Three classes: Multi 50, IMOCA 60 and Class 40 set off on the 2019 Transat Jacques Vabres from Le Havre on Sunday. Starting in light airs the fleet raced around the ‘inshore course’ before setting off down the channel in a rising downwind breeze. Stiff downwind conditions brought the first casualty, one of the pre-race favourites
Lamotte-Module Creations #153, dis-masted 18 hours after the start while sailing under A4 spinnaker and double reefed mainsail.
Owen Clarke Design are represented in the Class 40 fleet by #157
Linkt (ex
Cape Racing Yachts ), which is once more sailed by Jorg Riechers and Cedric Chateau. All is reported to be well onboard, both sailors having rested after the intense first 24 hours of the race dealing with the fast sailing conditions and the usual tactical decision for this event, west or south after Ushant? The lead boats are currently spread 140 miles across the TJV course with 7
th place
Credit Mutuel to the north-west and 3
rd place
Made in Midi , skippered by the immensely experienced Vendee Globe competitor Kito de Pavant to the south east, 180 miles from Cape Finisterre.
Currently in upwind conditions which are due to increase in severity as a warm front passes over the fleet tonight
Linkt is in 5
th place, twenty-five miles behind the current leader, #151
Aina Enfance &Avenir. Jorg and Cedric are positioned on the leader-board between the two ‘scow bow’ designs, Louis Duc/Aurelien Ducraz onboard #150
Crosscall Chamonix Mont-Blanc in 4
th and the newly launched David Raison designed #158
Credit Mutuel , sailed by Ian Lipinski and Adrien Hardy.
Among the 27 starters are the winners of the last Route du Rhum, Normandy Channel Race and the previous Transat Jacques Vabre. Much interest has been focused before the race on the potential relative performance of the conventional new designs such as the Manuard designed Mach 3’s and Owen Clarke’s #157, in comparison to the ‘scow bow’ designs of Lombard (#150), Raison (#158) and Manuard’s new Mach 4 (#159
Banque du Leman ), currently in 9
th position. For the time being at least, the two current lead boats are #151 and #156, both Mach 3s.
Photo credit: Lois Van MalleghemOwen Clarke Design also have two of our non-foiling designs competing in the IMOCA fleet:
Ariel 2 (ex
Aviva ) Ari Huusela/Michael Fergusson and
Campagne de France (ex
Temenos/Mirabaud ) sailed by Miranda Merron and Halvard Mabire. Both boats are working up towards next years Vendee Globe and are currently trailing the newer foiling boats by 160 miles.
