Transat Jaques Vabre 2019

Time to open this thread, all the boats being now at Le Havre, race starting 27 0ct. and the English version of the transat web site is there : Home - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/en/

3 classes : Class 40, Multi 50 (only 3, unfortunately), Imoca 60

In the news :
Imoca Arkea Paprec broke their port foil on their way to Le Havre :
Avarie de foil bâbord pour ARKEA PAPREC - Course au Large http://www.courseaularge.com/avarie-de-foil-babord-arkea-paprec.html

Class 40 Made in Midi broke its mast during the 90deg test :
Transat Jacques Vabre. Coup dur pour le team Made in Midi - Course au Large http://www.courseaularge.com/transat-jacques-vabre-coup-dur-team-made-in-midi.html

The class 40 Banque du Léman, the new Mach 40,4 version designed by Sam Manuard, just launched by the end of September, quite short to be really competitive for a win, a lot of fore volume as for the Crédit Mutuel designed by David Raison :
Class40. Banque du Léman de Valentin Gautier et Simon Koster à l'eau ! - Course au Large http://www.courseaularge.com/class40-banque-leman-de-valentin-gautier-simon-koster-a-leau.html

Other news thanks to Course au Large :
Transat Jacques Vabre Archives - Course au Large http://www.courseaularge.com/categorie/course-oceanique/transat-jacques-vabre

... and Imoca Class web site :
All the IMOCA 60 in Le Havre https://www.imoca.org/en/news/news/all-the-imoca-60-in-le-havre

Sébastien Simon on what happens on their pot foil, with view of the broken foil in the video : they were in optimal condition, reaching, low sea state, at 25 Knots with wind 18 Knots, no hitting anything.

 

Hi Dolphiman! I don't see a race course + tracker for that race. Do you know if one exists?

 

Here is the race presentation and course :
Presentation - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/en/presentation

 

An interview of Alex Thomson 0n the coming race and the chances of his newly launched Hugo Boss :
News - Thomson predicts record smashing 10-day finish - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/en/news/news/1102/thomson-predicts-record-smashing-10-day-finish

 

It looks like a live feed of the start is available here - Live départ de la Transat Jacques Vabre 2019 https://video-streaming.orange.fr/sports-extreme/live-depart-de-la-transat-jacques-vabre-2019-CNT000001kuXTE.html

 

Tracking: Cartographie et classement - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/cartographie-et-classement

Hugo Boss and Charal way back (more or less 4 miles)...........

 

Charal and Hugo Boss on very different options, all the Imoca fleet spreaded transversaly on ~ 50 NM :
Tracking : Cartographie et classement - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/cartographie-et-classement

 

Boats everywhere in this S-W wind sequence, the ones on the west route with poor VMG, like Hugo Boss in particular, take a great risk in my humble opinion. Great performance of newly launched Apivia Charlie Dalin/Yann Elies, quasi co-leader with Charal, and of the non foiler Banque Populaire Clarisse Cremer / Armel Le Cléac'h, 5th at just 12 NM :
Tracking : Cartographie et classement - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/cartographie-et-classement

 

Ventusky prediction here below to help us understand the next 2-3 days. It seems that the corridor of wind alongside the Morocco coast can be the good deal, providing that you can crossed the light wind south of Portugal. I see no evidence of advantage for the ones on the west option,with the persistence of a big low moving slowly.
Weather Forecast Maps https://www.ventusky.com/?p=33.7;-33.8;3&l=wind-10m

 

The ones in the south route, now led by Apivia/Charles Dalin &Yan Elies, maintain their speed around 10-11 Knots and have all chance to reach the root of the trade winds offshore Morocco without drop of wind. The ones in the west route, led by Hugo Boss, are still in full of uncertainties for the following, one can have concerns for them. Non foilers Banque Pop (5th), Corum (7th), Apicil (9th) and I add Arkea Paprec (8th) because they are without port foil on this several days tack, maintained quasi the same speed in these upwind conditions, but when arriving soon in the downwind ones after a day of light winds, that can change to the advantage of the foilers.
Tracking : Cartographie et classement - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/cartographie-et-classement
Good child and Thomson comments : News - Goodchild recalls dismasting as he sends best to Berry - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/en/news/news/1373/goodchild-recalls-dismasting-as-he-sends-best-to-berry
Ventusky prediction : Weather Forecast Maps https://www.ventusky.com/?p=40.2;-28.1;4&l=wind-10m

