The Transat by OC Sport

O F F ICI AL RACE PROGRAMME OF THE ART EMI S TRAN SAT 2008

CONTENTS

©Gilles Martin Raget

OFFICIAL VILLAGE, CALENDAR OF EVENTS, START MAP Don’t miss a thing in Plymouth! HOW IT ALL STARTED Looking at the genesis of the original singlehanded transat, by Jocelyn Blériot

RACE HISTORY

NEW WORLD CALLING Lighthouses, capes, islands… The North Atlantic unveils its landmarks, by Jocelyn Blériot

HALF A CENTURY OF TECHNICAL INNOVATION 50 years of progress and improved performances, by Dominic Bourgeois

PLYMOUTH - THE BARBICAN Chris Robinson, local historian and Chairman of the Barbican Association, gives us a tour of the city’s historic area.

The 1960s

The 1970s

The 1980s

The 1990s

2004

BOSTON’S GATEWAY The Boston Harbor Hotel welcomes the IMOCA ﬂeet

GO WEST! Course tactical analysis

COURSE MAP

AGAINST THE FLOW The Gulf Stream, its derivatives… and their importance for our shores

FOLLOW THE RACE

A PIGEON CALLED NELSON (AND OTHER STORIES) Loïck Peyron looks back upon his four participations including two victories – in his unmistakable style.

28-42

THE NORTH ATLANTIC BATTLEGROUND Oliver Dewar discovers tragedy and tenacity and examines the inherent risks of solo sailing.

44-49

PARTNERS AND OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS of The Artemis Transat

IMOCA AND CLASS40 Focus on the two classes entered in The Artemis Transat, by Catherine Ecarlat THE IMOCA LINEUP A world-class entry list THE CLASS40 LINEUP Seasoned racers and rising talents

The Race is owned and managed by

in partnership with

You can follow the latest news at www.theartemistransat.com Please send us your feedback on this issue to solo@theartemistransat.com Cover photo: Bradley Mason Edited by: OC Events Editor: Jocelyn Blériot

Contributors: Dominic Bourgeois, Oliver Dewar, Catherine Ecarlat, Loïck Peyron, Chris Robinson, Julie Royer Design and production: Keith Lemmon – OC Vision Copyright: OC Events All rights reserved. Published April 2008

Artemis Investment Management welcomes you to

CEAN RACING AND INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ARE MORE SIMILAR THAN THEY APPEAR AT FIRST SIGHT. SKILL, KNOWLEDGE, PASSION, PERFORMANCE, DEDICATION AND PERSISTENCE ARE ALL CRUCIAL ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESS. WITH THIS IN MIND, ARTEMIS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE 13TH EDITION OF THIS WORLD-FAMOUS OCEAN RACE; THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT. The line-up of IMOCA 60 and Class 40 skippers taking part in this event is world-class and their boats are state-of-the-art in all areas of naval design. Star skippers alongside a number of rising stars will ensure this race is one to watch. Artemis is passionate about performance both on and off the water. We are a leading, owner-managed, investment company, known for achieving superior returns by offering investors funds which regularly beat their benchmarks and peers. At Artemis, our primary aim is to beat the markets… and the aim of each of these talented skippers is to beat the competition. We believe that whatever the markets are doing, opportunities for superior returns are usually available for active managers to ﬁnd, provided they possess the skills and conﬁdence necessary to identify and exploit what’s on offer.. The exceptional skippers taking part in The Artemis Transat carry the same belief which is simply adapted to the world of ocean-racing. Each one has the freedom to take responsibility, react to changing conditions and to put themselves on the line, in their efforts to win. On behalf of Artemis, I wish all skippers in The Artemis Transat, fair winds and a safe and successful arrival to the ports of Boston and Marblehead, USA. Mark Tyndall CEO, Artemis Investment Management

PLYMOUTH

…AND THE LAUNCH OF THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT AT SUTTON HARBOUR, PLYMOUTH 2008! The City Council is proud to be working with the Sutton Harbour Group, South West of England Regional Development Agency and Event South West to host the launch of this prestigious event in its historical and spiritual home. Plymouth’s spectacular waterfront location makes it one of the major sailing centres in the UK and the perfect venue for world-class maritime and sporting events. Attracting leading yachtsmen and women from around the world, the city has hosted the start and ﬁnish of many major sailing races including the Fastnet, Tall Ships and Clipper as well as the Transat. A week-long programme of entertainment and activities has been organised to complement the launch, including an interactive Race Village as well as live music, air displays, water and light shows, a sailing parade and street entertainment. So take in the sea air, explore some of the fantastic yachts on display and enjoy the race! Councillor David James Lord Mayor of Plymouth

RACE VILLAGE 2

3 5

4 IMOCA 60 & CLASS 40 RACE FLEET 6

S U T T O N

7 8

MEDIA CENTRE

BT RACE HUB

VIP CLUB MUMM HOSPITALITY MARQUEE

H A R B O U R

N AT I O N A L

MA R I N E

AQ U A R I U M 4

SUTTON HARBOUR GROUP TALL SHIP ‘THE EARL OF PEMBROKE’

GIPSY MOTH IV

ECOVER EXHIBIT

AVIVA SAILING SIMULATOR

ROYAL NAVY EXHIBIT

COMMERCIAL VILLAGE

OCEAN RACING EXHIBIT

RACE FLEET TECHNICAL AREA

SUTTON HARBOUR THE HOE

PA R A D E CO U R S E

DRAKE’S ISLAND

B R E A K W AT E R

RESTRICTED AREA FOR COMPETITORS

STADDON HEIGHTS PENLEE POINT S TA R T L I N E EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE 9.5 miles

E N G LI SH

C HAN N E L

RACE CALENDAR 2008 3 – 4 May BOAT ARRIVALS IN PLYMOUTH The race ﬂeet will arrive in Plymouth during the Bank Holiday weekend. Spectators will be able to see the boats enter through the lock gates into Sutton Harbour, where they will be berthed until the start of the race.

3 – 11 May THE RACE VILLAGE The Sutton Harbour Race Village will open at 1000 BST on Saturday 3rd May. It will be open from 1000 BST until 1800 BST each day until the race start on 11th May. The Race Village will host many attractions including the Club Mumm/ VIP Hospitality Centre, the Ocean Racing Exhibition, the Royal Navy Display, the BT Race Hub, the Tall Ship ‘Earl of Pembroke’, the famous Gipsy Moth IV and street entertainment.

3 – 10 May BARBICAN JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL The inaugural Barbican Jazz & Blues Festival is being funded by Plymouth City Council and The Artemis Transat at Sutton Harbour, and has won the support of big-name sponsors including Plymouth Gin, Sutton Harbour and Air Southwest. The music festival is taking place between 3rd to 11th May across a network of venues in the historic quarter of Plymouth. The event was conceived by Dan Thompson, of Kaos Production and Barbican-based venue The B-bar. It is designed to run alongside The Artemis Transat at Sutton Harbour. Further information on timings and venues can be found at www.barbicanjazzandbluesfestival.com

6 - 9 May OCEAN RACING EXHIBITION The Ocean Racing Exhibition is designed to give an insight into life on an ocean racing yacht including the technology of the boat, the challenges facing the skipper, and the ways in which the boat’s sustainable use of energy can be more broadly applied in society. The exhibition is supported by the University of Plymouth, and also ﬁts into a schools programme featuring the National Marine Aquarium. The University, through its Widening Participation Programme, hopes to encourage interest in careers at sea.

7 May CHAMPAGNE G.H. MUMM GOURMET DINNER Gourmet dinner at Tanners, AA Restaurant of the year. 6 tasting courses will be paired with 6 ﬁne champagnes from the G.H. Mumm range. Artemis skipper Jonny Malbon will give a talk to guests about life on the open seas. Tickets available for purchase from the restaurant on 01752 252001. (£65 / person.)

9 May VIP SKIPPER RECEPTION An ofﬁcial VIP reception of The Artemis Transat to welcome the skippers will take place between 1800 BST and 2000 BST.

11 May BOATS LEAVE SUTTON HARBOUR FOR THE START AREA Boats will start leave the pontoons at 1000 BST on race start day. They will proceed one by one through the lock gates and sail past Plymouth Hoe before heading out to the start area.

11 May OFFICIAL START OF THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT The race will start at 1400 BST. The activity south of the breakwater (see above map) can be seen from Plymouth Hoe, with the best views from Staddon Heights and the Jennycliff, on the eastern side of Plymouth Sound. 5

HOW IT ALL STARTED

How it all started ... THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT IS THE HEIR OF THE OLDEST SINGLEHANDED TRANSATLANTIC RACE, THE OSTAR, WHICH SHAPED MODERN OFFSHORE RACING. WE LOOK BACK AT ITS GLORIOUS PAST, AND SPEAK TO LLOYD FOSTER, FORMER COMMODORE OF THE ROYAL WESTERN YACHT CLUB AND AUTHOR OF THE MOST COMPLETE BOOK EVER WRITTEN ON THE SUBJECT

asler, Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Marines (known as “Blondie”), wrote that letter in December 1959, after having matured his original idea for 3 years and submitted it to the editor of The Observer… who declined the offer to become a sponsor. The concept – unsurprisingly – had already seduced the Slocum Society, which had issued a notice of race, but ﬁnding an organising body was not simple, and even though working meetings followed one another, progress was very slow. After one of those meetings, over dinner, some members of the Slocum Society suggested that the race could be divided into two legs, with a stopover in the Azores. Blondie Hasler’s reaction showed how passionate he was about a solo non8

stop adventure, and how ﬁercely he would defend the purity of his concept. In his book entitled “OSTAR”, published in 1989, Lloyd Foster writes: “This {the stopover idea} prompted Blondie to come up with a long, forthright, though at the same time tongue-in-cheek, telegram to the Slocum Society, which started “Bewildered fatuous proposal to route the race via Azores.” He went on to say that if they persisted in this notion he would have to withdraw and organise his own race. By this time he was himself a member of the Society, so felt able to add “If free dinner has this effect on members suggest such functions prohibited in Society rules.” Putting together such a pioneer event was not an easy task, and the different parties involved came up with a variety of

©Ajax News L to R: Blondie Hasler, Francis Chichester & Lt. Col Jack Odling-Smee

Giving birth to modern Open 60s… 30 years ago!

ideas – notably a Transatlantic Cruising Competition, which caused Hasler and Chichester to decide they’d had enough, and by November 1959, the latter declared he had taken over the running of the race.

Lloyd Foster, looking back prior to the 2008 start “It’s a tremendous progress in terms of the level of entries and money involved and even though I don’t personally know the new generation of sailors, their boats are fantastic. I joined the RWYC in 1973, and had three years to prepare the 1976 edition of the race, which turned out to be the biggest ever – nevertheless, just like it had been from the beginning, we had all sorts of problems with some people trying to stop the race from happening, claiming that singlehanded sailing was not legal. To add to

Lloyd Foster

Why so fast? © PPL

Letters to the Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC), such as the one reproduced opposite, were soon sent out, and Jack Odling-Smee, Rear Commodore, responded positively. Although 50 credible letters of intent were received by the club, only four skippers were on the starting line on 11 June 1960 (Blondie Hasler, Francis Chichester, Val Howells, David Lewis) – French skipper Jean Lacombe set off 3 days later, and all ﬁve competitors made it safely across the ocean. The rest is (an amazing) history, detailed in the following pages.

“I remember when we were discussing the possibility of limiting the length (ed. note: to 56 feet) of the boats after 1976, we had this little diagram in which the design had to fit. Someone said “If you do that, they’ll all end up having vertical stems” – to which another person responded: “What’s wrong with that, if it’s faster?”

L to R: Francis Chichester, Blondie Hasler, David Lewis & Valentine Howells

that difficulty, 1976 was also the year when things got out of hand in terms of boat size. To a certain extent, it showed people what could actually be done. As organisers, we had to be careful not to make too many rules against modern technology, but some limits had to be set: when Alain Colas came with Club Med, he had equipment in that boat that would have made the Navy of certain countries very jealous! I handed him a piece of paper saying what he could and could not use, and that led to a terrible scene. It’s a pity we ended up having a tense relationship with him, because he was a great character and an amazing competitor.”

“I like my dog, I like my horses and I like the girls, but I don’t like everybody. I like being at sea and when I am I don’t want to see the bloody land at all. The only thing I cannot understand about this race is why they are all in such a goddamned hurry to get to the other end.” Lt-Col. Jack Odling-Smee, Commodore of the RWYC (quoted in “Singlehanded”, edited by Libby Purves and Trevor Grove), who actually accepted to organise the ﬁrst edition of the race, when everybody else seemed to be intimidated by the idea.

RACE HISTORY

Francis Chichester

Photos : Ajax News/DPPI - PPL - J.Bleriot - The Times

L to R: David Lewis, Francis Chichester, Bill Howell, Mayor of Newport, Valentine Howells, Eric Tabarly, Blondie Hasler & Alec Rose

L to R: Francis Chichester, Geoffrey Williams & Eric Tabarly

Eric Tabarly

1960 THE START OF IT ALL Fifty declarations of intent were received by the organisers but in the end only five boats crossed the start line off Plymouth, and remarkably all five reached New York on the other side. Self-steering gear was in its most basic homemade form, roller-reefing sails were just a dream and there were no satellite navigation systems, just hand-held compasses and sextants. These five pioneer yachtsmen took very different options, with Blondie Hasler (Jester 25ft) opting for an extreme Northern route, Francis Chichester (Gipsy Moth III 40ft) and David Lewis (Cardinal Vertue 25ft) on the Great Circle route and Val Howells (Eira 25ft)

and Jean Lacombe (Cap Horn 21.5ft) on the Azores route. Little was heard from the competitors during the race and fears grew for their safety but, finally, Chichester arrived 40 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes after leaving Plymouth. “Every time I tried to point Gipsy Moth at New York the wind blew dead on the nose,” said Chichester. “It was like trying to reach a doorway with a man in it aiming a hose at you. It was much tougher than I thought.” Hasler reached New York in 48 days but second place was no disappointment. He had proved that his self-steering system was more than efficient to

handle the 25ft Jester with a single Chinese lugsail on an unstayed mast, and claimed he had only had to take the tiller for one hour of the entire journey. Jean Lacombe was the final skipper to arrive after 74 days!

©Western Morning News/Ajax/DPPI

1964 A LEGEND IS BORN The second OSTAR in 1964 was the launch pad for one the most influential figures in the history of single-handed sailing, the development of sailing as a sport in France and in offshore race boat design. In 1960 Francis Chichester had managed the crossing in 40 days, then

32 year-old French naval lieutenant Eric Tabarly won the 1964 race taking just 27 days aboard his 44ft ketch Pen Duick II. Publicity from the first OSTAR turned the second race into a media circus with a number of the 15 competitors signed up by national newspapers. Tabarly, the only Frenchman in the race, was the sailor’s favourite for the race with the advantage of sailing the largest boat and the only one purpose-built for the event.

as a passing comment let slip that his self-steering system had only worked for the first 8 days of the 27 days it took him to complete the course. Tabarly became an overnight hero and for his endeavour was presented with his country’s highest honour, the Legion d’Honneur by President de Gaulle. Nevertheless, the skipper never lost sight of his priorities, and declined the first presidential invitation because the ceremony coincided with the day he had intended to repaint his boat!

He had also carried out an in depth study of the weather and physically was very fit. Arriving in Newport, Rhode Island he had no prior knowledge of his win - he had not used his radio during the race - and almost

A few months later, a somewhat begrudged De Gaulle sent another invitation, in the following terms: “I would be delighted to be able to count on your presence… if the tide is favourable of course.”

©Beken of Cowes

1968 THE INVENTION OF ROUTING The race became truly international with a total of 35 competitors from as far a field as Sweden, Germany, USA and South Africa to add to the usual British and French entries. During this edition the North Atlantic was swept by a massive depression bringing with it 60 knot, storm force winds. Many competitors hoved to, dropping all but a storm jib to sit out the terrible conditions.

Warned of the storm, Williams sailed north missing the brunt of it and gained an estimated 300 miles over his competitors in the process. He went on to win the race despite some controversy at the end when he sailed the wrong course – Williams missed a vital part of the skippers briefing when an amendment to the sailing

Only one competitor made a significant gain by taking advantage of the rules, which had not outlawed weather routing (at that time, it was not considered viable for solo skippers). Geoffrey Williams racing the monohull Sir Thomas Lipton was the first to use weather routing: via a hefty high-frequency radio, he would communicate with meteorologists at Bracknell who were running weather models using a very early computer.

instructions was issued to round the Nantucket Light Vessel on approach to finish. As the Race Committee had not published the amendment in writing grounds for any protest were weak. In a display of great sportsmanship, no other skipper protested him. Weather routing was banned from subsequent races. Although the first multihull had competed in 1964 (Derek Kelsall on Folatre), in 1968 there were no fewer than 13 multihulls (although only five completed the course), including a 65ft (20m) “monster” (Pen Duick IV) entered by Eric Tabarly. But his trimaran lacked preparation following the social unrest of May 1968 in France, forcing him to retire. The best multihull was a proa designed by an as yet unknown American, Dick Newick and raced by Tom Follet who finished in third place. This edition was a sign of a new era to come.

©Beken of Cowes 11

RACE HISTORY

1972 THE MULTIHULL AGE After 1968 a 500-mile qualification passage became obligatory, 55 boats qualified for the fourth edition of the race. Eric Tabarly’s Pen Duick IV had retired from the 1968 race, but in the intervening years prior to the 1972 OSTAR she had been tested and developed and then sold to former crewman Alain Colas, another icon of early French single-handed sailing. In contrast to the 1968 race the North Atlantic threw up only one brief gale and it was perhaps due to the light conditions and skill of her skipper that Colas was able to steer his 67ft trimaran across the line first in the remarkable time of 20 days and 13 hours five days faster than Geoffrey Williams’ four years earlier. In the process, Colas beat the giant monohull Jean-Yves Terlain’s 128ft Vendredi 13 by 16 hours. With Colas’ victory and other multihulls taking third, fifth and sixth places, the future of ocean-going racing catamarans and trimarans was sealed. With the exception of the 1976 race, all the

subsequent single-handed transatlantic races have been won by multihulls and today they are the undisputed champions of the ocean. Developed by the pioneering Tabarly, Pen Duick IV was a boat well ahead of her time, despite her aluminium construction and beams that appeared to have been made from scaffolding. Tabarly had been inspired to commission her after sailing on board Derek Kelsall’s trimaran Toria, winner of the first two-handed Round Britain and Ireland race in 1966. With no keel for ballast, a racing multihull’s lightweight requires less power to drive it and is therefore easier for the single-hander to manage. Rigged as a ketch, Pen Duick IV was originally fitted with rotating masts to improve the flow of air over her mainsails - a prelude to the rotating wing masts now standard on all modern trimarans. As for Colas this same boat would take him around the world single-handed and into the history books the following year. Tragically, while competing in the first Route du Rhum in 1978, both boat and

skipper were lost for reasons unknown. Marie-Claude Fauroux (Aloa VII) was the first woman to finish the course coming 14th after nearly 33 days at sea, while her fellow colleague Anne Michaïlof racing PS was the last to cross the line, finishing just a few hours before the time limit of 40 days.

