and Jean-Luc Nélias

Race website – Tracker – Facebook

12th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre in brief
• A legendary race 22 years old and 2015 marks the 12th edition
• Two founding partners: the city of Le Havre and brand Jacques Vabre
• Four classes on the starting line: Class40, Multi50, IMOCA and Ultimate
• Starting October 25 in Le Havre (FRA) for the 5400nm course to Itajaí (BRA)

Report by event media.