In Fort de France Martinique, just over 25 days after the start of the 2021 edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre. Alex Mehran and Merfyn Owen crossed the finish line to complete their race on the Akilaria RC3, ‘Polka Dot’. The 4600 nm rhumb line course adopted for the Class40 fleet saw the boats beat out of the English Channel and Western Approaches across Biscay where the Anglo-American sailors reached as high as 7th in their eight year old boat. After five days they eased sheets and picked up more favourable winds off the Portuguese and then the African continent before taking a hard right at the Cape Verdes to make the final 2000 nm downwind sprint to Martinique. Merfyn Owen commented at the finish that the course was like ‘racing 3000nm to the start of a 2200 nm trans-Atlantic race’ The two Owen Clarke design Class 40s entered in the event by their all-French crews ‘Saint Yves Services Odegam’ sailed by Hervé Thomas and Gérald Véniard finished 20th in 22days 22h 53m and ‘Free Dom’ crewed by Thibaut Lefevere and Thomas Bulcke finished 33rd in 24days 20h 1m.
You Tube video with designer Merf Owen pre TJV 2021: Transat Jacques Vabres Class 40 dock walk