©Beken of Cowes

1976 CONTROVERSY AND TRAGEDY wife accidentally electrocute herself as she helped prepare the boat just days before the start. Sadly, McMullen and Three Cheers disappeared during the race. Five low pressure systems followed each other one after the other, relentlessly generating an average wind speed of 35 knots and a raging, chaotic, short, crossed sea for over a week. The ﬂeet were decimated with the well-chronicled retirement of Yvon Fauconnier (ITT Oceanic previously Vendredi 13) and the break-up of Jean-Yves Terlain’s 70ft catamaran Kriter II. Two skippers were lost at sea in the storms - Mike Flanagan and the recently bereaved Mike McMullen. Only 73 of the 125 starters ﬁnished the race within the time limit. Eric Tabarly racing his 73ft ketch Pen Duick VI had at one stage considered turning back when his self-steering gear failed. Even before the start, the storm was brewing. Controversy exploded around the entry of Alain Colas’ gigantic monohull Club Méditerranée that measured in at 236ft (72m). Few believed that a boat this size could be sailed safely by one man without being a risk to himself and others at sea, and many saw the race as getting out of control. A total of 125 boats crossed the start line in a shadow of sadness at the death of one of the competing skippers wives. Mike McMullen, an ex-marine commando, had bought Three Cheers from Tom Follet and had tragically witnessed his 12

Photos: Ajax News/DPPI

But the 1964 winner found new strength and crossed the finish line first in dramatic circumstances; with no sight nor sound of Tabarly since the start, concerns were growing for his safety. But Tabarly appeared out of the fog in Newport just as the French navy were on the verge of launching a fullscale search operation. Alain Colas’ Club Méditerranée stopped in Newfoundland for repairs to the rigging and then also had to take a penalty for accepting a tow that relegating him to 5th place overall, although he crossed the line in second. Another amazing performance came from Canadian Mike Birch on the ‘tiny’ 31ft trimaran, The Third Turtle. He crossed the line in third but was finally awarded second place. Multihulls had staked their claim in stormforce windward conditions – there could be little to stop them now.

Clare Francis

Photos : Ajax News/DPPI - The Times - J.Bleriot - Bluegreen

Alain Colas

Eric Tabarly

RACE HISTORY

Phil Weld

Yvon Fauconnier

Photos : DPPI

Philippe Poupon

1980 TRIUMPH OF THE MULTIHULLS The organisers had imposed a restriction on length (56ft) and on the number of entries (110 boats) following the 1976 edition. The race committee chairman, Jack Odling-Smee announced that the decision had been reached for three reasons, the final one being “We have set the class limits to try to adhere to the original concept of the race – which is to defeat the ocean rather than the other competitors.” Ninety competitors started and there was a noticeable absence of French participation. Upset by the restrictions in force, many French skippers boycotted the race in favour of a new solo transatlantic race, the Route du Rhum, created by Frenchman Michael Etevenon. Only one French skipper, Daniel Gilard, appeared

in the top 10 finishers; although in 14th was a new rising star Olivier de Kersauson on Kriter VI. What did dominate the top 10 finishers, were the multihulls including the unofficial entry of Marc Pajot racing Tabarly’s ‘futuristic’ foiler Paul Ricard. Tabarly had to withdraw from the race due to a skiing injury and Pajot, unable to complete the qualification in time, raced as an unofficial entry crossing the line in fifth. In fact, the top five slots were filled with multihulls but it was, above all, the “Multihull American School” that emerged victorious with the veteran of the race, the 100% ‘Corinthian entry’ Phil Weld (Moxie) who finished in 17 days, 23 hours and 12 minutes, plus Phil Stegall (Jeans Foster) and Walter

Greene (Cassettes Olympia). The weather conditions were ideal at the start with a northerly flow for almost ten days enabling the leaders to sail more than half the course with the wind abeam, an extremely favourable situation for the trimarans. Seventy-two boats finished and the course record dropped by six days in one go - it was fast approaching the two-week barrier.

©J.Eastland/Ajax News/DPPI

1984 THE FRENCH COMEBACK Ninety-one boats started and in the early stages of the race it was two catamarans of Patrick Morvan (Jet Services) and Gilles Gahinet (33 Export) that dominated until they were forced to retire through damage to the hull and mast problems, respectively. But it was the capsizing of Philippe Jeantot (Credit Agricole) in the middle of the Atlantic that was the talk of the town posing a problem at the finish. Philippe Poupon (Fleury Michon) was first to finish in Newport in 16 days, 11 hours and 55 minutes, but Yvon Fauconnier (Umupro Jardin) was declared the

winner after standing-by Jeantot for 16 hours. His finish time of 16 days, 22 hours and 25 minutes were reduced by 16 hours to 16 days, 6 hours and 25 minutes. Philippe Poupon on hearing the news during the middle of his victory press conference, could not disguise his immense disappointment and broke down in tears. Out of the top 10 finishers only two skippers were not French and only the 10th placed boat was not a multihull. All the top 10 skippers had completed the course in under 17 days. The race was fast becoming a transatlantic sprint. ©R.Folez/Ajax News/DPPI

1988 THE RECORD TIME – POUPON’S RETURN With 95 entries, the trend was towards on board electronics, weather files and automatic pilots. It was no longer enough for the solo sailor to be an excellent mariner and a tough racer, he also had to be a computer wizard and manage his tactical and strategic options on board. 1988 proved to be a record-breaking race as multihull designer Nigel Irens stated: “The record is bound to be broken.

direct route the whole way. Mike Birch (FujiColor) and Olivier Moussy (Laiterie St Michel) were sailing similar Nigel Irensdesigned trimarans.

The evolution in multihull design is taking place at a phenomenal rate. Today’s 60ft trimarans have 25% speed advantage over boats raced four years ago.” Philippe Poupon’s (Fleury Michon) demonstration was exemplary with exceptional conditions on the Atlantic allowing the Breton to virtually sail a

An exceptional disaster befell skipper David Sellings on board his monohull Hyccup. A pod of whales, up to 50 or 60 at one point, had surrounded his boat for three days and finally attacked, holing the boat. Sellings only had time to grab a few belongings and inflate his life raft before Hyccup sank.

But, unfortunately, Birch hit a whale, while Olivier Moussy had problems caused by a late launch. Philippe Poupon set a stunning new record of 10 days, 9 hours and 15 minutes or the equivalent along the Great Circle route of 11 knots average speed.

©J.Bernard/DPPI

RACE HISTORY

1992 MONOHULLS MOVE BACK INTO THE GAME The Ostar becomes the Europe 1 New Man Star, and the 1992 edition welcomes 3 classes for a total of 67 boats. Poupon, the title holder, is naturally lined up, against a crowd of famous names among which Loïck Peyron, Florence Arthaud – fresh from her fantastic Route du Rhum win – or Laurent Bourgnon.

of leadership, but the Swiss skipper, who managed to take the lead, breaks his mainsail traveller… Florence Arthaud capsizes, Poupon retires after breaking his daggerboard: Loïck Peyron plays it safe at ﬁrst then moves into turbo mode, to eventually cross the line in Newport with a 24-hour lead over Paul Vatine!

The list is rather long, and the presence of talented sailors like Jean Maurel, Philippe Monnet, Paul Vatine and Francis Joyon (skippering the 1988 winning trimaran) ensures a fierce battle will be fought on the Atlantic. Joyon heads North, while Vatine chooses the southern option, but Peyron and Bourgnon remain on the “middle lane”. During the first week, nothing is really defined in terms

Lying 6th overall behind 5 trimarans, Yves Parlier and his Finot-designed Cacolac d’Aquitaine prove how fast the new generation of Open 60’ IMOCA monohulls are – crossing the Atlantic in 14 days and 16 hours, the French skipper sets a new course record that will stand for 12 years, and will only be beaten by Mike Golding and Ecover in 2004. ©F.Pace/DPPI

1996 A DOUBLE FOR PEYRON By now multihulls no longer hit the headlines and the Europe 1 STAR had turned into a French battle, at least for overall victory. There were no new trimarans except for Banque Populaire, and the 60ft monohulls shunned the event to concentrate on the Vendée Globe. Amateurs took advantage to come back in force in the smaller classes while observers already knew that the podium would be a contest between Peyron, Bourgnon, Vatine and Joyon. But it was the latter who created the surprise by choosing a route not used by anyone since Blondie Hasler in 1960, the Northern route. Joyon went far to the North passing over the top of the centres

of the depressions that were slowing his adversaries on the direct route. He had more than a 300-mile lead by the time he had reached the Newfoundland Banks and nothing seemed capable of stopping him from breaking the record for the crossing. But it was without counting on the unstable breezes that knocked him down over just 400 miles from the ﬁnish. A similar fate befell Laurent Bourgnon. Loïck Peyron was able to savour a second successive victory, with a time very close to Philippe Poupon’s 1988 record in spite of signiﬁcantly less favourable weather conditions. Paul Vatine came in just four hours behind the winner.

©J.Vapillon/DPPI

2000 BATTLE OF THE MONOHULLS While seven 60ft trimarans engaged in the 2000 Europe 1 New Man STAR, the more remarkable ﬂeet was that of the Open 60s of which a phenomenal 24 were entered. The reason for this incredible growth was because many were using the event as both a shakedown and a qualiﬁer for the Vendée Globe the following November (like this year). In the end the race produced two surprise winners. First trimaran was Francis Joyon’s Eure et Loir. Joyon had been leading the 1996 race until it came to a premature end following the pitch pole of his trimaran. Come 1999, the burly French man had lost his sponsorship from Banque Populaire who had passed the reigns over to Lalou Roucayrol and were building a new boat especially for the 2000 race. Coming into the 2000 race, Joyon was the least favourite of the six trimarans to win, 16

having just scraped together enough sponsorship to charter his old boat back. Pre-race he worked on his boat tied up to a mooring as the heavily sponsored, high proﬁle boats with their full shore teams enjoyed the convenience of the marina. However, it was with some irony that Joyon went on to win the race, while once again the Banque Populaire trimaran experienced a capsize. In the IMOCA Open 60 ﬂeet, picking a pre-race favourite was hard with a line-up including solo sailing heavy weights such as Thomas Coville, Michel Desjoyeaux, Yves Parlier, Mike Golding, Roland Jourdain and Dominique Wavre. Who would win? In the event it was none of them.

weather like a hawk, spotted a lull ahead and by taking an unfavourable tack north neatly sidestepped it putting 75 miles on her competition that she would hold until the ﬁnish. By coincidence both Joyon and MacArthur have since taken up singlehanded record breaking, Joyon having earlier this year set an extraordinary new record time for sailing solo, non-stop around the world.

Sailing a brand new boat in its maiden race, few were betting on a 23-year-old English girl. However, on day nine of the race Ellen MacArthur monitoring the ©B.Black/DPPI

Photos : B.Black/DPPI - J.Vapillon/DPPI - Bluegreen Mike Birch

Philip Walnym

Lo誰ck Peyron

Francis Joyon

RACE HISTORY

2004 HIGH SPEEDS, HIGH RISKS

Within 48 hours, two ORMA trimarans were match racing through thick fog and a long swell in a high-pressure ridge as race leader Thomas Coville (Sodebo) and Michel Desjoyeaux (Geant) set the fleet’s pace. For hotly-tipped British IMOCA 60 skipper, Mike Golding, the total failure of the canting keel electronics on board Ecover during the first night at sea threatened to dash his hopes of victory in the 18 boat class as Jean-Pierre Dick and Virbac took the 60ft monohull lead on a southerly option into the North Atlantic.

On day four of the race, Michel Desjoyeaux led the ORMA fleet straight into the centre of the first Atlantic depression, timing his tack south immaculately as a close fight among the leading IMOCA 60s continued between Virbac, Ecover and solo sailing newcomer, Mike Sanderson on Pindar Alphagraphics.

©B.Stichelbaut/Ecover

Run as an independent race for professional solo sailors under the management of OC Events and named simply THE TRANSAT, the event’s evolution continued alongside the traditional OSTAR (Original Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race) held the following year and organised by the Royal Western Yacht Club focussing on Corinthian, non-pro sailors. With an entry totalling 40 multihulls and monohulls of 50 and 60 feet including 12 ORMA trimarans and Yves Parlier’s radical and untried catamaran, Mediatis Region Aquitaine, the fleet contained an unprecedented level of offshore racing talent and assured intense competition: qualities that were soon to become evident.

With reports of an iceberg minefield developing east of Newfoundland ahead of the fleet, THE TRANSAT race organisation imposed an Ice Exclusion Zone with a ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ between the skippers, ensuring that competitors would avoid this potentially lethal area as the leaders began their fast descent south on day five at sea. Within two days, the North Atlantic drama reached epic proportions,

triggering a series of extraordinary rescue operations: Jean-Pierre Dick and Virbac were rolled through 360 degrees and dismasted in 50 knot winds and monstrous seas and - in the space of a few hours – Vincent Riou’s Open 60 PRB lost her rig 500 miles from Newfoundland and Bernard Stamm was forced to abandon Cheminées Poujoulat–Armor Lux following total keel loss and the yacht’s inversion. After eight days of exceptionally demanding and challenging racing, Michel Desjoyeaux crossed the finish line in Boston just three hours ahead of Thomas Coville with third place Franck Cammas chasing the pair home and completing an ORMA 60 podium that smashed the existing course record. Meanwhile, at the front of the IMOCA fleet, Golding and Sanderson were separated by just a handful of miles as the pair raced through thick fog on the Grand Banks, dodging oil platforms and fishing boats in a relentless battle for first place. This Open 60 close-quarters combat continued to the finish with Golding and Ecover taking first place after 12 days and Swiss skipper, Dominique Wavre (Temenos), crossing the line three hours later, trailed by New Zealand’s Mike Sanderson, hampered by a shattered daggerboard on Pindar Alphagraphics.

Michel Desjoyeaux 18

Photos: B.Stichelbaut/Ecover - B.Stichelbaut/DPPI - MGYR

Mike Golding

RACE COURSE ANALYSIS

Go West! nfamous for its ﬁerce winter storms, the North Atlantic remains a perilous ocean even as summer draws near. Jean-François Bonnin and Pascal Landuré (MeteoStrategy) help us understand what tactical options and traps lie ahead for the skippers entered in The Artemis Transat.

©NASA

As summer approaches, the Azores Anticyclone and its associated mild conditions move up towards the north, following the sun’s apparent movement. It then spreads from Bermuda to the Bay of Biscay with its centre located over the archipelago that carries its name (average central position in May: 35°N / 033° W). This, naturally, is the generic configuration obtained statistically, but two other major scenarios can be expected: the zonal flow and the blocking flow. BLOCKING FLOW ZONAL FLOW This is the most likely scenario. High pressures systems are found south of a line stretching from Virginia (USA) to Southern Ireland, while low pressure systems are north of this meteorological divide. The depressions travel from the USA to Europe and regularly reach the Bay of Biscay and the South British Isles. In fact, it is not rare to see low pressure systems at the threshold of the English Channel in May when the zonal flow prevails. These systems sometimes travel together in groups, i.e. one after another, at a 3 to 5-day interval (against 2 to 3 days during the winter). In this type of situation, the low pressures are more active in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean and the usual path of the depressions is directly below the high-altitude Jet Stream (see boxout). In a “classic” configuration, they form on the East Coast of the United States and travel all the way to Western Europe. It is possible to witness the genesis of very active systems, generating winds temporarily gusting to Force 8 to 9 on the Beaufort Scale. However, it is less common to see a solid Force 8 to 9… although this happened on the 27th of May 2007 at the entrance of the English Channel with winds reaching more than 75 mph on the “Pointe du Raz” (Brittany). This kind of weather obviously makes for very heavy seas and it should be noted that 40 knot winds blowing for 24 hours generate 8 metre high waves!

In this second major scenario, an anticyclone or a high pressure ridge is located on the centre or on the western part of the Atlantic. In May, the most likely conﬁguration is that of a ridge, emanating from the Azores High, and making its way north towards Iceland or the British Isles. Atlantic depressions and disturbances are then blocked west of 10° W, even sometimes as far as 20°W. They generally move around the ridge on its northerly edge, or remain stationary. But in certain cases, they will take advantage of a weak spot in the southern portion of the ridge to ﬁnd their way towards Portugal, delivering stormy conditions on arrival. In every case, the western part of the Atlantic is sheltered, winds are light, the sea state is fair, but coastal fog can occur and substantial breeze may settle on the southern coast of England.

The course in detail PLYMOUTH – FASTNET LIGHTHOUSE RACE GATE The ﬁrst hours of racing will certainly prove interesting due to the importance of tides in the English Channel and the Irish Sea. If the race starts during a zonal ﬂow situation with typical westerlies, the skippers will have to deal with coastal acceleration effects – in May, the wind can still blow at more than 30 knots in the Channel, which was certainly the case for the 2004 Transat. The alternate scenario, less likely, yet

ZONAL FLOW

Low Pressure

High Pressure

Low Pressure

High Pressure not to be ruled out, would be that of high pressure conditions: this would mean some breeze at the start, then the need for the skippers to make quick progress towards the northwest in order to catch more stable winds. On a global scale, the tricky part is that conditions in May can evolve very quickly and dramatically. It is therefore vital that all skippers are able to gather and process weather updates very efficiently. FASTNET LIGHTHOUSE RACE GATE – 45° W This portion represents the actual crossing of the Atlantic, and once again the two aforementioned possible situations can be encountered. In the “classic” low pressure-generated westerlies configuration, skippers will have to make progress upwind towards the West, heading NW at the front of systems and SW behind them. It will be important for the sailors to make sure they don’t go too far North, which could seriously compromise the end of the race… In the case of a blocking flow, a ridge will most likely be located on 30° W, and the major tactical issue will be to determine where to cross that ridge. To a certain extent, this strategic problem is quite comparable to the crossing of the famous Doldrums (ITCZ) when sailing down or up the Atlantic: choosing the right “hole” comes down to securing favourable weather conditions in order to tackle the next portion of the course. If southwesterlies are expected behind the ridge, the important thing is not to cross too far North, which would not make the descent towards Newfoundland – lying on the Great Circle Route - an easy task. The sea state is very variable on the North Atlantic, but 8-metre waves are not a rare sight in May, and unlike what is generally observed in the Pacific, the period (time between two crests) is rather short, making for steep seas. The boats endure a continuous pounding, taking off on a wave, bouncing on the next one and crashing on the third. 45° W – FINISH LINE From the 45° W longitude, the choice of tactical options begin to decline. The skippers also enter the zone where icebergs (see boxout) are frequent and the heavy fog over the Grand Banks certainly don’t make the single-hander’s life easier. The advection (transfer of heat by the flow of a fluid) fog appears principally from May to September and is caused by the fact that air warmed by the Gulf Stream ends up over the cold waters of Newfoundland, where the temperature is roughly 10°C in May. This particular type of fog is extremely dense to the point that it can persist even with 40 knots

BLOCKING FLOW

of wind and can often resist dispersal at even higher wind speeds. The final stage of the race is shaped by this specific obstacle with the iceberg issue providing an additional threat while the possibility of premature tropical hurricanes from the south finding their way up north cannot completely be ruled out. ICEBERGS They can be encountered starting from 40° W, and go – in extreme cases - as far south as 38° N (latitude of Lisbon, Portugal), with a maximum concentration in the area located East – South –East of Newfoundland. Thanks to the presence of the warm Gulf Stream, it is rare to spot icebergs lower than 48° N, but there have been reports of large chunks of ice “cruising” off New York! It is important to stress that May is the month of the year during which iceberg concentration reaches its peak in this part of the Atlantic. Between 1990 and 2007, the average number of reported icebergs in May was 147, with an annual average of 471 in the zone covered by the International Ice Patrol (Canada and USA), spanning from 48° N to 52° N. THE JET STREAM The Jet Stream is an area of very strong winds, situated at 29 000 – 32 000 feet of altitude, forming at the meeting point of polar and subtropical air masses. Unable to mix, the cold and dry polar air makes its way to the south while the warm and humid subtropical air travels towards the north. The conflict between the two air masses generates compression and a rise in the general temperature leading to the creation of remarkable quantity of energy. This power is transformed into winds reaching 190 to 250 mph! Pilots on commercial flights take advantage of this rapid air flow when flying from the USA to Europe. And if this phenomenon indeed takes place at a very high altitude, one always has to consider the system in three dimensions. When an old depression, the remains of a front or a thalweg are located just below the Jet Stream, the energy stored at high-altitude may cause reactivation under certain conditions. Moreover, when the depression moves from the south to the north of the Jet Stream, a real “weather bomb” can emerge (the best example would be the 1999 storm that ravaged Western Europe). The risk is especially high during the winter, but needs to be taken seriously during the spring as well, particularly offshore.

