It was a busy week of preparation since the race village (see pics) opened last weekend (17th October) in Le Havre (France) with the high peak on today’s Sunday (25th Oct): early 07:00 the crews arrived on board to leave at 07:45 am on their racing boats the harbour peer of basin Paul Vatine. At 12:30 pm UTC the gun shot this early afternoon gave the start signal for the two-handed race Transat Jacques Vabre… a 5,400 miles route to Itajai (Brazil).

TJV Race Village in Le Havre…

Trimaran French Tech Rennes Saint-Malo (Multi 50 class) leaves on 25th Oct 2015

the harbour at 07:45 am heading to the start line…



At dawn early morning on 25th Oct Maxi Trimaran Prince de Bretagne

leaves the harbour to get ready for the start…

The weather conditions on this last Sunday in October 2015 demonstrated to the crews and estimated audience of ~500,000 spectators a very peacefully and calm Atlantic sea, differently from regularly weather conditions in autumn season. The search for lightest winds on a sunny day took more than one hour.

In totally 42 boats crossed the start line with fully sails… clustered in four divisions (2x monohull + multihull class each):

Class 40 (14x monohulls): Bretagne – Credit Mutuel Elite, Le Conservateur, Solidaires En Peloton ARSEP, Team Concise, Teamwork 40… ( fully list here see IMOCA (20x monohulls): Edmond de Rothschild, Maitre CoQ, PRB, Queguiner – Leucemie Espoir, SMA… (see fully list here Multi50 (4x Trimarans): Arkema (2013), Ciela Village (2005), FenetreA Prysmian (2009), La French Tech Rennes Saint-Malo (2009/2010). Ultime (4 x Maxi Tris): Actual (2007), Macif (2015), Prince de Bretagne (2007), Sodebo Ultim (2014).

The 12th edition of Transat Jacques Fabre is still a typically “French event” reading the name list of skippers, co-skippers and navigators of these outstanding 3-hull boats. After it’s start in 1993 (known as “La Route du Café” for single-handed race from Le Havre to Cartagena/Colombia) it turned in 1995 into the double-handed race as we know it now for 20 years.

TJV Maxi Trimarans…

TJV Multi50 Class Trimarans…



For the skipper of the new built maxi trimaran Macif (Skip François Gabart) which was christened end of August 2015 (WTE has reported about) and refitted Sodebo-Ultim (Skip Thomas Coville) – after it’s collision with a cargo ship shortly after the start for the Route du Rhum (November 2014) with heavily damages of the starboard ama (outrigger) and bow segment of the main hull – it is an important step and first trans-ocean crossing test for the coming race Vende Globe (start on 6th Nov 2016 from Les Sables d’Olonne)… a solo round the world regatta which takes place periodically every four years and being counted as the toughest circumnavigation a sailor can challenge in his life.



A Gentlemen class of Trimaran Skippers + Navigators…

As the “live tracker” shows in real time (24hx7d) we can follow via Internet on our desktop and mobile screens after ~9 hours sailing the maxi trimarans are far ahead having passed Gurnsey (main isle of Channel islands) under lead of Sodebo-Ultim. The Multi50 class is following 30 nm behind and circuit Cap de La Hauge setting course SWS along side St Anne (Alderney).

We expect the first Maxi Trimaran crossing the finish line in ~11 days (on 4th/5th Nov), and nine days later (around 14th/15th Nov) the bigger fleet of Class 40 boats might be seen on the horizon. See reference times between Le Havre and Itajai…

Class40: GDF SUEZ (Sébastien Rogues-Fabien Delahaye):

20d 21h 41 ’25’ at 11.12 knots average

20d 21h 41 ’25’ at 11.12 knots average Multi50: FenêtréA Cardinal (Erwan Le Roux-Yann Elies):

14d 17h 40 ’15 at 15.30 knots average

14d 17h 40 ’15 at 15.30 knots average IMOCA: PRB (Vincent Riou, Jean Le Cam):

17d 00h 41 ’47’ at 13.30 knots average

17d 00h 41 ’47’ at 13.30 knots average MOD70: Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse-Charles Caudrelier):

11d 05h 03 ’54 at 22.12 knots average

What to expect next days ? – The weather reports and meteo consultants promise a deep low depression… for the crew it could become tough sailing in cruel conditions beginning the new week.

Last meteo consulting before the start for Maxi Trimaran Prince de Bretagne Voile

WTE wishes safely sailing to all crews!