Ideal conditions greeted the fleet of competitors for the start of the 15th edition of the French classic trans - Atlantic yacht race the Transat Jacques Vabre this afternoon. At 12:27 UTC the mixed fleet of 79 boats including Ultim Multihulls, IMOCA 60s, Class 50 Multihulls and the largest group the Class 40 got under way with ideal weather conditions. A NW’ly breeze of 15-20 knots powered the fleet over the start line off Le Havre with the competitors settling in on the short coastal leg before being able to adjust their trajectory towards the Island of Martinique in the Caribbean.
It is expected for the first few hours of racing that the fleet will continue to feel the breeze of around twenty knots. At the turning mark off Etretat the competitors will find themselves on a beat down channel towards Cherbourg before they are able to turn further down channel to make Ushant. The breeze is likely to build to around 25knots before falling away later.
In the Class 40 fleet Merfyn Owen senior partner in Owen Clarke Design, alongside his co skipper Alex Mehran Jr, aboard the veteran Class 40 #132 Polka dot are keeping good company with some much younger members of the fleet in 22nd place. Merfyn Owen was pleased to see the Owen Clarke Design Class 40 ‘Hydra’#149 in 4th place as they headed for the first mark. 