RACE MAP

FINISH: IMOCA Fleet: Boston, USA Class40 Fleet: Marblehead, USA

POSSIBLE ICE GATE To keep boats South

1 2

START:

Plymouth, UK

TIME TO BEAT 12 days 15 hours 18 minutes and 8 seconds Mike Golding, Ecover, THE TRANSAT 2004

RACE DISTANCE 2,743 m (IMOCA) 2,739 m (CLASS40)

RACE GATE KEY GATE 1: Eddystone GATE 2: Lizard

Lighthouse

Point

GATE 3: Fastnet GATE 4: Newfoundland

HOW TO FOLLOW THE RACE

FOLLOW THE RACE

Photos: G. Martin-Raget/Generali, J.Blériot

All the action, just one click away!

Official race website: Go to the ofﬁcial race website for all the latest news, daily race reports, skipper proﬁles, expert weather and tactical analysis, leaderboard and positions. Read the latest emails back from the skippers and regular special features about the history and drama of the oldest solo race in history. Available in English and French.

Email updates: Public can receive daily race updates via email to keep up to speed with the pace of the race. All the latest news from the race track, skipper quotes and tactical analysis. Go to www.theartemistransat.com to subscribe. English and French language available.

Video and Audio: Every day the race comms team will be speaking to as many of the skippers as possible by video phone or audio phone. Some of the IMOCA 60s are ﬁtted out with advanced onboard camera systems that allow the skippers to switch cameras around the boat, allowing viewers a rare glimpse of life on deck and down below as they battle the elements of the North Atlantic. A daily video race update will give viewers a fascinating insight into what the solo skippers are enduring every day of the race and special video features will look at the past editions of the race, and reveal what a perilous place the North Atlantic can be.

Race Console, Leaderboard and Positions: A ‘How To Follow’ Race Console provides an overview of the race at a glance with all the latest news, leaderboard, 2d tracking, weather and more in one easy to view console that automatically refreshes. The race leaderboard will be updated every 2 hours between 0600-1800 GMT with a position blackout between 1800-0600 GMT. The blackout is put in place to provide the skippers from some respite of constantly checking positions; although some say it is no less stressful not knowing whether your have gained or lost on a competitor! 24

THE CLASSES

The 2008 Lineup ©B.Stichelbaut/Brit Air

THE IMOCA 60 AND CLASS 40 FLEETS OFFER A COMBINATION OF THE PREEMINENT OCEAN RACING FLEET OF IMOCA, WITH A CLASS THAT CONTAINS ASPIRING OCEAN RACING PROFESSIONALS PLUS DETERMINED AND ACCOMPLISHED AMATEURS IN EQUAL MEASURES. and now the Barcelona World Race: all A mix of innovation, technology, a high these world-class events have a strong level of competition and a strong spirit emotional ingredient, and appeal to a of adventure and human endeavour wide audience… Every time they leave ensure that the 13th edition of this race the dock, IMOCA skippers capture will deliver a legendary brand of sporting the imagination of tens of thousands stories to capture the imagination of admirers, which also explains why of the public. The race will be part important companies wish to invest in of the ofﬁcial IMOCA Ocean Racing the circuit. World Championship 2008-2009 and importantly it will be the last opportunity CONQUERING EVEREST for the sailors to test themselves and For professional skippers, putting their machines before the solo, non-stop together an IMOCA campaign is in itself round the world Vendée Globe race, a major achievement, a crucial step starting in November 2008. towards the Vendée Globe – generally known as the Everest of sailors. But THE IMOCA CLASS, AT THE FOREFRONT managing an Open 60 team is not a OF OCEAN RACING simple task, since skippers have to The International Monohull Open Class supervise a technical team, whilst Association for Open 60’ yachts, created creating a healthy and constructive in 1991, is in full bloom with no less than relationship with their sponsor, handling 19 new projects launched during the past media requests… and, of course, train few months, and 29 skippers active on both on and off the water. the circuit. A recent surge that makes this already vibrant and technologically At sea, once more, skippers must be advanced class the one to watch on the perfect Jacks of all trades, relying international ocean racing scene. on seamanship, technical abilities Technology and performance are the key words behind the concept of the Open 60s, but above all the IMOCA circuit represents a great human adventure. The Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum, The Artemis Transat 26

but also mental strength and strong determination. Extremely powerful, Open 60s can be tricky to handle when the going gets tough and also require a lot of attention and maintenance: a good skipper is not only a sailor but a

competent mechanic, an able rigger, a skilful composite specialist… on top of being, of course, a trained athlete able to rely upon himself and himself only regarding health issues, should they arise. Managing sleep patterns and keeping a balanced nutrition are key factors, especially during a round-theworld race. Knowing one’s own limits, knowing the boat’s limits, being able to ease off if necessary, even if other competitors are still pushing – it takes both experience and nerves of steel to handle the distance. FLOATING LABORATORIES On dry land, another race is on, involving technology. The Open 60s are genuine ﬂoating laboratories, and designers work hand in hand with engineers to come up with the best structures, using the latest composite materials to construct boats which are light and stiff. Equipment manufacturers work with IMOCA skippers to develop prototypes that will later be put on the market for the wider public: autopilots, software, clothing, paints… Open 60s are used as test platforms, and their level of performance keeps on rising. OPENING UP… Another sure sign of the vitality of this major class is the fact that it is becoming increasingly international. With the Barcelona World Race (around the world, doublehanded) the IMOCA

class saw a new “breed” of sailors join its ranks – notably Jonathan McKee, Guillermo Altadill, Andrew Cape and Sidney Gavignet, coming from the America’s Cup or the Volvo Ocean Race. The doublehanded format of the Barcelona World Race also seduced seasoned singlehanders, delighted to share their adventures and to push the boats harder. With a round-the-world race every other year, a Round Europe Race in preparation and the establshed, legendary races like the Route du Rhum and The Artemis Transat, the Open 60 skippers have never had such a wide and varied playground. THE CLASS40, A SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT CONCEPT In 2006, the Class40 boasted 54 members, and represented a third of the whole Route du Rhum ﬂeet! In 2007, there were 129 members, and 30 Class40 boats took the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre – ﬁgures indeed do speak for themselves, and the Class40, created in 2004, is a genuine success.

Today, the young and active class is also getting increasingly international, and a third of its members are non-French (Italy, Germany, Great Britain, USA, Spain, Norway…), while the circuit is growing around dedicated events like the Marblehead – Halifax race, or the Chocolate Route. Designers and yards are also becoming more and more involved in the conception and build of Class4O prototypes.

theory proved even more successful in reality, and sparked by a handful of enthusiastic sailors including Patrice Carpentier, Dominic Vittet or François Lucas, it appealed to an unexpected number of potential members. Amateurs saw in the Class40 a great way to fulﬁl their offshore racing dreams without having to turn pro, and some pros were delighted to ﬁnd an alternative to the fascinating but expensive Open 60s.

ACCESSIBLE AND CONVIVIAL The key factor of this success lies within a simple fact: 40 feet of length is a size which permits sailing long distances, reasonably fast, safely, while sensible class rules keep budgets under control. Halfway between the 6.50 Minis and the IMOCA Open 60s, the Class40 racers open a new horizon in offshore racing, appealing both to enlightened amateurs and to professional skippers.

A RENEWED ENTHUSIASM During the last class general assembly, in February, around 50 members gathered in an atmosphere reminiscent of the early days. Michael Hennessy came all the way from the USA, while Giovani Soldini made the trip from Italy – seeing designers and boatyard managers attend was also an undisputable sign of good health and dynamism. The Class40 wishes to remain as accessible and as convivial as ever, and all its members are very protective of their circuit’s unique and original spirit.

What looked like a great concept in

LOOKING AHEAD During this 2008 general assembly, the class rules have been set for the four coming years, which allows the yards to kick-start the construction of a limited series with confidence – boats will not be obsolete a year after their launch. This stability is also very beneficial for the skippers and their sponsors, since a strict set of rules guarantees that a boat will remain competitive over the forthcoming seasons. The mix between pros and amateurs seems to have reached a good balance, with a 50/50 proportion in terms of members, and a racing schedule developed to take into account the specific needs of each category. Moreover, starting in 2009, the Class40 will base its calendar around a dedicated key event, in order to obtain the interest and the media coverage it deserves. Catherine Ecarlat

CLASS ASSOCIATIONS: WHY AND HOW?

Class associations handle the evolution of the rules (design, construction etc.) They guarantee the safety of the boats, and for that purpose define mandatory tests and controls. Working together with race organisers, class associations set up ranking systems and / or championships, and are generally administered by active members. For further information, visit: www.imoca.org and www.class40.com

©J.Vapillon

IMOCA CLASS

ARNAUD BOISSIÈRES AKENA VÉRANDAS FRA 14 IMOCA OPEN 60

Photos: ©B.Stichelbaut/Akena

rnaud Boissières (aka “Cali”) has been steering his professional sailing career with determination for 13 years.

After an A-Level specializing in literature and a degree in geography in 1995, Arnaud moves on to yacht deliveries, and enters the Figaro circuit where he races alongside Pascal Bidégorry. On the technical front, he integrates the Team Aquitaine shore crew, and becomes Catherine Chabaud’s “preparateur”. Working as a skipper in the West Indies from 1996 to 1998, Cali nevertheless stays in touch with Yves Parlier and manages to deliver his Open 60’ back to Europe on three occasions. Naturally, that type of experience does nothing to tame Arnaud’s desire to become a professional offshore racer! Meeting an old friend who has just competed in the Mini Transat seals his fate, and in 1999 he is on the starting line of that same grueling race. Finishing 11th in the second leg after having dismasted in the ﬁrst, he decides to have another shot at the event and puts together a structure with his friend Yannick Bestaven: the two skippers manage to build two brand new boats, and in 2001, Yannick wins the Mini Transat while Arnaud ﬁnishes 3rd! He then takes an active part in the Figaro circuit (competing in the Solitaire and AG2R Transat), and becomes skipper of Solune (60-ft racer). After several seasons in Great-Britain and a few records broken (Round Ireland…), he now enters The Artemis Transat aboard Seb Josse’s former VMI, renamed Akena Vérandas, on which he aims to take part in the next Vendée Globe.

PROFILE 35, lives in La Teste (SW France). SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – 9th place in the Transat BtoB 2007 – 12th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2006 – 2nd place in the RORC championship 2005 – Round Ireland record aboard Solune 2001 – 3rd place in the Mini Transat THE BOAT Name: Akena vérandas Design: Groupe Finot Build: Thierry Eluère (Arcachon) Launch Date: June 1998 TRACK RECORD 6th place, Vendée Globe 2000-01 5th place, Vendée Globe 2004-05 10th place, Calais Round Britain Race 2007 KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’) Beam: 5.40m Weight: 8.8 tons Draft: 4.50m Sail area upwind: 275 m² (2960 sq.ft.) Sail area downwind: 515 m² (5540 sq.ft.) www.akenaverandas.com

DEE CAFFARI MBE AVIVA GBR 222 IMOCA OPEN 60

ith a permanent place in the history of world sailing assured by becoming the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world against the prevailing winds and currents in 2006, Dee transferred immediately to the IMOCA Open 60 Class and will be racing a brand new boat in The Artemis Transat. Her strong connection with the sea was formed during childhood sailing with her father leading to the post of sailing instructor at university before a land based career as a physical education teacher took her away from boats. However, after a period of globetrotting, the restless Caffari tasted offshore racing first hand as part of Mike Golding’s shore team for the 2001 Vendée Globe and the solo sailing seed was firmly planted. While British IMOCA teams struggled to find sponsorship in a truly French dominated sport, Dee opted for fully-crewed round-the-world sailing and skippered a crew of 17 amateur yachtsmen in the 2004-05 Global Challenge Race. As soon as she crossed the finish line, Caffari swiftly adapted this 72ft boat for solo sailing and set off on her historic, record breaking voyage with just a few hectic months of preparation. Having completed this harsh circumnavigation and overcome extraordinary setbacks on board, Dee bought the IMOCA Open 60 she knew so intimately from her time with Golding’s team and announced the Aviva Ocean Racing challenge for the 2008 Vendée Globe. Since then, the campaign has included the fully-crewed Calais Round Britain Race, the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre and the single-handed Transat Ecover B to B during which her yacht dismasted in the final stages of the race. With a new boat, Dee Caffari’s legendary determination can be fully exploited. PROFILE 35, lives with her partner in Hampshire, UK SAILING CV KEY MOMENTS 2007 - 11th in Calais Round Britain Race 2007 – 14th in Transat Jacques Vabre

2006 – First woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world the ‘wrong’ way 2004 / 2005 – Global Challenge round-the-world skipper

Photos: ©Aviva Ocean Racing

THE BOAT Name: Aviva

KEY FIGURES

Design: Owen-Clarke

Length: 18.28m (60’)

Build: Hakes Marine (Wellington, Nouvelle Zélande)

Beam: 5.57m (18.2’)

Launch Date: December 2007

Draft: 4.50m (14.7’)

TRACK RECORD No races completed

Sail area upwind: 300m² (3,229 sqft)

Weight: 8.5 tons approx

Sail area downwind: 580m² (6,243 sqft ) www.avivaoceanracing.com 29

IMOCA CLASS

JONNY MALBON ARTEMIS OCEAN RACING GBR 100 IMOCA OPEN 60

Photos: ©M.Lloyd/Artemis ✼ Artemis 1 is shown here. At the time of printing, photography of newly launched Artemis 2 was unavailable

onny’s rapid rise through the echelons of the IMOCA circuit is due to skill, hard work, personality, good luck and excellent timing. Since joining the class six years ago as Boat Captain of Ellen MacArthur’s Route du Rhum winning IMOCA Open 60, Kingﬁsher, Malbon took over as skipper of Artemis Ocean Racing in mid-2007, serving a short but busy apprenticeship in the world’s most extreme offshore monohull division.

THE BOAT Name: Artemis Ocean Racing Design: Rogers Yacht Design Build: Neville Hutton Boat Builders (Lymington, UK) Launch: Spring 2008 TRACK RECORD No races completed KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’) Beam: Not available Weight: Not available Draft: Not available Max sail area Not available www.artemisoceanracing.com

Growing up racing Optimists coupled with extensive cruising on the Malbon family yacht in Normandy and Britain, Jonny temporarily left the sea, spending a brief period as bar manager in London’s West End, before heading south to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, enrolling at the United Kingdom Sailing Academy (UKSA). After leaving MacArthur’s team, he went on to successfully charter and co-skipper the same yacht under the Team 888 ﬂag before switching to the Oryx Quest non-stop, round-the-world winning maxi-cat, Doha 2006 in 2005. During a period of inshore racing, Malbon was part of the Cowes-based Chernikeef 2 team and has tasted superyacht life on both sides of the Atlantic competing on Peter Harrison’s Sojana. Joining Artemis Ocean Racing as Boat Captain, Malbon was soon elevated to co-skipper for the team’s record breaking Round Britain and Ireland Race in 2006 before promotion to skipper the following year. In 2007 he teamed up with Graham Tourell for the double-

handed Transat Jacques Vabre, but their hopes were dashed when Artemis Ocean Racing dismasted 100 miles off the Spanish coast in horriﬁc conditions after four days of racing. With a brand new boat launched this spring, Malbon is determined to feature strongly on the IMOCA circuit. PROFILE 34, lives in Cowes on the Isle of Wight SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – Skipper of 1st IMOCA Open 60 in the JP Morgan Round the Island Race. Transat Jacques Vabre (RTD: dismasted) 2006 – 1st place and course record in round Britain and Ireland Race 2005 – Bowman on superyacht Sojana. Crew on maxi-cat Doha 2006, winner of the Oryx 2004 – Crew on Farr 52, Chernikeef 2 2003 – Skipper of IMOCA Open 60 Team 888 2001 – Boat Captain on Ellen MacArthur’s Kingﬁsher

ARMEL LE CLÉAC’H BRIT AIR FRA 62 IMOCA OPEN 60

orn and bred on the Morlaix Bay, northern Brittany, Armel Le Cléac’h has spent his childhood cruising with his family.

At school, he sailed Optimists while experiencing many other sports (football, archery, table tennis…), and reached national level before moving on to the 420 Olympic dinghy, and crewing for his brother Gaël aboard his Figaro. After a physics diploma, Armel came back to his bunch of friends from the Bay of Morlaix (Jérémie Beyou, Nicoals Troussel…) and captured a second place in the Telegramme singlehanded race. In 1999, he won the Challenge Espoir (a programme for young talents, giving access to a funded Figaro season) and the next year, ﬁnished second in the famous Solitaire du Figaro – a staggering result for such a young skipper. This achievement naturally gave Armel a place on the professional scene, and he broadened his horizons, sailing Figaro One-Designs but also embarking with Marc Guillemot for various multihull races. Given the helm of the Foncia trimaran in 2005, he suffered a tough capsize in the Transat Jacques Vabre,

during which his co-skipper Damian Foxall got badly injured – Armel then decided to move on to the IMOCA class, and aboard Seb Josse’s former VMI (today Akena Vérandas) took a very creditable 4th place in the 2006 Route du Rhum. Armel spent the wole winter preparing and ﬁne-tuning his new Finot-designed Brit Air Open 60, and The Artemis Transat will be a very important test of this busy season.