 

In Class 40, they are now all making south but still upwind or quasi. The "scow bow" are in good position despite the upwind in rough sea state during the last 4 days, being 1st (Crosscall /Louis Duc, a Lift 40 / Marc Lombard design), 5th at 19 NM (Credit Mutuel / Ian Lipinsky, a David Raison 2019 design) and 9th at 68 NM ( Banque du Léman / Simon Koster, a Sam Manuard 2019 design). Interesting to follow them in the light winds transition ahead, and then in the trade winds.
In Imoca, no doubt that the south option was the best, the "westies" are now more than 250 NM behind and a transition to cross while the leaders Apivia (incredibly good for a boat just launched in august, a well born design by Guillaume Verdier for sure) and Charal are already in the 20+ speeds towards the Canaries. To note also the performance of the non foiler Banque Populaire in this transition phase, now 3rd at only 46 NM (well Armel is Armel, a master ....) and of Initiatives Cœur / Samantha Davies and Paul Meilhat, very consistent from the beginning, 4th at 51 NM.
Tracking : Cartographie et classement - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/cartographie-et-classement
An analysis of the race ( in French) with a fun picture of Yann Elies on Apivia with Charal in the background : Actualités - Changement de décor - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/actualites/actualite/1444/changement-de-decor

 

Looks like Hugo Boss has the right sail now. They don't seem to have been able to repair their damaged reacher. They are starting to move up now with 2 knots on their neighbors and one of the better 24h VMGs. Apicil are keeping their options open regards to the Canaries. That could work well for them.

 

** In Class 40, in what is becomed beam reaching sailing with 14-18 knots of wind, Credit Mutuel took the lead and shows its power in these conditions (16+ knots in average during the last hour). The other two "scow bow" are 4th (Crosscall) and 5th (Banque du Léman, previously 9th, with a strong 13,4 Knots / last hour).
** In Imoca, Charal 1st is progessively building a significant lead over Apivia 2nd (now 40 NM behind), and there is a strong competition for the 3rd rank between 7 boats : PRB and 11th Hour Racing (the ex Hugo Boss) show a bit more speed potential, the old (2007 Finot-Conq design) non foiler APICIL do great in these conditions (rear wind with multi gybes), now 6th, as they did during the second leg of the Defi Azimuth if you remember well. That's really an impressive performance from his disadvantaged skipper Damien Seguin (born without left hand), well seconded by Yoann Richomme. Damien is twice olympic gold medalist in 2,4 mR , and was 6th in the last solo Route du Rhum 1018 with this Imoca. The "Hugo Boss" group of 5 in the North-West are now slowed, with speeds less than 10 knots, they have now to cross the anticyclonic light wind, I am afraid they have not finished to pay for their early west option !!!
Tracking : Cartographie et classement - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/cartographie-et-classement
Damien Seguin : Damien SEGUIN https://www.imoca.org/fr/skippers/damien-seguin

 

** Imoca : Now the 10 first led by Charal seems all oriented directly towards the west side of Capo Verde Islands, after a 2 days sequence of rear wind/multi gybes. I include in this 10 Newrest-Art et fenêtres / Fabrice Amedeo & Eric Peron who did very well during this sequence and succeeded to join the rear of the chasing group behind Charal. Newrest-Art et fenêtres is a foiler of the first generation, Verdier-VPLP 2015, which did the previous Vendée Globe under the name of No way back. Then bought by Fabrice who did the Route du Rhum 2018, finishing 12th after a série of technical problems. It is interesting to note that in these conditions, i.e. Rear wind with multi gybes, the non foilers (Banque Populaire now 2nd !, Apicil, Corum) are as fast as the foilers, their tacks angles being more open and eventually giving them equivalent VMG. And probably that they are not using same fore sails as foilers for that result.
Tracking :Cartographie et classement - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/cartographie-et-classement

 

Flash info : Hugo Boss keel just damaged, due to the hit at high speed of a floating object, the keel is still attached by the hydraulic cylinders system, they are trying to join a harbour. Alex and Neal are safe , without injury.
Actualités - Flash Info - Avarie de quille sur Hugo Boss - Transat Jacques Vabre - Site Officiel https://www.transatjacquesvabre.org/fr/actualites/breves/1587/flash-info-avarie-de-quille-sur-hugo-boss