The Transat Jacques Vabre – or TJV – is the
highlight of this year’s IMOCA 60 calendar, with teams pairing up for a
tactical Atlantic challenge.
The Transat Jacques
Vabre is a 4,730-mile dash across the Atlantic, with a unique twist –
the crews race double-handed, and Samantha Davies and Sidney Gavignet
will be onboard Artemis Ocean Racing.
The TJV was first held in 1993 and takes place every two years, following traditional ‘coffee routes’ – the trade routes established by cargo vessels shipping the precious black beans from South America to France in the 19th century. The first edition of the race saw skippers racing, single-handedly, from Le Havre to Cartagena in Columbia. Yves Parlier took the inaugural monohull title, and Paul Vatine the multihull class.
Next time
around, in 1995, the race became a two-man competition, and in 2001 the
fifth Transat Jacques Vabre finish line moved to Salvador de Bahia, in
Brazil. By 2007 there were 60 teams entered, racing in four classes,
and the crossing time had shrunk to just 10 days for multihulls as
three-time race winner Franck Cammas and team mate Steve Ravussin set a
new record on the ORMA 60 multihull Groupama – and 17 days for the Open
60s.
Two courses of action
This year’s race
has another new destination: Puerto Limon in Costa Rica. There will be
two courses, one for the monohulls (Open 60s and Class 40 yachts), and
one for the multihulls (ORMA 60 and Open 50s) – the monohulls leaving
the Dominican Republic to starboard to sail around 4,730 miles, the
multis leaving Barbados to starboard, sailing approximately 300 miles
further. If all goes to plan, the fleet leaders should arrive in Costa
Rica at the same time…
But before they get that far, the Transat Jacques Vabre presents numerous challenges to its paired teams. Any hopes that doubling the number of crew equates to double the amount of sleep will be shattered by the opening section of the race, when the teams set out from Le Havre on November 7. The crews must stay constantly alert through the busy shipping lanes close to land before contending with the famous Bay of Biscay, which can deal up brutal conditions in early autumn. In the 2007 edition of the TJV, Artemis, The Profit Hunter, then racing as Artemis 1 was dismasted in rough seas just off Cape Finisterre. Team members Jonny Malbon and Graham Tourell were unhurt, but everyone will be hoping that this year’s fleet has a safe passage into the Atlantic.
The right decision
As
they head south, the skippers next have to choose the right moment to
head across the North Atlantic towards Central America. Should they
take the most direct route, or dive further south to hook into the
trade winds for a rapid express ride west? Getting this decision right
is key, and the sailors will have to work together to plan their
weather routing and tactics, all the while pushing their boat to full
speed. Each crew will be trying to keep their boat going at full
throttle, running with the breeze behind them as they surf the Atlantic
rollers. For the powerful Open 60s that means searching for mid-ocean
weather systems which will keep them in the best breeze. Judge it wrong
and you can find yourself wallowing in the light airs of huge high
pressure bands. For the multihull fleets the risks are even worse –
confused seas and storm fronts make capsize a real possibility,
thousands of miles from land.
This year’s course no longer takes the fleet through the dreaded Doldrums – the zones of high pressure either side of the Equator which are notorious for fickle winds that can becalm even the fastest racing yacht. Instead, the skippers will have to charter their own course to the new finish port of Puerto Limon, each trying to plot the fastest route through the Caribbean Sea, remaining ever alert of the tropical storms and hurricanes which can still wreak havoc across the region in late November and early December. Exhausted and under constant stress, the crews will have their teamwork and communication tested as they negotiate the final stages of the race – if there are any cracks between the two skippers, now is the time when they’ll show.
But the rewards are worth it. After days living on their nerves, grabbing only catnaps of sleep and weight-saving freeze-dried meals, the teams will arrive in a tropical paradise of palm trees, mountains and turquoise seas. The winning Open 60 crew will take the accolade of winning the first major ocean race since the 2008-09 Vendée Globe – the winner of the 2007 TJV, Michel Desjoyeaux, went on to claim the global title earlier this year. And every skipper will have the reward of knowing that they conquered the North Atlantic - this time, standing side by side with a team mate.
The Transat Jacques Vabre
Course: Le Havre (FRA) - Puerto Limon (CRC)
Distance: 4,730 miles (monohulls)
Estimated crossing time: - (IMOCA monohulls): 16 days