THE BOAT Name : Brit Air Design: Groupe Finot Build: Multiplast (Vannes) Launch date: July 2007 TRACK RECORD 7th place, 2007 Transat Jacques Vabre KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’)

PROFILE 30 (will celebrate his 31st birthday on the day of the start of The Artemis Transat!), lives in Fouesnant (Brittany)

Beam: 5.90m (19.35’)

SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS

Sail area downwind: 530m² (5705 sq.ft)

2007 - 7th place,Transat Jacques Vabre

Weight: 9 tons Draft: 4.50m (14,7’) Sail area upwind: 290m² (3120 sq.ft) www.voile.britair.com

2006 - 4th place, Route du Rhum 2006 - 4th place, Transat Ag2r 2006 - Transat Ag2r: 4th place 2005 - 4th place in the IB Group Challenge (ORMA 60’) 2004 - Winner of the Transat Ag2r 2003 -Winner of the Solitaire du Figaro

Photos: ©B.Stichelbaut/Brit Air

IMOCA CLASS

SÉBASTIEN JOSSE BT EUR 888 IMOCA OPEN 60

✼ Digital reproduction; photography unavailable prior to April launch

t only 33, Sébastien already has a very impressive track record and a real international stature. A product of the famous Figaro single-handed class, he quickly moved on to Open 60s and threatened the “rock stars” in the 2004 Vendée Globe before hitting a growler, an incident that compromised his chances of stepping on the podium…

THE BOAT

©M.Lloyd/BT Team Ellen

Name: BT Design: Farr Yacht Design Build: Offshore Challenges, Cowes (GB) Launch Date: June 2007 TRACK RECORD No races completed KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’) Beam: 5.80m (19’) Weight: 8.5 tons Draft: 4.50m (14.7’) Sail area upwind: 312m2 (3358 sq ft) Sail area downwind: 588m2 (6329 sq ft) www.btteamellen.com/seb

Nevertheless, the determined and cheerful “Jojo” managed to finish in 5th position of what was his first singlehanded non-stop round-the-world race. In 2002, he had been part of Bruno Peyron’s Orange crew, capturing the Jules Verne Trophy in 64 days. The young man’s third round-the-world journey was to be a major step in his career, since he had been appointed skipper of ABN AMRO 2 for the 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race. Being in charge of the Dutch team’s “young” crew, Sébastien went on to challenge the race’s favorites, among which one could find legendary names such as Paul Cayard or Bouwe Bekking, and broke the 24-hrs monohull record with an impressive 562,96 miles run that still holds today. But Josse really gained the admiration of his peers when a put on an amazing display of seamanship in the same race, rescuing the Movistar crew from their sinking ship. This enthusiastic and intuitive competitor is today at the helm of the BT Open 60, built by the Offshore Challenges team, and is a key member of the BT Team Ellen. PROFILE 33, lives in Concarneau, France

SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – Winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race (IMOCA Class) – Barcelona World Race Prologue 2006 – 4th place in the Volvo Ocean Race, ABN AMRO 2 (skipper), 24-hours record 2005 – 5th place in the Vendée Globe 2003 – Winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race (IMOCA division) 2002 – Winner of the Trophée Jules Verne (RTW absolute record), maxicatamaran Orange 2001 – 2nd place in the Solitaire du Figaro

YANNICK BESTAVEN CERVIN ENR FRA 01 IMOCA OPEN 60

A ©Cervin EnR

fter a brilliant victory in the 2001 Mini Transat, this former “Ponts & Chaussées” (prestigious French national school for engineers) student was one of the rare recidivists on the event.

Having finished in 12th place in the previous edition of that same race, despite having suffered a broken rudder and pilot issues, he immediately started a new campaign with his friend Arnaud Boissières – today skipper of the Akena Vérandas Open 60’. For the 2001 start, the two young men want to set sails on fast, high tech and brand new boats… They created their own structure, and built two state-of-the-art Magnen / Nivelt prototypes – a very costly undertaking, which left them penniless by mid-season. With no sponsor, despite being both qualified, they came very close to being unable to line up for the coveted Mini Transat, but an unexpected partner came along at the last minute! Yannick became the first skipper to win both stages of the race, while Arnaud finished third, a more than convincing result for the team. Bestaven had benefited from Yves Parlier’s influence, having raced the Course de l’Europe and the Fastner aboard Aquitaine Innovations, and after his Mini Transat kept working alongside his mentor. He took an active part in the first development phases of the innovative Hydraplaneur catamaran, whilst racing on the Figaro circuit. Determined to fulfill his Vendée Globe ambitions, Yannick recently refitted the former Aquitaine Innovations, a famous boat which was the very first IMOCA Open 60’ to be fitted with deck spreaders. PROFILE 35, lives in La Rochelle (France, Atlantic coast) SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 - 8th place in the BtoB Transat

2001 – Winner of the Mini Transat, 2 leg wins

2007 – 13th place in the Jacques Vabre Transat 1999 – Winner of the Course de l’Europe (skipper: Yves Parlier) 2006 – 7th place in the AG2R Transat 2005 – 7th place in the Trophée BPE

©J.Vapillon/Cervin EnR

THE BOAT Name: Cervin enR

KEY FIGURES

Design: Groupe Finot

Length: 18.28 m (60’)

Build: Thierry Eluère

Beam: 5.85 m

Launch: May 1996

Weight: 8.4 tons

TRACK RECORD

Draft: 4.50 m (14.7’)

2007 - 8th place in the BtoB Transat

Sail area upwind: 285 m² (3065 sq.ft)

2000 - 13th place in the Vendée Globe

Sail area downwind: 535 m² (5760 sq.ft)

1998 - Winner of the Route du Rhum

www.cervin-enr.com

1997 - Winner of the Route de l’Or 1997 - Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 33

IMOCA CLASS

MIKE GOLDING OBE ECOVER 3 GBR 3 IMOCA OPEN 60

©V.Curutchet/DPPI/Ecover

olding’s connection with sailing began in a gravel pit in southern England at the age of eight during school holidays and weekends. Learning fast from the club’s coaches, Mike undertook odd jobs at the sailing centre before buying his ﬁrst boat; a single-handed dinghy. Although cross Channel cruising with his family continued, joining the Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Services for 12 years delayed his entry into professional sailing until the chartering of a boat for the Azores and Back Race and competing in the 1988 edition of the Ostar in a fragile 35ft trimaran sealed Mike’s future as a solo sailor.

©MGYR

THE BOAT Name: Ecover 3 Design: Owen Clarke Design LLP Builder: Hakes Marine, Wellington New Zealand Launch Date: September 2007

TRACK RECORD 2007 - 5th in Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 - RTD with equipment failure in the Transat Ecover B to B KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’) Beam: 5.8m (19’) Weight: approx 8.3 tons Draft: 4.5m (14.7’) Sail area upwind: 300m2 (3,229 sqft) Sail area downwind: 580m2 (6,243 sqft) www.mikegolding.com

With sponsorship scarce, Mike skippered a fully-crewed yacht in the 1992-93 British Steel Challenge round-the-world race before setting sail on the same boat single-handed, westabout against the prevailing winds and currents, completing the circumnavigation in 161 days and demolishing the existing record by an incredible 125 days. A third, victorious circumnavigation followed in 1996-97 with the BT Global Challenge Race before Golding became immersed in the IMOCA circuit, forming Mike Golding Yacht Racing and commissioning his ﬁrst Open 60 in 1998. Seldom off the podium, Mike and his team are one of the most highly regarded and committed racing squads on the IMOCA circuit: a characteristic that shone after Golding dismasted shortly after the start of the 2000-01 Vendée Globe, but swiftly re-rigged his boat ashore, restarted after eight days and delivered an astonishing display

of ocean racing catch-up. Four years later, potential Vendée Globe victory was snatched from Golding after a broken halyard in the South Atlantic ended a podium match race and Ecover took third, despite the yacht’s keel separating from the hull 50 miles from the finish line. Achieving world-wide recognition for his Southern Ocean rescue of fellow yachtsman, Alex Thomson, during the 2006-07 Velux 5 Oceans race, Golding will fight fiercely to repeat his monohull victory in the 2004 TRANSAT. PROFILE 47, Lives in Warsash, Southampton, UK SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – 3rd in Vendée Globe 2004-06 – IMOCA World Champion 2004 – 1st IMOCA Open 60 and new course record in THE TRANSAT 2002 – 2nd in Route du Rhum 2001 – 2nd in 2-handed Transat Jacques Vabre 2000 – 3rd in the Europe 1 NewMan Star

MICHEL DESJOYEAUX FONCIA FRA 101 IMOCA OPEN 60

ven legends have had a childhood! Michel Desjoyeaux, the youngest child of a family of seven, has been sailing longer than he can even remember – his father was the founder of the famous Glénans sailing school, and managed a boatyard in southern Brittany. Alain Gautier on the ORMA circuit in As a young boy, Michel spent his time 1999 and concentrates on the build of his sailing either with his parents or with his PRB Finot-designed IMOCA 60’, aboard friends, and at age 18 hopped aboard Eric which he goes on to win the 2000 Vendée Tabarly’s boat to follow the Solitaire du Globe. After this fantastic victory around Figaro. Having gained the captain’s trust, the world, he comes back to multihulls he is selected to be part of the crew for and wins the Route du Rhum and The the 1985 Whitbread Round The World Transat, becoming the planet’s most Race. Things move fast for Michel, who prominent solo sailor, the only man jumps from one boat to the other, and to have won the three major events in sails on every (fast) racer which comes the discipline. Today, he’s back on the his way. He takes part in the Tour de monohull scene, more motivated than l’Europe, the two-handed Transat, races ever since he’s triumphed for the third Formula 40 multihulls, lines up for the time in the Solitaire last summer, before Tour de France à la Voile… Then in 1991, winning the Transat Jacques Vabre! entered in the Mini Transat, he makes a breakthrough by fitting his 6.50m PROFILE prototype with the first canting keel – an 43, lives in La Forêt-Fouesnant (Brittany) idea which soon will be reproduced and SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS become mainstream! In 1993, he joins 2007 - 3rd place in the Transat Bto forces with Alain Thébault to finalise 2007 - Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre the first Hydroptère, a futuristic foiler. Desjoyeaux is literally on all fronts. Three times winner of the Solitaire du Offshore singlehanded champion of Figaro (2007, 1998, 1992) France in 1996 and 1998, he sails with 2004 - Winner of The Transat (ORMA 60’)

2002 - Winner of the Route du Rhum (ORMA 60’) 2000-2001 - Winner of the Vendée Globe THE BOAT Name: Foncia Design: Bruce Farr Yacht Design Build: CDK Technologies, Port-La-Forêt Launch Date: September 2006 TRACK RECORD 3rd Transat BtoB 2007 Winner - Jacques Vabre 2007 Winner - Record SNSM 2007 KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’) Beam: 5.85m Weight: 8.5 tons Draft: 4.50m (14.7’) Sail area upwind: 300m² (3230 sq.ft) Sail area downwind: 550m² (5920 sq.ft) www.teamfoncia.com

Photos: ©Y.Zedda/Foncia 35

IMOCA CLASS

YANN ELIÈS GENERALI FRA 22 IMOCA OPEN 60

©G.Grenier/Generali ©G.Martin - Raget/Generali

ailing competition is a family affair for the Elièses, and Yann’s grandfather was a yacht broker as well as a successful racer. Patrick, Yann’s father, won the prestigious Solitaire du Figaro (then named Course de l’Aurore) in 1979, remaining to this day the only skipper to have ever secured a ﬁrst place on all four legs of that gruelling event, and the young Yann, then aged 5, necessarily grew up with that impressive heritage. The family’s half tonners, moored in the Trieux river, bore Jean-Marie Finot’s signature and were feared from southern England to northern Spain. But beyond that sailing tradition, Yann is also known for his good nature, his friendliness which has gained many friends even among his closest rivals. Having shone on the tough Figaro circuit for 10 years, the Saint-Brieuc based skipper also has sailed around the world twice, and belongs to the very exclusive club of two times Jules Verne Trophy holders! Crew member aboard Orange in 2002 – alongside Seb Josse, among other famous names – then watch captain aboard Orange II in 2005, Yann has already seen the ﬁerce storms that sweep the Southern Oceans and knows how to cope with high-speed induced stress for a having sailed on the ORMA trimaran circuit.

SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – 4th place in the Transat BtoB 2007 - 5th place in the Calais Round Britain Race Two times Jules Verne Trophy holder (2002 – 2005) 2004 – 2nd place in the Solitaire du Figaro 2004 – Winner of the Generali Solo (Figaro class) Two times France singlehanded offshore champion (2004 – 2006) THE BOAT Name: Generali

The Breton sailor today helms a last-generation Finot Open 60’ aboard which he secured a very creditable 4th place in last winter’s Transat BtoB.

Design: Groupe Finot

PROFILE 34, lives in St Brieuc (Brittany)

TRACK RECORD

Build: Multiplast Launch date: April 2007 4th in the Transat BtoB 2007 9th in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 5th in the Calais Round Britain Race 2007 KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’) Beam: 5.75m Weight: 9 tons Draft: 4.50m Sail area upwind: 290m² (3120 sq.ft) Sail area downwind: 520m² (5600 sq.ft) www.yannelies.com

LOÏCK PEYRON GITANA EIGHTY FRA 80 IMOCA OPEN 60

oïck Peyron is undoubtedly the most emblematic skipper of the “French School” when it comes to offshore racing, but his humbling track record does not sufﬁce to deﬁne this peerless character. Gifted with an amazing 6th sense at sea, the La Baule-based skipper is also a fantastic communicator and a great technician, having been one of the most important driving forces behind the evolution of modern multihulls.

And if today the man is at the helm of the IMOCA 60 Gitana Eighty, whose name pays tribute to the late Baron Edmond de Rothschild, who would have been 80 in 2007, Loïck is mostly known for his CV which earned him the nickname of “Mr multihull”. Five titles of ORMA world champion, four victories on the Round Europe Race – but most importantly two wins on the Europe 1 Star (ancestor of The Artemis Transat), which place him directly alongside Eric Tabarly himself, the two men being the only ones to have triumphed twice on this original transat. Skipper and Team Manager of Gitana, Loïck has also clocked up an impressive amount of monohull miles, crossing the Atlantic singlehanded for the ﬁrst time at the age of 18 during the Mini Transat, and completing a the ﬁrst ever Vendée Globe, during which he performed a daring rescue of Philippe Poupon. At ease whatever the type of boat, he is an intuitive sailor, whose ability to sail in harmony with his machine and the elements has always impressed his rivals. His last feat is a most recent one, since he brilliantly won last winter’s Transat BtoB, raced between Brazil and Brittany. PROFILE 49, lives in Le Pouliguen (Brittany) SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – Winner of the BtoB Transat 2005 – Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre (skipper Jean-Pierre Dick)

1996 – Winner of the Europe 1 Star 1996 – Winner of the Québec – Saint Malo 1992 – Winner of theEurope 1 Star

1999 – Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre

Photos: ©Y.Zedda/Gitana SA

THE BOAT Name: Gitana Eighty

KEY FIGURES

Design: Farr Yacht Design

Length: 18.28m (60’)

Build: Southern Ocean Marine (NZ)

Beam: 5.80m

Launch: July 2007

Weight: 8.7 tons

TRACK RECORD

Draft: 4.50 m

Winner of the Transat BtoB 2007

Sail area upwind: 300m2 (3230 sq.ft)

8th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007

Sail area downwind: 600m2 (6460 sq.ft) www.loickpeyron.com 37

IMOCA CLASS

KITO DE PAVANT GROUPE BEL FRA 360 IMOCA OPEN 60

s a youngster, Christophe de Pavant was passionate about nature and horseback riding – and who would have predicted that the boy would grow up to become a professional sailor?

Photos: ©Gilles Martin-Raget/Groupe Bel

Well, maybe his father, who was a builder of small cruisers (Cap Corse) in rural Dordogne… “Kito” started sailing dinghies during family holidays around La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast, then moved on to small keelboats (Micro, Mini Tonner, Quarter Tonner…) and started to obtain rather convincing results in local regattas. The whole family moved to the south of France, and settled in the little fishing harbour of Le Grau du Roi, which meant that Kito could spend a lot more time on the water, eventually becoming a delivery and charter skipper first in the Mediterranean, then in the West Indies. 10 years later, settled on the Espiguette beach near Montpellier where he developed his commercial activities (small leisure complex) the urge of competition kicked back in, and the year 2000 saw him enter the very demanding Figaro class. Only two years later, he went on to win the famous Solitaire du Figaro, and subsequently gave birth to the Grande Motte Training Centre. He went on to sail ORMA trimarans and IMOCA Open 60s, notably with Jean Le Cam, and in 2005 signed an important contract with the Groupe Bel company (makers of the well-known “Laughing Cow” cheese). Convinced by the results on the Figaro circuit – Kito won the 2006 AG2R Transat, for example – the partner agreed to step up for a Vendée Globe project, and Kito has chosen a VPLP – Verdier designed monohull, like Marc Guillemot and Safran. This amiable and interesting character finished second in last winter’s BtoB Transat, proving his big talent and his boat’s speed potential.

PROFILE 47, lives in Montferrier sur Lez (Southern France) SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – 2nd place in the BtoB Transat 2007 – 6th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2006 – Winner of the AG2R Transat 2005 – 3rd place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2005 – 3rd place in the Solitaire du Figaro 2002 – Winner of the Solitaire du Figaro THE BOAT Name: Groupe Bel Design: VPLP & Guillaume Verdier Build: Indiana Yachting (Italy) Launch: September 2007 TRACK RECORD 2007 - 2nd place in the BtoB Transat 2007 - 6th place in the 2007 Transat Jacques Vabre KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’) Beam: 5.50m Weight: 8 tons Draft: 4.50m (14.7’) Max sail area upwind: 310m² (3335 sq.ft) Max sail area downwind: 610m² (6565 sq.ft) www.beltchiztour.com

UNAI BASURKO PAKEA BIZKAIA 2009 ESP 26 IMOCA OPEN 60

nai Basurko, 35, is as passionate about offshore sailing as he is about raising the Basque flag whenever the opportunity arises. Keen to reconnect his beloved region with its sailing heritage, the man has been influenced by one of Spain’s most prominent ocean racer, José Luis de Ugarte, who sailed the 1988 Carlsberg Transatlantic Race and then moved on to the BOC Challenge in 1990. Ugarte supported and encouraged Basurko, who raced the 1998 doublehanded Trans Tasman Race with Kanga Birtles… Ugarte’s rival in the BOC! The two men won, and since then young Basque has crewed, raced, trained and put all his efforts into setting up solid campaigns to fulfill his objectives. In 2003, he entered the Figaro class and learned a huge amount in terms of solo sailing, aiming to follow in his mentor’s footsteps and to participate in the Velux 5 Oceans, heir of the BOC Challenge. For that purpose, Basurko commissioned a Murray-Burns-Dovell (Australian design office) Open 60’, built it in Australia and sailed it back to Europe, covering 20 000 miles in the process. Having completed the singlehanded round the world race with stopovers, the Basque skipper today has

his eyes set on the Vendée Globe and is anxious to race against the best in the sport in The Artemis Transat. His boat, Pakea Bizkaia 2009, has been optimized and thoroughly checked prior to the decisive 2008 season. PROFILE 35, lives in Portugalete (Basque Country) SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – 15th place in the Transat Jaques Vabre 2007 – 3rd place in the Velux 5 Oceans 2004 – Round the Iberic peninsula record 2003 – First participation in the Solitaire du Figaro

THE BOAT Name: Pakea Bizkaia 2009 Design: Murray-Burns-Dovell Build: Jarkan YB (Australia) Launch: August 2005 TRACK RECORD 2007 - 15th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 - 3rd place in the 2006-2007 Velux 5 Oceans KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28 m (60’) Beam: 5.30 m (17.4’) Weight: 8.5 tons

1998 – Winner of the Trans Tasman Race

Draft: 4.50m (14.7’)

1998 – Skipper of the Spanish Team in the Commodores’ Cup

Max sail area upwind: 280m2 (3010 sq.ft) Max sail area downwind: 500m2 (5380 sq.ft)

Photos: ©OnEdition/Pakea Bizkaia 39

IMOCA CLASS

BRIAN THOMPSON PINDAR GBR 32

Photos: ©M.Lloyd/Pindar

IMOCA OPEN 60

rian Thompson has been racing for over twelve years, holds 25 world records to date and has clocked-up more multi-hull and canting keel monohull sailing miles than any other Briton. His first major racing success was winning the 1992 OSTAR (now THE TRANSAT) single-handed transatlantic race sailing 35ft trimaran, Transient, setting a record of 18 days in Class 5, which remains unbroken to this day. Over the following seven years, Thompson sailed with American adventurer, Steve Fossett, on board his 60ft trimaran, Lakota, as well as the catamaran, Stars and Stripes, achieving a string of world records and race wins throughout the 90s. When the maxi-Cat PlayStation retired from THE RACE due to structural damage in January 2001, Brian moved back to his singlehanded roots, competing in the Mini-Transat class and - the same year – he crewed on board Ellen MacArthur’s Kingfisher in the EDS Atlantic Challenge, taking first place. Next, Brian travelled the world extensively, breaking four world records in four months on board the maxi-cat Maiden II: these included the prestigious 24 hour world speed sailing record which Brian had held previously with PlayStation. In 2004, Brian achieved a personal landmark by making the fastest round the world non-stop voyage as one of Steve Fossett’s Watch Captains on Cheyenne, fulfilling his dream of holding a circumnavigation record and following in the footsteps of his sailing heroes; Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Sir Peter Blake and Bruno Peyron. Over the past four years, Thompson has gained extensive experience in the IMOCA Open 60 class skippering Skandia, Artemis and co-skippering Mike Golding’s Ecover, as well as heavy involvement in the development of Offshore Challenges’ IMOCA Open 60, Estrella Damm. Thompson’s expertise in this demanding class is second to none.

