Four stories in Transat Jacques Vabre

(November 16, 2021; Day 10, 17:42FR) – The four divisions offer four different stories as the 15th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre race experience the varying conditions of the Atlantic Ocean. As the Ultimes have pierced the Doldrums, the Ocean Fifty fleet is now approaching this precarious zone of wind. For the monohull classes, they continue to crawl south in less than blustery trade winds.

Ultime: next waypoint in their sights
The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is seemingly unstoppable. Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier are smoking south at 30 knots just 600 miles from Trindade and Martim Vaz, the Brazilian islands they have to round before heading up towards Martinique. Their current ETA to the finish line is now in about seven days.

Thomas Rouxel, on board Sodebo Ultim 3, concedes they’ll be tough to catch, “They have the lead, they are more comfortable with all points of sail, they are exceptional sailors, I can’t see what could stop them winning, barring technical damage or a twist of fate in the second Doldrums.”

At the rear of the Ultime fleet, the Sodebo crew who suffered foil damage last week are crossing the Doldrums. They’re close to the leading Ocean Fifty boats and are effectively out of the race but that doesn’t mean to say they’re not pushing the limits where they can. leaders.

“We’re still racing because we are developing the boat, making it more reliable, making adjustments and working with our routing team,” says co-skipper Thomas Rouxel. “There are a lot of parameters to work on, but we’re still aiming for performance. We also want to enjoy it because sailing on these boats is exceptional, even if it’s not obvious in the Doldrums.”

Ocean Fifty: down in the Doldrums
The entire Ocean Fifty fleet is now approaching or in the Doldrums. But the three leading boats are still dominating. Over the last 24 hours, they have covered more miles than Sodebo Ultim 3, which is in the same waters. Primonial continues to lead ahead of Koesio and Solidaires en Peloton-Arsep. As the Ocean Fifty boats are following a shorter route than the Ultimes, they are also expected in Martinique on 23rd November.

IMOCA – when light means tough
This Transat Jacques Vabre 2021 is proving tough on the monohulls. For days now they’ve struggled with unfavorable conditions and continue to search for breeze close to the African coast. The leading six today made their break, heading west to Cape Verde. LinkedOut has done best and has a small lead over Charal and Apivia.

Sitting fourth is Sam Davies on Initiatives-Coeur where she reports that she and co-skipper Nicolas Lunven have more than just navigational concerns.

“Yesterday I still had my hat and fleece on, but tonight it’s different, it’s warmer. …we were looking for the stuff in our bags and we both agreed we’d packed too many fleeces, hats, gloves etc… my bag is really too big (as a girl I have the right to have a bigger dressing room, right?)

“After I finished changing into my shorts, I go back on deck but Nico continues to rummage in his bag until he realizes he forgot to pack his t-shirts. So now I share my T-shirts, with Nico to wear size 10 (or 12 if he’s lucky) women’s clothes for the next 11 days. And he’ll do the laundry.”

Class40: Canaries split the fleet in two
Twenty-five boats have now passed the Canaries. This first half of the fleet is spread out over 400 miles. It is still led by the same boats: Redman and Volvo, positioned further west. The other half of the fleet remains north of the Canaries, 20 boats spread out over 300 nautical miles. Terre Exotique is rear guard over 700 miles behind the leader just north of Madeira.

Race details – YouTube – Facebook – Tracker

Leaderboard at 1800 CET:

Ultime
1. Maxi Edmond de Rothschild
2. Banque Populaire XI
3. SVR – Lazartigue

Ocean Fifty
1. Primonial
2. Koesio
3. Solidaires en Peloton – ARSEP

IMOCA
1. LinkedOut
2. Charal
3. Apivia

Class40
1. Redman
2. Volvo
3. Banque du Léman

The Transat Jacques Vabre is a double-handed race featuring four classes of boats starting November 7 from Le Havre, France. At nearly 30 years old, having first run in 1993 and every two years since, the 15th edition in 2021 attracted a record-breaking 79 boats: 5 Ultimes, 7 Ocean Fifty, 22 Imoca and 45 Class40s.

The course endures often brutal winter conditions, with a shift this year for the finish, moving from South America to Martinique in the Caribbean, in addition to various mid-Atlantic turning marks for the four classes.

Race Course:

Source: Transat Jacques Vabre