2005 – Winner of the Oryx Quest, skipper 115 ft maxi-cat Doha 2006 2004 – RTW record aboard Cheyenne 125’ maxicat (watchcaptain) 2004 – Winner of the Québec St Malo transat, 60’ trimaran Sergio Tacchini (navigator & tactician) THE BOAT Name: Pindar Design: Juan Kouyoumdjian Build: Cookson, NZ Launch: 2007 TRACK RECORD No races completed

PROFILE 45

KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’)

Lives on the Isle of Wight

Beam: 6.40m (21’)

SAILING CV 2006 – 6th in the Route du Rhum, Artemis Open 60’

Draft: 4.40m (14.4’)

2006 – 1st place, Cape Town to Melbourne leg of Volvo Ocean Race, VO70 ABN AMRO 1 (helmsman) (...) 40

2005 – 5th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre, skipper Open 60 Skandia.

Weight: 10 tons Max sail area upwind: 340 m2 (3,695 sq ft) Max sail area downwind: 650 m2 (6,996 sq ft) www.pindar.com

VINCENT RIOU PRB FRA 85 IMOCA OPEN 60

icknamed “Vincent le Terrible” by Jean Le Cam during the 2004 Vendée Globe which he brilliantly won, Riou has a vast sailing and technical background, making him one of France’s most versatile and talented ocean racers. The discreet Breton sailor won the national Match Racing championship in 1994, animated the very competitive Figaro single-handed circuit, won major events of the Mini circuit, raced ORMA trimarans… while still participating in the “local” round-the-cans scene! In the ﬁeld of IMOCA Open 60s, Vincent learnt a lot alongside Michel Desjoyeaux, being “The Professor’s” chief preparateur for the winning 2000 Vendée Globe campaign. He then “inherited” the Finot-designed PRB, and went on to claim victory in the 2004 edition of the famous round-the-world solo race, achieving the stunning feat of beating newergeneration boats thanks to a comprehensive optimization and astounding tactical clairvoyance. Today, Riou’s new Farr-designed PRB is clearly one of the top boats to beat, having dominated the tough Calais Round Britain Race, won the Rolex Fastnet Race and led the Barcelona World Race before sadly breaking the top of her mast – which forced Riou and co-skipper Josse to retire. A man of few words, Vincent a calm and cold-blooded competitor while at the same time a very gentle and authentic man. PROFILE 35, lives in La Forêt Fouesnant, France

Photos: ©B.Stichelbaut/Effets Mer

SAILING CV 2007 – Winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race (IMOCA Class)

2003 – Winner of the Calais Round Britain Race

2007 – Winner of the Calais Round Britain Race

2003 – 2nd place in the Rolex fastnet Race

2005 – Winner of the Vendée Globe, and French “Sailor of the Year”

2003 – 4th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre (co-skipper Jérémie Beyou)

THE BOAT Name: PRB

KEY FIGURES

Design: Farr Yacht Design

Length: 18.28m (60’)

Build: CDK, Port La Forêt, France

Beam: 5.85m (19.2’)

Launch Date: September 2006

Weight: 8.5 tons

TRACK RECORD

Draft: 4.50m

Winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2007 (IMOCA Class)

Sail area upwind: 300m2

Winner of the Calais Round Britain Race 2007

Sail area downwind: 500m2 www.prb.fr/voile_index.php 41

IMOCA CLASS

SAMANTHA DAVIES ROXY FRA 40 IMOCA OPEN 60

J.Vapillon/DPPI/Roxy

amantha has been displaying an impressive amount of consistency and perseverance since 2001, the year she managed to capture the 11th place in the Mini Transat. Moving on after this ﬁrst important step, the young Briton competed in top-level events in various classes, often sailing alongside some of the prominent AngloSaxon skippers like Shirley Robertson (Olympic preparation), Nick Moloney (Transat Jacques Vabre) or Tracy Edwards (Maiden II records campaign).

©T.Sera/DPPI/Skandia

Sam has also been a member of Ellen MacArthur and Mark Turner’s Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, skippering the Skandia Figaro – on this very demanding solo One-Design circuit, she impressed her rivals with her boating skills and stamina. But Sam has also acquired valuable academic credentials, having notably completed a Master in Engineering at Cambridge University shortly before switching to a professional sailing career. Having been raised within an oceanloving family, she started sailing as a very young child and lived around the Solent, Britain’s racing Mecca. In the Roxy Team, Sam now has the helm of the famous Open 60 which won the Vendée Globe two times in a row, and this new challenge doesn’t scare the young girl, who ﬁnished seventh in last winter singlehanded Brazil to Brittany transat… It is also worth mentioning that the young British skipper is the ambassador for “The Brightside Trust”, a charity committed to creating educational opportunities.

PROFILE 33, lives in La Forêt – Fouesnant (Brittany) SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 – 7th place in the BtoB Transat 2007 – 8th place in the Calais Round Britain Race 2004 – 5th place in the AG2R Transat (with Jeanne Grégoire) 2005 – 6th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre (with Nick Moloney) 2002 – Records campaign aboard the Maiden II maxi-cat (Channel crossing, Round Britain and Ireland, 24 hours) 2001 – 11th place in the Mini Transat THE BOAT Name: Roxy Design: Groupe Finot Build: CDK Technologies (Brittany) Launch Date: May 2000 TRACK RECORD 2000 – Winner of the Vendée Globe 2003 – Winner of the Calais Round Britain Race 2004 – Winner of the Vendée Globe KEY FIGURES Length: 18.28m (60’) Beam : 5.40m Weight: 9.3 tons Draft: 4.50m Sail area upwind: 260m² (2800 sq.ft) Sail area downwind: 500m² (5380 sq.ft) www.samdavies.com

MARC GUILLEMOT SAFRAN FRA 25 IMOCA OPEN 60

amous for his impressive multihull CV, Marc Guillemot has come back to racing monohulls, a domain where he has acquired a lot of experience in the past, on the Figaro circuit or in various One-Design classes.

Marc started out very young, and for his ﬁrst singlehanded race was not even 18 when he had to face the same storm that battered the Fastnet ﬂeet, in 1979. Two years later, having just won the Two Star in his class, he met Nigel Irens and Patrick Morvan, who gave him the opportunity to take part in Jet Services II’s build. Jean Le Cam, Serge Madec and Marc Guillemot soon proved to form an all-conquering trio and worked alongside Patrick Morvan to smash the Atlantic crossing record in 1984. Then came Jet Services IV, the mighty catamaran which made Marc’s life take a dramatic turn… In a pitch black night, the multihull pitchpoled, and crewmember Jean Castenet disappeared. Morvan suffered a badly injured kidney, and Guillemot ended up with a shattered pelvis – it took him two years to recoup his full potential, after which he hopped aboard Jet Services V, winning everything in the 1988 season, and smashing the Atlantic record (7 days, 6 hours and 32 minutes). Marc then sailed Figaros, 6.50 Minis, set sails around the world and crewed aboard

multis for the likes of Peyron, Birch, Vatine… before taking the helm of the La Trinitaine ORMA 60’ trimaran. In 2006, the Breton was appointed skipper of the Safran Sailing Team, and the ﬁrst phase of that campaign involved chartering the former Kingﬁsher IMOCA 60’ whilst waiting for the new VPLP – Verdier to be launched. That new boat proved very fast in the Transat Jacques Vabre (2nd place) and the BtoB transat last winter.

THE BOAT Name: Safran Design: VPLP & Guillaume Verdier Build: Chantier naval de Larros (Gironde) Launch: May 2007 TRACK RECORD 5th place in the Transat BtoB 2007 2nd place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007

PROFILE 48, lives in Saint-Philibert (Brittany)

KEY FIGURES

SAILING CV – KEY MOMENTS 2007 - 5th place in the Transat BtoB

Beam: 5.70m

2007 - 2nd place in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Draft: 4.50m

2006 - 7th place in the Route du Rhum (Safran ex-Kingﬁsher)

Sail area downwind: 510m²

2002 - 2nd place in the Route du Rhum (ORMA)

Length: 18.28m (60’) Weight: 8.3 tons Sail area upwind: 270m² www.safransixty.com

2000 - 2nd place in the Europe 1 New Man Star 2000 - Winner of the Tour de l’Europe (skipper Loïck Peyron)

Photos: ©F. Van Malleghem/DPPI/Safran 43

CLASS40

ALEX BENNETT FUJIFILM GBR 38 CLASS40

aving started sailing at the early age of three, Alex is now a professional racer with over 100,000 miles under his belt. At 23 years old, Alex launched into a solo sailing career and accomplished a great result in the Mini Transat Race ﬁnishing 5th overall and achieving the best British result in the 20-year history of the race. In 2007, he headed up a team of professionals to design and build his new Class40 Fujiﬁlm. Unfortunately, following an electronic system failure, Alex and Ifor Pedley, his co-skipper, had to pull out from the Transat Jacques Vabre after only 9 days racing. Adopted by the region, he will start from Plymouth under enthusiastic applause from the public. Considered as an experienced and up and coming sailor of the Class40, we will have to look out for him on the podium in Marblehead! PROFILE 34, lives in Torquay (Devon) Photos: ©R.Price

SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2007 – Transat Jacques Vabre: Pulled out after electronics systems failure

2005 – Oryx Quest onboard Maxi Cat Cheyenne 2001 - Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre (50’ Class) 1999 - 5th place in the Mini Transat THE BOAT Type: Proto Designer: Owen Clarke LLP Build: Composite Creations Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.3m Downwind Sail Area: 256m2 Launch date: August 2007 www.alexbennett.co.uk

THIERRY BOUCHARD MISTRAL LOISIRS/ ELIOR FRA 53 fter countless Mediterranean cruises, onboard the family boat, it’s only in 1992 that Thierry – then shore crew on a Figaro project - discovers regattas and ocean racing. In 1999, with the arrival of the Mumm30 Class on the Tour de France a la Voile, Thierry sets up “Déﬁ Partagé”, gradually obtaining better and better results – before conquering the crewed French championships in 2006. After this feat, Thierry moved on to ocean racing in class40. A paradox for the Mediterranean skipper: “I prefer by far double handed races or fully crewed races, which provide me with much more experiences and sensations” So why The Artemis Transat Race? “ For me it’s like climbing the Everest with bare hands. You have to do it once in your life!” PROFILE 49, lives in Sanary-Sur-Mer (Southern France)

SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2007 - 10th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2006 - Winner of the Crewed French Championships 2006, 2005, 2004 - Winner of the Tour de France à la Voile THE BOAT Type: Akilaria 40 Designer: Lombard Build: MC TEC, Tunisia Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.49m Downwind Sail Area: 230m2 Launch Date: June 2007

Photos: ©DR

CLASS40

SIMON CLARKE CLARKE OFFSHORE RACING GBR 23 CLASS40 imon Clarke is a Hampshire based yachtsman with over 20 years experience of ocean racing. His dedication, passion and attention to detail have helped him gain unparalleled experience and he has often been the unsung hero of many notable campaigns including Hugo Boss, Aera, Bounder and Team Tonic. “Clarkee”, 42, is continuing in his quest of short handed sailing when he participates in the Artemis Transat starting in May from Plymouth (UK). “This race is the one of the classics, it has been a life long ambition to compete in it. It is a real test of the boat, preparation, and seamanship. To be at the start is one challenge to be at the ﬁnish an even greater one. The boat is new to me, so it will be a baptism of ﬁre for the both of us”.

Photos: ©DR

PROFILE 42, lives in Beaulieu (Hampshire) SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2005/2006 - Open 60 deliveries: HUGO BOSS, Australia to Argentina and South Africa to UK 2003 - 1st in Class: Sydney to Hobart in Farr 49, BOUNDER 2002 - 1st Overall: Cowes Week, TEAM TONIC

THE BOAT Type: Akilaria 40 Designer: Lombard Build: MC TEC, Tunisie Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.49m Downwind Sail Area: 252m2 Launch Date: 2006 www.clarkeoffshoreracing.com

CHRISTOPHE COATNOAN GROUPE PARTOUCHE FRA 60 CLASS40

aving taken part in 4 Solitaire du Figaro and more than 6 RORC seasons, Christophe has gained great experience in solo and ocean racing. In 2007, for their ﬁrst participation, Christophe Coatnoan and Christophe Lebas, his co-skipper, ﬁnished ^th in the Transat Jacques Vabre, despite a very strong lineup of seasoned ocean racers.

THE BOAT Type: JPK 40 Designer: Jacques Valer Build: JPK, Lorient Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.32m Downwind Sail Area: 230m2 Launch date: 2007

But for Christophe, entering The Artemis Transat and taking the start in Plymouth will be a whole new experience, since he has never had a shot at singlehanded transatlantic racing before. “It’s not going to be an easy and peaceful journey, but I have a genuine and strong desire to take part in that mythical event” PROFILE 39, Lives in Dieppe (Normandy). SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2007 - 6th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 6 RORC seasons in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 4 participations in the Solitaire du Figaro in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002 45

Photos: ©RR

CLASS40

LOUIS DUC FRA 20 CLASS40

THE BOAT Type: Pogo 40 Designer: Groupe Finot Build: Structures, Combrit Ste Marine Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.40m Downwind Sail Area: 280m2 Launch Date: April 2006

t 24 years old, Louis is the youngest skipper of the ﬂeet and will have to face competitors twice his age and with many more years of experience. After 3 seasons of Mini 6.50, Louis has sharpened his solo racing skills and his taste for navigation in challenging conditions. Moreover, taking advantage of his experience as a shore team member for different racing boats, his technical knowledge is a real asset and will allow him to tackle any critical situation. The young skipper’s motivation and expectations are clear:

“To participate in the mythical race which made Eric Tabarly such a legend is an honour and makes me dream…” PROFILE 24, Iives in Caen (Normandy) SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2007 - 22nd place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 - 3rd place in the Les Sables – Madère – Les Sables 2006 - Record SNSM 3 seasons in the Classe Mini 6,50 - 2003, 2004 & 2005

MIRANDA MERRON 40 DEGREES GBR 31 CLASS40

iranda Merron, 38, learnt to sail on the River Seine in France at the age of five. From Optimists, she moved on to International 14s, and was captain of the Women Sailing Team at Cambridge University, where she studied Japanese. After four years working for the J Walter Thompson advertising agency in Tokyo, Sydney and Paris, she took up sailing full time. Over the past decade, Miranda has competed in a number of short-handed and crewed events, but The Artemis Transat will be the first solo sailing Miranda has done since the 2002 Route Du Rhum, when she finished 8th on her Open 60 ‘UUDS’. “ The Transat is the original solo ocean race, it’s notoriously tough, full of history… A big Challenge!” Photo: Matt Dickens

THE BOAT Type: Proto Designer: Owen Clarke Design Group Build: Jaz Marine, South Africa Length: 12.19m Beam: 4.15m Maximum Sail area: 250m2 Launch Date: June 2007 www.40-degrees.co.uk

PROFILE 38, lives in Hamble SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 3 participations in the Transat Jacques Vabre - 1999, 2001 and 2005 2003 - 8th place in the Route Du Rhum on Open 60 UUDS 2007 – 1st in Class40 in the Fastnet Race on 40 Degrees

HALVARD MABIRE CUSTO POL FRA 69 CLASS40

He perfectly knows the mythical route which doubles as the course of The Artemis Transat, having taken part in that iconic race twice and even though he is very aware of the difﬁculties that lie ahead on such a demanding ocean, he notes: “I believe that the human psyche is made in such a way that you always delete the bad memories, while the good ones keep you coming back for more.”

Photos: ©RR

alvard is not only a very talented skipper, having raced Open 60, Figaros or Minis, he is also a much sought-after project manager, designer and technical consultant – he notably supervised the build of Mari Cha IV, and has been recently involved in Jeremie Beyou’s Delta Dore Open 60’ campaign. Off the water, this strong sportsman also distinguished himself by completing two Paris – Dakar rallies.

PROFILE 52, lives in Hatainville (Normandy) SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 7 participations in the Solitaire du Figaro 2 participations in the Route du Rhum 2 participations in The Transat (OSTAR) Project manager for Mari Cha IV

THE BOAT Type: Pogo40 Designer: Finot/ Concq Build: Structures Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.40m Downwind Sail area: 255m2 Launch date: February 2006

YVAN NOBLET APPART’CITY FRA 25 orn in a family of sailors and oyster-farmers, Yvan has lived from his youngest age in a maritime environment. He started sailing at the age of 6, with Patrick Morvan, the famous French multihull specialist. At the age of 18, the English Channel was his backyard! After 3 years of expatriation in Ireland, where he worked as an oyster-farmer, Yvan felt the need to race again and came back to ocean racing in 2005, competing in the Mini Transat Race onboard a prototype built in collaboration with Patrick Morvan. Yvan has raced under the colours of Appart’City since 2005 and obtained very convincing results on the Class40 circuit. He has the will to be a dangerous challenger in The Artemis Transat, “The most difﬁcult solo transatlantic race”. PROFILE 27, lives in Riec sur Belon (Brittany) SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2007 - 4th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Photos: ©RR

CLASS40

2007 - Winner of Les Sables – Madère –Les Sables 2006 - 6th place in the Route du Rhum – La Banque Postale 2005 - 25th in the Mini Transat THE BOAT Type: Proto Designer: Julien Marin Build: FR Nautisme, Lorient Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.50m Downwind Sail Area: 280m2 Launch date: June 2006 47

CLASS40

BENOÎT PARNAUDEAU PREVOIR VIE FRA 17 CLASS40

fter a career as a skipper and shore crewmember, Benoît completed the build of a Mini 6,50 in 2000, a boat which he raced in the 2001 Mini Transat. Smitten with the world of ocean racing and thanks to his previous experiences, he ﬁnished 8th in the Deﬁ Atlantique 2003 and thus gained his entry ticket for the 2004-2005 Vendee Globe.

Photos: ©RR

After this circumnavigation, Benoit chose the Class40, which developed a philosophy perfectly adapted to his motto: “Ocean racing without the arms race”. He worked with NACIRA to design his monohull, and, for the sake of sustainability, he trusted The Ecole Superieure du Bois (High School specialised in wood works and management) of Nantes with the build. Always keen to raise awareness on topics like fair trade or eco-friendliness, Benoit sails for his pleasure and races to promote humanist values, which are precious to him. PROFILE 36, lives in La Rochelle (Western France)

SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2007 - 22nd place in the Transat Jacques-Vabre 2007 - 2nd place in the Les Sables – Madère - Les Sables 2006 - 15th place in the Route du Rhum – La Banque Postale 2005 - 10th place in the Vendée Globe THE BOAT Type: Proto Designer: NACIRA/ Axel de Beaufort Build: Ecole Supérieure du Bois, Nantes Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.49m Downwind Sail Area: 250m2 Launch date: 2006 www.vplg.com

GIOVANNI SOLDINI TELECOM ITALIA ITA 55 CLASS40

fter racing onboard his trusty “Looping”, Giovanni built the 50-footer Kodak in 1994, and went on to capture second place of the BOC Challenge in Class 2. From 1997 to 2000, he raced on the Open 60 Fila and achieved numerous successes in singlehanded races, among which the famous Around Alone during which he rescued Isabelle Autissier who had capsized. Between 2001 and 2005, Giovanni skippered the trimaran TIM Progetto Italia throughout Europe. With his new Class40 “Telecom Italia”, designed by Guillaume Verdier and launched in September 2007, Giovanni won the Transat Jacques Vabre with co-skipper Pietro D’Ali. The jolly Italian sailor will enter The Artemis Transat for the 5th consecutive time this year. The tremendous experience gained during the four previous editions and the great results he achieved in various classes logically make him the one of the race favourites. PROFILE 41, lives in Milan (Italy)

SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2007 – Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre with Pietro D’Alì 2004 – 7th place in The Transat (ORMA trimaran) 2000 – 5th place in the Europe 1 New Man Star (Open 60) 1999 – Winner of Around Alone (Open 60

THE BOAT Type: Proto Designer: Guillaume Verdier Build: FR Nautisme, Lorient Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.40m Downwind Sail area: 243m2 Launch Date: 2007 www.soldini.it

LOVE AFFAIR FRA 22 CLASS40

or the past 35 years, Patrice Carpentier has been restlessly moving back and forth from the chart table and his keyboard – a successful offshore racer and respected sailing journalist, the man is also one of the founders of the Class40. With 5 circumnavigations under his belt, Patrice took part in two major world premieres, entering the 1973 Whitbread and some years later the ﬁrst ever Vendée Globe… In 2001, he won the 50’ class in that same mythical RTW singlehanded event. Patrice has always raced all types of boats, from round-the-cans one-designs to Figaros, and secured a very creditable

second place in the 1991 Mini Transat. Taking part in The Artemis Transat is a logical move for this seasoned sailor, who won in his class (40’ to 45’) in the 1984 OSTAR! PROFILE 58, lives in La Trinité sur Mer (Brittany) SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 1973 – 3rd place in the ﬁrst edition of the Whitbread RTWR 1980-1990 – 8 participations in the Solitaire du Figaro 1989 – Participation in the ﬁrst Vendée Globe (Falklands pit stop)

1991 – 2nd place in the Mini Transat

Photo: ©RR

O PRINT * * * LAST MINUTE ENTRIES * * * UNCONFIRMED AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT * * * LAST MINUTE ENTRIES * * * UNCONFIRMED AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT * * * LAST MINUTE ENTRIES * * * UNCONFIRMED AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT * * * LAST MINUTE EN

PATRICE CARPENTIER

2001 – Vendée Globe, winner in the 50’ class THE BOAT Type: Pogo40 Design: Finot/Conq Build: Structures Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.40m Maximum sail area: 255m2 Launch date: 2005

BORIS HERRMANN BELUGA-GROUP GER 53 CLASS40

oris, only 27, is a young and rising German skipper. 2007 National champion in the 505 class in and 9th in the world Championship, he is well known on the international dinghy circuit. He started sailing when he was only 3 months old with his ‘hardcore’ cruiser father, and spent every weekend and school holiday on the family steel sloop, on the Baltic and the North Sea. In 2000, Boris discovered the Mini and decided to enter the Mini Transat the following year. After a season of training and qualiﬁcation process, Boris reached his goal and ﬁnished 11th (series rankings) in Brazil. Used to sailing in the Baltic and North Sea, Boris knows the cold and heavy seas ; it will be a serious advantage for the Artemis Transat 2008.

JEAN PHILIPPE SALIOU LECLERC VILLE LA GRAND FRA 43 CLASS40

PROFILE 27, lives in Kiel, Germany SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 2001 - 11th place in the Mini Transat 2007 - German 505 Champion 2007 - 9th 505 Worlds, Annapolis, Australia THE BOAT Type: Akilaria 40 Designer: Lombard Build: MC TEC, Tunisia Length: 12.18m Beam: 4.49m Maximum Sail Area: 230m2 Launch: February 2007 www.teamsailcom.net rom dinghies to maxi-multihulls, Jean-Philippe has sailed a variety of racing boats at high level. Since 2001, he has been obtaining very convincing results on the Star (Olympic Series) circuit, and was in the French B team for the 2004 Athens Olympics. A much sought-after crewman, he ﬁnished second in The Race (RTW race for maximultis) aboard Loïck Peyron’s Innovation Explorer, and then moved on to the ORMA circuit, sailing two seasons – 2004 & 2005 – alongside Michel Desjoyeaux on the Géant trimaran. Today, skipper of his own boat, he’s ready to take the start of The Artemis Transat. “Beyond the mythical and historical aspect of that race, I’m thrilled at the perspective to tackle the Atlantic alone, and doing so in such a prestigious solo race context is exceptional.”

PROFILE 39, lives in Concarneau, France SAILING HIGHLIGHTS 3 ORMA seasons – Fujiﬁlm/ Loïck Peyron and Géant/Michel Desjoyeaux 6 Star seasons 2001 – 2nd place in The Race, Innovation Explorer THE BOAT Type: Akilaria40 Design: Lombard Build: MC TEC, Tunisia Length: 12,18m Beam: 4,49m Maximum sail area: 252m2 Launch Date: 2007

LANDMARKS

New world

calling...

THE LANDMARKS THAT PAVE THE WAY ACROSS THE NORTH ATLANTIC TELL THE STORY OF A THOUSAND STORMS, THE DISCOVERY OF NEW TERRITORIES AND OF A THOUSAND YEARS OF SAILING ACROSS THE HORIZON TOWARDS THE WEST. LIGHTHOUSES, ISLANDS AND SAND BANKS - THESE MYTHICAL LOCATIONS ARE NATURAL ELEMENTS OF THE RACE COURSE FOR THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT.

WORDS BY JOCELYN BLÉRIOT

LANDMARKS

ocated 13 miles south-west off Plymouth, the Eddystone rocks have seen the construction of four different lighthouses since 1698. That year, the Winstanley Tower (named after the eccentric entrepreneur who commissioned it) was ﬁnally erected, after many mishaps, including one which would give the lighthouse its international reputation. Working on the wooden structure himself in 1697, Henry Winstanley was made prisoner by a French privateer and taken to France. But when he heard of the incident, Louis XIV ordered that the lighthouse builder be released immediately, stating “France is at war with England, not with humanity”. The second lighthouse was engineered by John Rudyerd, who strangely enough was a silk mercer by trade… Nevertheless by taking a shipbuilder’s approach rather than an architect’s, he managed to create a conical structure that would last from 1709 to 1755, year when it caught ablaze. Fighting the ﬁre by throwing buckets of water from underneath the lantern, the 94-year old lighthouse keeper accidentally swallowed some molten lead falling down from the roof – he was taken ashore the next day and allegedly lived for 12 days after the incident. A post-mortem exam of his body revealed a “7.5 ounces oval piece of lead” in his stomach. The Eddystone rocks had then been signalled for 52 years, and countless lives had been saved – it was vital to replace the burnt down Rudyerd tower as soon as possible. In the meantime, a light vessel would guard the location. John Smeaton, who had been recommended by the Royal Society to carry on the engineering work for the new lighthouse, decided to build a stone structure inspired by the shape of an English oak tree… Local granite was used and Smeaton developed many groundbreaking building techniques (notably inventing a fast-drying cement formula still used today, as well as designing a lifting device to transfer stone blocks from ships to considerable heights), allowing the lighthouse to remain in service until 1882 – more than 120 years! The remaining stump of the Smeaton tower is still visible today.

The current lighthouse, engineered by James Douglass, was built using techniques that had, by 1877, considerably evolved, notably thanks to Robert Stevenson (father of Robert Louis Stevenson, famous author of “Treasure Island”). The 49-metre high structure was ﬁnished in 1882, the Duke of Edinburgh having laid the ﬁnal stone, and a hundred years later the lighthouse was automated. Eddystone Lighthouse is now monitored and controlled from the Trinity House Operations Control Centre at Harwich in Essex. Position: 50° 10’.80 N 04° 15’.90 W Height of tower: 49 metres Character: White Group Flashing Twice Every 10 Seconds Nominal range of light: 22 miles SIGNALLING FOR 310 YEARS 52

©Plmds

ENGLAND’S SOUTHERNMOST

IZARD POINT and its unmistakable twin-towered lighthouse mark the southernmost tip of mainland England, a very hazardous zone for navigation but also a strategic location at the entrance of the Channel. Very early on, the need for a beacon warning passing ships of the dangers lying in the area was acknowledged, but it took a philanthropic Cornishman named Sir John Kiligrew to actually get the erection of a lighthouse underway. The gentleman pledged to fund the tower, but intended to collect voluntary contributions for passing ships in order to supply for its maintenance. The lighthouse was completed by Christmas 1619 and proved very useful… but unfortunately no contributions were forthcoming and Kiligrew went bankrupt rather rapidly. No viable ﬁnancial solution was found, so eventually the light was simply extinguished and the tower demolished. In 1748, businessman and politician Thomas Fonnereau, backed by Trinity House, took on the task of rebuilding a lighthouse on the site, and three years later the new structure, consisting of two towers and a cottage, was complete. The cottage provided shelter for a supervisor, responsible for ensuring the intensity of the light was sufﬁcient. If that wasn’t the case, he would blow his cow horn to remind the bellows blowers that the safety of crews relied on their efforts.

efore becoming a mythical landmark for yacht racing enthusiasts, THE FASTNET had been known as “Ireland’s teardrop”, a nickname given by the Irish emigrants on their way to America, as it was the last piece of Irish land they saw. Located 3.5 miles southwest of Cape Clear Island, which itself is 8 miles away from the mainland, the rock (in Irish An Charraig Aonair or - Rock of Solitude) towers 30 metres above sea level. The ﬁrst lighthouse was built in 1853, as a replacement for the one that had been erected on Cape Clear Island in 1818, and which was proved woefully insufﬁcient when the American ship Stephen Whitney got caught in thick fog approaching West Calf Island in November 1847… 92 lives were lost, and the need for new equipment seemed obvious.

was on the table would simply get thrown off! Furthermore, in 1891, the Commissioners of Irish Lights concluded the lighting power was inadequate, considering the Fastnet was the first landfall for transatlantic ships. William Douglass designed a new lighthouse, and construction started in 1897, seven years were to pass before it could effectively enter service. The structure is made of granite blocks, and the inside of the tower is filled with the same material up to the level of the main entrance, some 18 metres above the high water mark. The first floor of the original tower can still be seen on the highest point of the rock, but has been converted into an oil store… The Fastnet is Ireland’s highest lighthouse.

The first Fastnet lighthouse was fitted with an oil lamp but its iron structure was not strong enough to withstand fierce storms and waves that are frequent in the area – the gales could shake the tower so badly that whatever

Height of tower: 54 metres

Position: 51° 23.3’ N, 09° 36.1’ W Character: One white ﬂash every 5 seconds; the light is also exhibited by day when the fog signal is sounding. Nominal range of light: 27 nautical miles

Lizard Point lighthouse took the shape it still has today when modiﬁcations were made to the building in 1812, and it was automated in 1998. ©C.Février/Bluegreen

Position: 49° 57’.58 N 05° 12’.07 W Height Of Tower: 19 Metres Character: One White Flash Every 3 Seconds Nominal range of light: 27 nautical miles 53

LANDMARKS

THE GRAVEYARD OF THE ATLANTIC

rapped in fog for more than 150 days a year, SABLE ISLAND looks more like a fragile strip of sand awaiting to be eaten by ocean waves than a safe, sturdy rock upon which one could set foot. How many ships, forced to run before North Atlantic storms, have washed up on the shores of this gloomy bank? Sable Island is believed to have formed from large quantities of sand and gravel deposited on the continental shelf near the end of the last ice age (“Sable” meaning sand, in French)?

A life-saving station was established in 1801, and the crew became the ﬁrst permanent inhabitants of the island, a ﬁrst attempt at colonization carried out by the French in the 16th century having failed. Two lighthouses were erected in 1872, and became home to the lighthouse keepers and their families – the Canadian Coast Guards have since automated the towers, but an occupied observation station remains. Position: 43°57’0’N 59°54’57’W Area: 34 square kilometres

©Corbis

Records seem to indicate that at least 350 wrecks haunt the island, and there were many speculations about treasures still dwelling undiscovered, tucked away in bilges that have long since been ﬁlled by sand. And how many sailors were buried in that tomb that knows no sound, often referred to as the “graveyard of the Atlantic”? In order to avoid pillaging, the Canadian authorities forbade access to the Island in 1801, thus giving an even stronger air of mystery to this peculiar

place lying some 85 nautical miles south east of Canso, Nova Scotia. Sable Island, very close to the Great Circle Route between Europe and North America, claimed its last victim in 1999 and still remains a genuine threat, despite the evolution of navigation techniques – strong currents, lack of visibility and frequent storms, hurricanes or northeasters make the area a very perilous one.

NEWFOUNDLAND

After the departure of the Norse (Vikings), the island was left to its original inhabitants (Beothuks) for five centuries, before Cabot rediscovered it. Soon after that, migratory fishermen from Spain, Portugal, France, England and Ireland started to make frequent trips to the region and its Grand Banks, the world’s most important fish reserve. At the end of the 17th century, Irish sailors named the island Talamh an Éisc, meaning “land of the fish”, or “the fishing grounds” in Irish Gaelic. Strong currents are brought back to the surface there due to the rise of the continental shelf, and carry nutrients favoured by numerous species of fish… This often foggy zone, where the cold waters of the Labrador current meet the warm Gulf Stream, is at the heart of countless sea shanties, and was swept by a hurricane in September 1775, during which more

than 4 000 lives have been lost. The “Independence Hurricane”, as it is known in America, is the 8th most deadly Atlantic storm of all time. European immigrants settling in Newfoundland – the world’s 16th largest island - brought a mix of cultures which give the place a uniqueness, despite its proximity with Canada and the United States, and the territory remained self-governing until 1934, holding Dominion status until 1949. Newfoundland joined Canada that year, after a closely-fought referendum which saw a harsh battle among Newfoundland’s population who in the end voted to reject the British Empire by 52%. Nevertheless, recently three quarters of the population declared they were Newfoundlanders above all, and only secondarily Canadians. Position: St John (capital): 47°33’32.4’N 52°42’46.8’W Newfoundland total area: 111,390 square kilometres Population: 500,409 (2006)

riginally named “Terra Nova” by Giovanni Cabotto (aka John Cabot), the Bristol-based Italian explorer who landed there in 1497, the Canadian island of Newfoundland is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Belle Isle Strait. It has often been speculated that this territory may have been the famous “Vinland” discovered by the Vikings – Newfoundland is believed to be the location of Leif Ericsson’s settlement sometime between 999 and 1002 AD, as discoveries made by Dr Hengle Ingstad at the Anse aux Meadows in the 1960s suggest. But the Irish Saint Brendan has sometimes been considered the original discoverer of Newfoundland… even though no objective piece of evidence has ever backed up that hypothesis (“Saint Brendan’s Voyage” is nevertheless the title of traditional Newfoundland song).

AND THE GRAND BANKS

DESIGN

Half a century of technical innovation

AGO. THE FIRST PIONEERS WERE DISCOVERING LONG-DISTANCE SOLO SAILING, THEN THE RACE BECAME A GENUINE SPORTING EVENT, BEFORE THE PURPOSE-BUILT RADICAL BOATS TOOK THE GAME TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. BY DOMINIC BOURGEOIS

hen ﬁve sailors decide to cross the Atlantic from

four years later (Pen Duick II), then to 17 m in 1968 (Sir Thomas

Plymouth to New York in 1960, no one really foresees

Lipton)… before reaching 39 m in 1972 (Vendredi 13), although, a

how long the adventure will last – and will there

trimaran actually crosses the ﬁnish line ﬁrst that year.

even be one of them on the ﬁnish line? Fortunately all of these

In 1976, when Alain Colas enters his 72-metres Club

pioneers will arrive safely in the USA, Francis Chichester

Méditerranée, the organizers feel the arms race has gone out of

winning the event in 40 days aboard his 40ft boat. Fifth and last,

control! That year will see the last overall victory of a monohull,

Frenchman Jean Lacombe ties up to the dock after 74 days at

Pen Duick VI, and the second triumph for Eric Tabarly.

sea on his tiny 21-footer.

After that edition, the domination of the multihulls and then

Forty-four years later, it takes only 12 days for Mike Golding

the 60ft length limitation started a whole new debate. The

to reach Boston… Of course, the evolution of naval design and

singlehanded round-the-world races radically change the way

construction techniques are not the only factors explaining

skippers and designers tackle the speed issue: stuck at 18.28

this great leap forward, since on-board electronics and

metres LOA, designers get rid of overhangs in order to obtain

autopilots have made the solo sailor’s life considerably easier.

the longest waterline possible within the rule, then look for

The development of the sport also implied that the skippers

extra power by increasing the draft, ﬁtting sea water ballast,

themselves, training and racing intensively, had learnt to

widening the hulls, and installing canting keels in order to be

manage their personal rhythm onboard (notably sleep-wise).

able to withstand more sail area.

From length to power

In 20 years, Open 60 monohulls have gained almost a metre of

Initially unrestrictive, the OSTAR rule allows for all types of

beam (+20%), 100 square metres of upwind sail area (+50%),

excesses, and after the ﬁrst pioneering edition, sailors quickly

lost more than 3 tonnes of displacement (-25%)… while cutting

understood that it is in their interest to conform with naval

down the crossing time on the 3000-mile course by 30% (4

design’s founding principles – one of the most important ones

days)! And it is expected that with the 2008-generation IMOCA

being that waterline length is a crucial factor when it comes to

boats displaying an increased level of performance upwind,

speed, especially on a course where headwinds dominate. From

the ﬁrst singlehanders will reach Boston in less than 12 days at

12 metres in 1960 (Gipsy Moth III), the length rises to 13.40 m

sea.

MONOHULLS NOW CROSS THE NORTH ATLANTIC ALMOST FOUR TIMES FASTER THAN THEY DID SOME FIFTY YEARS

MONOHULL RANKINGS MERFYN OWEN, Owen-Clarke

1-Gipsy Moth III – 11.85m (Francis Chichester) 40d 12h 30’ 2-Jester – 7.80m (Blondie Hasler) 48d 12h 02’ 3-Cardinal Vertue – 7.50m (David Lewis) 55d 00h 50’ 1964 1-Pen Duick II – 13.60m (Eric Tabarly) 27d 03h 56’

1960

2-Gipsy Moth III – 11.85m (Francis Chichester) 29d 23h 57’ 3-Akka – 10.70m (Valentine Howells) 32d 18h 08’ 1968 1-Sir Thomas Lipton – 17.00m (Geoffrey Williams) 25d 20h 33’ 2-Voortrekker – 15.00m (Bruce Dalling) 26d 13h 42’ 3-Spirit of Cutty Sark – 16.15m (Leslie Williams) 29d 10h 17’ 1972 1-Vendredi 13 – 39.00 m (Jean-Yves Terlain) 21d 05h 14’ 2-British Steel – 18.00 m (Brian Cooke) 24d 19h 28’ 3-Strongbow – 19.80 m (Martin Minter-Kemp) 28d 12h 46’ 1976 1-Pen Duick VI – 22.25m (Eric Tabarly) 23d 20h 12’ 2-Spaniel – 11.55m (Kazimierz Jarowski) 24d 23h 40’ 3-Club Méditerranée – 72.00m (Alain Colas) 26d 13h 36’ 1980 1-Spaniel II – 17.00m (Kazimierz Jarowski) 19d 13h 25’ 2-Chica Boba – 16.00m (Edouardo Austoni) 20d 02h 30’

Owen-Clarke designed the winners of the 2000 (Kingfisher) and 2004 (Ecover) Transat (IMOCA Class), the latter holding the course record

3-Brittany Ferries – 16.20m (Daniel Gilard) 21d 00h 09’

PASCAL CONQ, Groupe Finot

1984 1-Thurday’s Child – 18.28m (Warren Luhrs) 16d 22h 27’ 2-Mainstay Voortrekker – 18.28m (John Martin) 17d 22h 17’

1-UAP-1992 – 18.28m (Jean-Yves Terlain) 17d 04h 05’ 2-Allied Bank – 18,28m (John Martin) 17d 08h 18’ 3-Castrol Solo – 18.28m (Jose Ugarte) 17d 21h 47’ 1992 1-Cacolac d’Aquitaine – 18.28m (Yves Parlier) 14d 16h 01’ 2-Queen Anne’s Battery – 18.28m (Mark Gatehouse) 16d 11h 30’ 3-Cardiff Discovery – 18.28m (Alan Wynne-Thomas) 17d 06h 17’ 1996 1-Groupe LG – 18.28m (Gerry Roufs) 15d 14h 50’ 2-Telecom Italia – 18.28m (Giovanni Soldini) 15d 18h 29’ 3-Gartmore Investment – 18.28m (Joss Hall) 16d 15h 56’ 2000 1-Kingfisher – 18.28m (Ellen MacArthur) 14d 23h 01’ 2-Sill Beurre Le Gall – 18.28 m (Roland Jourdain) 15d 13h 38’ 3-Team Group 4 – 18.28m (Mike Golding) 15d 14h 50’ 2004 1-Ecover – 18.28m (Mike Golding) 12d 15h 18’ 2-Temenos – 18.28m (Dominique Wavre) 12d 18h 22’ 3-Pindar AlphaGraphics – 18.28m (Mike Sanderson) 12d 20h 54’

©DR

3-Chica Bora III – 18.28m (Edouardo Austoni) 19d 10h 41’ 1988

“The OSTAR got me into yacht design. I was in Plymouth at Merchant Navy College , and having seen the 1980 fleet moored in Milbay dock, there were thrillingly interesting boats back then. I remember seeing Paul Ricard (editor’s note: Eric Tabarly’s foiler trimaran) moored off the Royal Western Yacht Club, she was a fascinating machine. And if Eric Tabarly was still around, I think he’d be amazed, but not overawed by the Open 60s fleet, because it’s still the hotbed of technical evolution. If one looks at the progress made by that class, I think that Warren Luhrs’s Thursday’s Child is definitely the benchmark. She was launched for the 1984 OSTAR, and had an impressive number of groundbreaking features. In my opinion, this is when 60ft monohulls ceased to be ‘ordinary’, and started to really reach an interesting level of performance (Thursday’s Child finished 10th overall and first monohull, in an edition where 64 boats actually crossed the finish line). I sailed that boat from Hobart to the States via Cape Horn, and she was very original with her innovative rig, her single canting rudder, her trim tab on the keel, canting nav table. Of course the Finot boats, moving from aluminium to glass and to carbon, also represent a significant evolution in the class history, and I suppose an important step was when Rob Humphries and ourselves designed Kingfisher: before that boat, no designer in the class had ever used tank testing, CFD, or wind tunnel testing. Kingfisher is also the first one to have been equipped with a central ballast tank. Then Lombard came around with a couple of interesting boats as well, and looking back I think that every edition brought its share of innovation, it has been a continuous process since the 60 length limit was introduced after the 1976 edition.”

“Looking at Pen Duick II’s keel, it’s plain to see that it was far from today’s profiles. Sure, it already had a lead bulb, but the appendage shows that there was no shapetesting. Designers looked more towards the shape of water droplets than towards aeronautics to find some inspiration. In that area, the evolution has been considerable, and today we have canting keels which act as “bulb carriers”, and very adequate asymmetric daggerboards. Hydrodynamic efficiency is much better now, with hull shapes that tend more and more to look like pirogues, very narrow when heeling. The second major transformation lies within the construction process, since from solid wood, we switched to plywood, then to aluminium, and to composite before reaching today’s pre-preg carbon and Nomex sandwich standard: the gain in terms of weight and stiffness changed everything. Looking at how design evolved, to withstand more sail power hulls became wider especially at the aft, and we went towards lighter displacement boats. From narrow and heavy, the boats became wide and light. Considering that the righting moment is a distance – weight ratio, the distance factor, i.e. width, has been favoured. Today, we gain more in upwind performance by increasing power rather than hull finesse: the idea is to increase thrust! Successful attempts like the 1970s Farr-designed 45° South (quarter-tonner) have allowed everyone to realise that an important width was not necessarily a handicap upwind. It is also important to note that skippers and their boats can handle much more sail area today than 20 years ago: 2008 Open 60 sails with 300 square metres of canvas upwind, against 180 square metres in 1988!” The Finot Group’s many famous boat designs include the winners of the last 4 Vendée Globes – the winners (monohull category) of the 1992 and 1996 Transats, Cacolac d’Aquitaine and Groupe LG 2.

Plymouth - The Barbican

THE AREA NOW REFERRED TO AS ‘THE BARBICAN’, AND AROUND WHICH THE OFFICIAL VILLAGE OF THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT WILL BE ESTABLISHED, ROUGHLY EQUATES TO THE OLD PART OF PLYMOUTH … AS IT WAS IN TUDOR TIMES. BY CHRIS ROBINSON, DIRECTOR OF THE BARBICAN ASSOCIATION

The population, when the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth in 1620, was around 10,000. The area around Southside Street and New Street was then very much a new development, laid out in the wake of the prosperity brought into the town by Drake, Hawkins and Raleigh in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and redevelopment following the earlier land release after the dissolution of two local monasteries, White Friars and Grey Friars, during the reign of her father, Henry VIII. Boasting the largest area of cobbled streeting in England, the Barbican is also home to one of the most famous British brands – Plymouth Gin. Based in an ancient property, thought to have been built with part of the stonework of the former medieval Grey Friars monastery at the top of New Street, the building has housed the gin making process since at least 1793 and, like Champagne, can’t be manufactured anywhere else under that name. An even older Southside Street business is Jacka’s Bakery. Still operating as a retail outlet, the old ovens are not currently in use, but until recently this was the oldest commercial working bakery in continuous use in the country – it dates back over 400 years. Little damaged during the last war, the Barbican was nevertheless threatened with wide-spread demolition in the 1950s, as part of the local authority’s post-war plan for ‘slum clearance’. Saved largely through the efforts of the then newly58

formed Plymouth Barbican Association the area largely retains its Elizabethan street plan and there are 100 listed buildings within its loosely defined boundaries. Artists, craftsmen and antique dealers; pubs, restaurants and coffee bars, occupy many of the delightful fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth century properties – among them the Minerva, the King’s Head, the Tudor Rose and, the oldest of them all, Tanner’s Restaurant. THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT AT THE HEART OF PLYMOUTH In order to bring the race into the heart of the city at Sutton Harbour, a race village will be built around the Barbican. This will be open to the public free of charge over a ten day period running up to the start of the race, on 11 May 2008. The spectacular fleet of yachts participating in The Transat 2008 will be moored at Sutton Harbour, creating an interactive venue for everyone to enjoy.

he term ‘Barbican’ relates to the erstwhile ‘fortress by the water’, an offshoot of the original medieval castle, the four towers of which are depicted in the town’s crest. The castle stood at the entrance to Sutton Harbour above the site of the Mayﬂower Steps – near the original south gate into the town.

BOSTON HARBOR HOTEL

Boston’s gateway THE BOSTON HARBOR HOTEL AT HISTORIC ROWES WHARF, WHICH WAS RECENTLY AWARDED THE MOBIL TRAVEL GUIDE FIVE STAR AWARD, STANDS AS THE CITY’S PROUD WELCOME SIGN TO TRAVELLERS. Ensconced on the water’s edge, this hotel is steeped in New England tradition. The city unfolds at the harbor, and the Boston Harbor Hotel is the iconic gateway to the historic waterfront. Often referred to as the Gateway to the City of Boston, the Boston Harbor Hotel greets seafaring visitors with an unmatched view of the cityscape through its signature archway and domed rotunda. Boston is home to nearly 590,000 residents and a vibrant city renowned for its cultural attractions, world-class universities, ﬁnancial institutions and champion sports franchises. Founded in 1630, it is the birthplace of American liberty. The Boston Harbor Hotel was built in 1987 and remains the city’s only independent grand hotel. Just as the spirit of independence permeates through the city’s landmarks, it is also infused in every facet of the hotel: the distinct architectural design of the exterior, the signature service that pampers hotel guests and the unrivalled views every guest room has of the harbor or of Boston’s sparkling skyline. Rowes Wharf was once occupied by a protective battery called the Sconce, built to protect the burgeoning Massachusetts Bay Colony from foreign invaders. In 1764 John Rowe, a merchant, bought the land to develop Rowes Wharf. Commercial shipping thrived at the wharf, which stood as the city’s premier destination for ﬁsh, imported silks, salt, oil and fruit. John Rowe’s most notable historical mark was made when his tea ship ferried rebellious colonists offshore in the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

The hotel’s neighborhood is currently experiencing a renaissance; the waterfront is bustling with new restaurants, entertainment venues and luxury residences. The city just completed the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a green ribbon that weaves a path through an otherwise urban landscape just outside the Boston Harbor Hotel’s cityside entrance. The Greenway gives city explorers nearly thirty acres of landscaped parks and walkways to navigate. The waterfront entrance of the hotel sits on Boston’s Harborwalk, a walkway under development that will one day stretch across forty-seven miles of wharves, piers, bridges, beaches and shoreline.

www.bhh.com

Today, the waterfront is once again a bustling hub. An active gateway to and from Boston Harbor, Rowes Wharf is a vital part of the city where “merchants” of the ﬁnancial world convene, private yachts from around the globe

dock and events like Operation Sail and the The Artemis Transat call home. Rowes Wharf remains a significant influence upon Boston’s cultural landscape as well. The Boston Harbor Hotel hosts Boston’s own Summer in the City Entertainment Series, where the hotel’s waterfront restaurant becomes front row seating for live band performances on a floating barge and classic movie screenings projected on a giant screen over the waterfront. The hotel is also an integral part of the city’s culinary culture under the mastery of acclaimed Chef Daniel Bruce. For 19 years, the hotel has hosted the internationally renowned Boston Wine Festival, a 3-month long celebration of one-of-a-kind dinner menus matched to some of the world’s best wines, The hotel is also home to one of Boston’s finest dining restaurants, Meritage. Here, guests can experience the Chef’s extraordinary food and winepairing talents, while enjoying the restaurant’s panoramic waterfront views.

NORTH ATLANTIC CURRENTS

Against the flow

ARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MILD WEATHER CONDITIONS OF WESTERN EUROPE, THE GULF STREAM AND ASSOCIATED CURRENTS PROVIDE THE NORTH ATLANTIC WITH ITS GENUINE “CHARACTER” AND SHAPES THIS OCEAN’S COMPLEX DYNAMICS.

The Gulf Stream, like all major currents, is governed by wind-induced circulation on the North Atlantic scale, circulation which intensiﬁes on the western edge due to the earth’s rotation. The Gulf Stream’s movement is generated by the friction of the winds (which affects water up to a depth of 1500 to 2000 metres), and the relatively high temperature of the Gulf Stream is due to the fact that the current carries waters originating from an area located between Florida and the Bahamas. Thermohaline circulation (which results from a difference in water densities – as cold and salty water dives under warmer and less salty waters) affects layers below 2000 metres of depth. It can inﬂuence the position of the Gulf Stream, but does not play any role in its dynamics. Currents on such a large scale as the Gulf Stream generate their own medium scale eddies – 50 km to 200 km in diameter – which can actually cause the current to deviate and change direction — giving an additional headache for navigators. Off the coast of Florida, the boundaries of the Gulf Stream are visible to the naked eye and its dimensions would 62

make the world’s mightiest rivers jealous – it can reach a width of more than 90 miles with a maximum depth of roughly 4,000 feet. In the Straits of Florida, the volume of water transported by the Gulf Stream is estimated at 30 million cubic metres per second and this figure rises to 80 millions m3/s at 35° N! By way of comparison, the combined flow of all rivers that empty into the Atlantic is approximately 0.6 millions m3/s. The Gulf Stream travels along the east coast of North American until reaching Cape Hatteras (North Carolina, 35° N, 75° W), at which point it separates from the cold Virginia flow circulating towards the south. Off Cape Hatteras, at around 37° N, it abruptly shifts to the northeast, then heads due east on the 40° N parallel until reaching longitude 45° W to the southeast of Newfoundland, where it moves north to 50° N. This is where the Gulf Stream turns into the North Atlantic Drift and flows northeastwards towards Scotland and Norway while a secondary current travels towards the Bay of Biscay and the Portuguese coast. The thermoregulating role of the Gulf Stream and its influence on western Europe’s climate was initially theorized by Lieutenant Matthew Fontaine Maury (US Navy), in a book entitled “The Physical Geography of the Sea and its Meteorology”, published in 1855. Although the Gulf Stream theory has been widely accepted, the past 20 years have seen the scientific community challenge the basic facts, suggesting that it is a bit too simplistic and ignores the crucial importance of air circulation when explaining the temperature difference between the North American continent and Western Europe. Submitted to a regime of winds coming predominantly from the north, Canada and the northern US states would logically be colder than occidental Europe, which benefits from oceanic air flows (carried by the Jet Stream). This does not mean that the influence of the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic

Officially acknowledged by scholars and sailors since the Spanish Conquistador, Juan Ponce de Leon, discovered Florida, the Gulf Stream’s existence was, according to numerous historians, already recognised by the Seminole Indians. Ponce de Leon, taking part in Colombus’s second voyage to the New World in 1513, noticed that the ships of his flotilla were under the influence of a strong current coming from the Caribbean and noted this observation in his logbook. However, a comprehensive study of this phenomenon by the scientific genius, Benjamin Franklin, would not be undertaken for two and a half centuries. On top of his revolutionary theories about electricity, Franklin was an outstanding humanist and founded the first American public library. While working for the Postal Administration, he initiated a comprehensive study of the Gulf Stream in 1770 in order to optimize the travel time of mail sent to Europe providing a catalyst for oceanographers and triggering further research into the phenomenon during the 19th century.

Drift is irrelevant – yet it is important to consider that other major factors are at play in terms of climatology. According to recent computer-generated simulations, the Gulf Stream only accounts for 10% of the warming originating from atmospheric circulation on the coasts of northern America and Europe. In recent years, the question of the Gulf Stream’s hypothetical disappearance has been raised with the melting of Arctic glaciers due to global warming taking the blame. The rise of rain levels over the Atlantic, caused by the greenhouse effect, could also play a part in the Gulf Stream’s demise since these two combined factors bring a considerable volume of freshwater to the northern part of this ocean. The differential in density between Arctic and Norwegian Sea waters would then be reduced and it is estimated that the area where cold, salty and dense water descends would slide south all the way to the Azores, where the Gulf Stream would quickly die. The consequences of this disappearance are widely debated within the scientific community, but the brutal dawn of a new Ice Age in Europe (as depicted in Roland Emmerich’s “The Day After Tomorrow”) is not regarded as a credible hypothesis. Numerous simulations tend to show that a decrease in winter temperature would be observed if the Gulf Stream was to cease existing, but this scenario would not be enough to counteract the warming – Martin Visbeck (Leibniz Sea Science Institute, Kiel, Germany) is one of many scientists to endorse this idea and Visbeck predicts that the Atlantic currents may weaken by 30% at the most by 2100. A major beneficial effect of the North Atlantic Drift’s dive is the burial of approximately a billion tones of carbon-dioxide each year: given this fact, it is simple to understand why the reduction of this dynamic is a source for concern. It is also necessary to emphasize the role of the Labrador Current: a flow of water originating

in the Arctic Ocean and generated by an encounter between the Occidental Greenland Current and the Bafﬁn Island Current. It travels south along the eastern coast of Newfoundland, then towards the southwest and Nova Scotia. The Labrador Current induces a cooling of eastern Canada and New England, its waters being 8 to 10° C colder than those encountered at the same latitude in Europe or western USA. This current is responsible for the drifting of Greenland icebergs towards the North Atlantic during spring and summer. The thick fog over the Grand Banks is caused by the arrival of warm and humid air over this area of cold water.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT FLEET? The Atlantic currents are determined by the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Drift up to 50 – 55° W. Further west, the skippers will benefit from the Labrador Current, except for those who choose a southerly route. Exiting the English Channel, the fleet will sail against 0.5 to 0.6 knots of current all the way to 45° to 50° W at whichever latitude they choose to sail. West of 50° W and until the latitude of South Nova Scotia, currents shift around. The Labrador Current then kicks-in, flowing towards the WSW at roughly 0.5 knots. Below 42° N and off the coast of the United States, the Gulf Stream travels to the NE at an average of 0.5 to 0.7 knots: its speed being reduced by contact with the Labrador Current (in terms of instant speed, the Gulf Stream can reach 5 knots at the most, mainly below 40° N). The tidal currents can reach several knots, but this phenomenon is independent from oceanic currents. Thanks to Patrice Klein (Ifremer Brest) and Pascal Landuré (MeteoStrategy) for their precious collaboration

LOÏCK PEYRON

HAVING CROSSED THE ATLANTIC MORE THAN 40 TIMES, LOÏCK PEYRON ALSO HAS AN UNRIVALLED MULTIHULL TRACK RECORD, AND IS THE ONLY SAILOR TO HAVE EQUALLED ERIC TABARLY’S DOUBLE VICTORY IN THE OSTAR. TODAY SKIPPERING THE GITANA EIGHTY OPEN 60’, THE RECENT WINNER OF THE B2B ECOVER SINGLEHANDED TRANSAT LOOKS BACK UPON THE RICH HERITAGE OF THE

EXAMINES THE WAY THIS EVENT SHAPED MODERN OCEAN RACING.

ARTEMIS TRANSAT, AND

A pigeon called Nelson (and other stories) hen it comes to what us French always called “The English Transat”, I always feel a strong attachment. I followed every edition since the late 1960s, and if the names of Francis Chichester or Blondie Hasler may not mean much for the upcoming generation, they certainly have a very strong significance for me… 4 years before. My good pal Paulo (Paul In 1992, I had just joined the Fuji team, … Naturally, when one has a few white Vatine) and myself were ready to make initially to compete in the Vendée hairs and has always been part of our move, and match-raced to the finish Globe under their colours, but I noticed “the village”, one is obviously close line. 48 hours away from Newport, they had a trimaran sitting around on to its history. I was one when the first we came within sight of each other, their shelves… so I took the liberty Ostar took place, I feel I grew up with and gradually I took the advantage – I of suggesting “We should race her in it, and my relatives were part of that even took a picture of his boat as I was the transat, it’s a shame to see a boat adventure before it was my turn to take overtaking him, just like Colas had done like that on dry land.” I hadn’t raced the plunge. Being Jean-Yves Terlain’s when passing Jean-Yves Terlain in 1972. multihulls for a year and a half, and nephew, I have particularly strong The image transmission technology I recall having tackled that challenge memories of the 1972 event, during was still somewhat prehistoric at with some apprehension, but my initials which my uncle had caused a stir by the time, but I nevertheless sent that concerns quickly disappeared. The entering his 39-metres long Vendredi picture back to land even though it took conditions were a bit tricky to start 13 monohull, a boat which kick-started ages. The moment felt very important, with, and I’d had trouble getting into the the era of the giants. Those days were I was on my way towards a second pace, all the more because there had really fascinating, extravagant, and consecutive win, which is not exactly been quite a bit of damage among the prone to fire up the imagination of the irrelevant in such a mythical race. At fleet – Poupon had notably broken his 12-year old boy I was then. I remember first, it didn’t really occur to me that I daggerboards – and I was somewhat clearly the launch of that 3-masted was joining a very exclusive club which racing on tiptoe. I kept a low profile, monster, in Nantes, at 4 o’clock in the only had one member – my hero Eric having had my share of gear failure, but morning – the rest is history, but the Tabarly – but people kept mentioning it eventually I pulled into the lead… and bottom line is that when Alain Colas when I stepped ashore so I rapidly took that’s when I discovered I was sinking! replied in 1976 with his 72-metres Club the measure of the achievement. I can’t I had sensed that the boat was getting Méditerranée, the English organisers shy away from the fact that it has been heavier, and when I carried out an of the race blew the whistle because a very emotional period for me. inspection, I realised that the forward they felt things were getting out of compartment was full of water. Since it control. I must admit they were not Looking back on the history of that was time for the daily radio chat session exactly wrong, and the truth is that the race, I realize how big an impact it has with the race HQ, I told my story and future proved them right. When Michel had on the evolution of ocean racing naturally it had quite an impact. In the Etevenon created the Route du Rhum as we know it today. It conditioned its end, the leak wasn’t that important and in 1978, it meant creativity still had a technical revolutions, twists of fate, the massive amount of water I’d found part to play in ocean racing, and the two cultural changes… When Eric launched was due to an accumulation that had transats became complementary. Pen Duick II in 1964, some journalists spread over a few days, so I addressed said she was a radical beast, too My turn to enter the Ostar came the issue and resumed racing, pedal powerful to be handled by a single man, in 1984, two years after my first to the floor. Florence Arthaud, who yet less than 10 years after that, Colas participation in the Rhum: I set off was ahead of me by a few miles, says showed to what type of extremes the from Plymouth aboard Mike Birch’s old a lot about the pace of the race at that arms race could lead! And when kids 50-ft catamaran, but unfortunately I stage… But the account of that edition like me set sails aboard big multihulls, lost the rig 24 hours after the start. In wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention if some people noted there was a 1988, things turned out much better, the pigeon which kept me company for certain degree of unconsciousness, since I took the third place, coming into the whole second half of the course: on it was at the time generally seen as a Newport just 24 hours after Philippe the northern route, it’s frequent to see perfectly legitimate way of quenching Poupon, who had just smashed the that kind of bird spend a couple of days our thirst for adventure. Then came course record. I was sailing Lada Poch, resting on your boat, but this one did the Open 60’ trimarans era, and quite originally a 23-metres multihull I had not leave before the finish line. I ended paradoxically, the professionalism shortened to comply with the 60-ft up calling him Nelson, like the Admiral, made everyone forget how crazy and limit – it was a bit of an agricultural because my intention was to inflict a dangerous it was to sail those boats transformation and it certainly looks Trafalgar-like defeat to my rivals. I singlehanded. But whichever specific dodgy by today’s standards, but it reached Newport first, and made him period you look at, one thing remains taught me a lot. When we arrived in the fly away after having crossed the finish constant: this transat really has a place harbour, there was a massive crowd of line… but I’ve never had any news from apart in the history of offshore racing, American racers getting ready for “The” him since. and today I’m really happy to be about big event, the Newport – Bermuda race, and none of them would believe we had just crossed the Atlantic singlehanded on our big boats. I remember a bar discussion during which Philou (Philippe Poupon) and myself were even called liars…

In 1996, there was a very strong lineup, and it soon became clear that Francis Joyon was bound to teach us all a lesson thanks to his northern option… but he ended up “on the roof” just like Laurent Bourgnon, or Florence Arthaud

to enter it for the 5th time, almost a quarter of a century after my ﬁrst attempt. I will be helming Gitana Eighty, the latest of a prestigious breed of ships commissioned by the Rothschild family. Loïck Peyron 65

THE NORTH ATLANTIC BATTLEGROUND

THE

NORTH ATLANTIC

BATTLEGROUND

THE WELL-CHRONICLED HISTORY OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST SINGLE-HANDED RACE IS CROWDED WITH EXTRAORDINARY STORIES. OLIVER DEWAR DISCOVERS TRAGEDY AND TENACITY AND EXAMINES THE INHERENT RISKS OF SOLO SAILING ©B.Stichelbaut/Effets Mer

Solo sailing is no longer an exclusive club with a membership drawn from pioneering adventurers at the fringe of mainstream yachting. The increasing number of round-the-world races, rapid advances in satellite communications and extensive media coverage have combined to expose a division of offshore racing that was – until quite recently – a mysterious and misunderstood branch of the sport. Single-handed sailing was truly the wayward son, the brebis galeuse (black sheep) of yachting: ﬁercely independent, impossible to predict, rough, tough, full of surprises and generally rather frightening. Today, due to sponsor commitments, even the most secretive, reluctant and recalcitrant of solo skippers has been gently polished to a soft, media-friendly sheen. You might even be tempted to invite one around for supper. However, while encouraging this sort of close contact does not necessarily guarantee catastrophic consequences, the risks are high as solo sailors – despite their recent, carefully applied social camouﬂage – are not normal. Most sailors understand that taking a boat offshore beyond the sight or easy reach of land is inherently risky and sailing inshore is likewise subject to the incredibly diverse collection of variables that construct this unique sport. A crew gently cruising close to the coast with the smell of new-mown 66

grass drifting offshore and filling the cockpit can experience a similar collection of external forces as a yacht beneath the grey skies of the Southern Ocean’s high latitudes: dramatic changes in sea and weather conditions, equipment or structural failure, errors of judgement, injury, illness, fatigue or collision. Obviously, the ramifications of – for example – dismasting within 1,500 metres of a marina are likely to be less immediately severe than losing the rig in freezing waters just north of the Antarctic Convergence. The proximity of rapid assistance and medical facilities inshore is directly proportionate to the absence of any practical rapid response offshore. Furthermore, while many regard fully-crewed, offshore transoceanic or global circumnavigation racing as a hazardous form of selfinflicted torture, solo offshore sailing – by extension - may infringe a number of basic Human Rights. The race organisation behind The Artemis Transat, OC Events Ltd, have gone to great lengths to ensure that any

solo sailor considering entering this event is fully aware of the risks. The Notice of Race (NOR) was distributed to all teams and skippers well in advance of the start and contained - within the 43 page document - a number of sensible warnings: “Sailing is a hazardous and potentially dangerous activity,” councils section 17.1, “and anyone intending to become involved in the race…..does so on the basis that they accept that it is at their own risk and that they could suffer loss, damage or injury.” Although the use of the word ‘loss’ may seem vague, the unwritten suffix “…of boat, skipper or both” is clear. The IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association) Open 60 and Class 40 associations already demand rigorous levels of safety and the RRS (Racing Rules of Sailing) and COLREGS (International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea) naturally apply, but The Artemis Transat places further stringent regulations and preconditions on teams seeking to compete in the event. The NOR stipulates that “each entrant possess 3rd party liability insurance to a minimum value of £2million,” (4.7) and “each skipper must have completed a certified medical and survival course in the past five years, covering all aspects of survival at sea,” (4.6). In addition,

numerous measures are taken to ensure that inappropriate skippers or yachts do not gain entry to the race: a singlehanded qualifying passage is mandatory and intensive scrutineering of the yachts by the team from UNCL (Union Nationale Pour La Course Au Large) will prevent any competitor crossing the startline on a poorly prepared boat with insufﬁcient safety equipment. As a fail-safe, the race organisation reserve the right to forbid a skipper from heading out to the start line on May 11th, regardless of whether the mandatory legal and technical stipulations have been met or not.

instantly warn of a yacht and skipper in distress. Frequent safety calls from the race organisation and accurate weather information also combine to alert skippers and those onshore to any potential dangers offshore. For a detailed, eye witness insight into the drama of the race between 1960-1988, there is no better source than Lloyd Foster’s immaculately researched and atmospheric book, OSTAR. For offshore racing fans today, the drama will unfold instantaneously as the ﬂeet crosses the start line on Sunday 11th May.

The result of this exhaustive qualification procedure is impressive: throughout 44 years and 12 editions of The Artemis Transat, an average of 74% of the boats racing have survived the North Atlantic and crossed the finish line within any predetermined time limit. Obviously, this statistic compares favourably with the infamous attrition rate of the 23,000 mile, single-handed, non-stop, roundthe-world Vendée Globe race with an average of 54% of the fleet crossing the finish line. Curiously, the 3,500 mile Route du Rhum single-handed transatlantic race shares the same average overall finishing percentage as the Vendée Globe: an anomaly caused by devastating storms in the Bay of Biscay during the 1986 edition, followed by a total of just 35% of the fleet completing the course in 1990 and the horrific ORMA multihull casualty rate in the 2002 Route du Rhum. Perhaps the optimum offshore, single-handed ‘sprint’ distance has been inadvertently discovered. One certainty, though, is the low number of fatalities in the history of the world’s original single-handed race with just two competitors, Canadian sailor Mike Flanagan and British single-hander Mike McMullen, tragically lost at sea during the 1976 edition. As always, statistics are useful, but the true drama is concealed behind these mundane figures.

Forty-eight hours prior to the start of the 1976 race, Lizzie McMullen was helping her husband, Mike, with the final preparations to his 46ft multihull, Three Cheers, on the hard standing at Mashford’s Boatyard. Tasked with polishing the three yellow hulls, she set to with a power tool, but dropped the mains driven machine into a shallow pool of water. Stooping to retrieve the sander, 26 year-old Lizzie was electrocuted. Richard Clifford, skipper of monohull Shamaal II and close friend of the McMullens, was one of the first to hear the news: “I sped on my bicycle to Stonehouse Hospital to be with Mike, Martin Read [close

The intensity of the 2004 Artemis Transat race is still fresh in the collective offshore racing memory and serves as a tribute to modern communication methods, seamanship and outstanding coordination from the rescue services involved. However, before the introduction of sophisticated and reliable satellite communications systems, offshore sailors operated in almost complete isolation, dependant upon unreliable radio sets for contact with the outside world. For those onshore awaiting news from mid-ocean, there were few options other than to sit, wait and hope. Today, satellite tracking beacons ﬁtted to the Artemis Transat yachts supply split second data while emergency EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons)

With special permission from the local coroner, Lizzie’s funeral took place the following day. “The Goodenoughs, Lizzie’s family, were devastated,” says Clifford. “With great courage Mike decided that Lizzie would have wanted him to continue with the race which he had a very good chance of winning in Three Cheers despite the intense competition. Mike was a great character, a mountaineer and rock

1976: A TRIPLE TRAGEDY

a tragedy on the close-knit group of ocean racers gathered in Plymouth: a community that was already highly charged emotionally with the start just hours away. Clifford volunteered to break the news: “I cycled back to Millbay and passed the word,” he explains. “There was a dreadful hush and shock. The evening’s entertainment was subdued. Stuart Woods [skipper of Golden Harp] instigated a collection for what became the magnificent Lizzie McMullen Trophy - a silver replica of Three Cheers - for the first multihull to finish the OSTAR.” Mike McMullen’s sister, Heather Howard, remembers the dreadful day: “The atmosphere in Plymouth was of utter shock and disbelief that this could have happened to Lizzie,” she says. “She was a lovely, very Cornish, dark-haired girl, full of fun and people were devastated.”

climber, a soldier who had seen active service, a fine seaman and the son of a fine seaman, a singer and guitar player as well as a devoted husband. He and Lizzie were full of fun and carefree.”

friend and co-skipper of Mike’s in earlier races] and some others in the emergency ward where they were trying to resuscitate her,” Clifford recalls. “Occasional fribulations were reported but little else. Then, she was pronounced dead.” While the depth of grief experienced by her family and husband can be understood, it is difficult to grasp the huge impact of such

Twenty-four days after the fleet crossed the start line, multihulls smaller than Three Cheers began crossing the finish line in Newport, led by the Canadian trimaran, The Third Turtle, skippered by Mike Birch and concern grew for Mike McMullen’s safety. After 33 and a half days, Richard Clifford crossed the finish line in 30th place: “When I arrived in Newport I found Gill McMullen, Mike’s mother, anxiously waiting for him,” Clifford confirms. Lizzie’s mother also made the trip to the finish. “At least one Royal Navy ship had been diverted to look for him. The atmosphere in Newport 67

THE NORTH ATLANTIC BATTLEGROUND

whilst I was there was, as always in such events, very positive – ‘Oh! He will turn up’.” Projected courses for Three Cheers were calculated and computerised models for the drift of a stricken yacht in the North Atlantic were applied, followed by an aerial search using the predicted data, but there was no success. For Howard, the exact circumstances of her brother’s disappearance may stem from his will to win the event for his late wife: “Mike definitely had nine lives,” she believes. “He had fallen down crevasses skiing, sailed through many a gale, been in Borneo and was a larger than life person, full of fun and generous and without fear. I am afraid this time he was ‘over come’. I personally think he just threw caution to the winds and thought he would win the race for Lizzie and just ‘went for it’.” However, there will always be questions: “The conditions in the Atlantic were awful with gale after gale rolling in,” she continues. “Maybe the multi hull flipped, maybe he had a collision: we will never know.” However, for Clifford, there was still a glimmer of hope: “On my return passage from St John’s Newfoundland to Plymouth, I often stood in the bows of the tiny Shamaal II, a Contessa 26, to look out for Mike.” As a seafaring family, the McMullen’s quickly realized that chances of Mike’s survival were slim: “I think my father very soon realized Mike was not going to return,” admits Howard, “but our old Nanny, Ruby, never gave up hoping that one day he would walk through the door and give her a hug. He was her baby!” Over a year later on a remote beach in southern Iceland, a section of bright yellow outrigger hull was located with a piece of sailcloth bearing the sail number for Three Cheers confirmed the wreckage as part of McMullen’s multihull. Three years later, shortly before the start of the 1980 race, word reached the race organisation that wreckage – the main bulkhead - had been dredged up just south of Iceland, bearing serial numbers corresponding to Three Cheers. 68

After 25 days of racing with just 14 of the fleet safely across the finish line, the race office received chilling news as Lands End Coastguard contacted the race organisation to report the discovery of an abandoned yacht, Galloping Gael, the 46ft monohull of Canadian skipper, Mike Flanagan. The exact circumstances of this loss at sea will never be known. Experts in the field have concluded that due to the configuration of the yacht’s sails and the presence of both liferafts on board, it is probable that Flanagan was on the foredeck, adjusting or changing headsails when he was swept over board. The Canadian Air Force flew searches in the area of the wreck’s discovery, but no further trace of the solo skipper has ever been found.

2004: DISASTER AND DELIVERANCE After four days of racing in the 2004 Artemis Transat, the leaders of the IMOCA Open 60 fleet were approaching the halfway mark in the race. At 54° North, 750 miles from Ireland and 900 miles from the coast of Newfoundland, French solo sailor, Jean-Pierre Dick, had just relinquished the monohull lead to Mike Golding and Ecover as 50 knot winds and 6-7 metre waves threw his blue and white hulled boat, Virbac through a seemingly unending gale that was taking it’s toll on the northerly yachts in the fleet. With conditions on deck far too hazardous to endure, J-P Dick took cover below shortly before the boat was rolled through 360°, smashing the mast in three places, snapping the boom and holing the cockpit cuddy. “I was in one of the back compartments on the leeward side,” he explained to the race organisation via satellite phone the following day. Wedged in the confined space of the yacht’s lazarette, J-P Dick avoided serious injury: “So when it all happened, I wasn’t too high-up in the boat,” he explained, “although I turned over during the roll and hurt

myself a little on the bulkhead.” With the hull’s structural integrity intact, he began cutting away the mast and rigging while reflecting on his foresight in taking shelter below deck: “If I had been outside, I would have been in a very bad situation,” he admitted with characteristic understatement. Confident of being able to erect a jury rig with the salvaged boom, J-P Dick and his shore team chose not to request any assistance from other boats in the fleet. Following the same track as Virbac, Bernard Stamm and Cheminées Poujoulat-Armor Lux passed over the point of J-P Dick’s roll later the same evening, reduced to sailing with three reefs and no headsails: a configuration that Stamm described as “less than perfect” but ensured survival overnight. However, 48 hours later, the Swiss skipper was back pushing hard again, “roller skating south” in 15 knot ENE breeze with full mainsail and his biggest spinnaker. Sailing a yacht one generation older than the two IMOCA Open 60s ahead of him, Stamm was intent on maximising the conditions. At 03:45 GMT the following day, Stamm made a more urgent call, explaining that his keel was vibrating wildly: “For me the race is finished,” he said unhappily, “I must now slow down and head for the nearest land.” At around 450 miles from Cape Race, Newfoundland, he would have to nurse Cheminées PoujoulatArmor Lux with extreme caution. A little under two hours later, the worst scenario became a reality as the yacht’s keel fin and bulb parted from the hull, inverting the boat instantly. Uninjured, Stamm calmly updated the race organisation and activated his distress beacon. Initially, fellow competitor Sebastien Josse – 200 miles to the north-east - was diverted to rescue Stamm, but was quickly stood down

At the time of Stamm’s inversion approximately 60 miles southeast of the Swiss skipper, a third boat, PRB, collided with a submerged debris 500 miles east of Newfoundland. The yacht’s kick-up rudder activated upon contact with the object, but with no steerage, PRB bore away, gybed and was knocked flat, losing both rig and boom in 25 knot northwesterly winds and big seas. Although the yacht’s French skipper, Vincent Riou, was uninjured and his IMOCA Open 60’s hull was sound, the mid-North Atlantic was fast becoming a carbon fibre casualty ward. However, impeccable coordination and the strong spirit camaraderie within the solo sailing community prevailed. Within 48 hours of J-P Dick’s roll, the 116ft converted trawler Hatherleigh – the support vessel of race competitor Mike Sanderson’s sponsor, Pindar Alphagraphics – steamed from Porstmouth, UK, heading for the stricken French yacht. Meanwhile, Stamm was transferred from the upturned hull of Cheminées Poujoulat– Armor Lux to the tanker Emma and arrived in St. Johns, Newfoundland, five days after the yacht’s inversion. He immediately chartered the salvage tug, Alex Gordon and set off into the north Atlantic planning to locate his boat through accurate drift assessment caused by wave and wind conditions. While Stamm began a search for the upturned hull of his yacht, Vincent Riou erected a 1.5 metre jury rig from the raised daggerboard of PRB and was making 4 knots eastward to rendezvous with the motorised trimaran, Ocean Alchimiste, and a long, slow tow back to Brittany on the Atlantic coast of France. These three successful rescue and salvage operations have entered into IMOCA folklore and reinforce the exceptional tenacity and endurance of the sailors who choose to tackle the uncompromising might of the North Atlantic.

as MRCC Halifax took over the rescue coordination. Within an hour, a Canadian Air Force Hercules was scrambled from Nova Scotia and made visual contact with Cheminées Poujoulat-Armor Lux shortly after midday, calling Stamm via aviation frequency radio to conﬁrm his physical condition. Meanwhile, MRCC Halifax had located commercial shipping in the direct vicinity and had diverted a small tanker and a European ﬁsheries protection vessel to the stricken yacht’s precise position.

YEAR

THE TRANSAT

Average 74% finish over 44 yrs and 12 races 3,000 miles

ROUTE DU RHUM

Average 54% finish over 28 yrs and 8 races 3,500 miles

VENDEE GLOBE Average 54% finish over 15 yrs and 5 races 23,000 miles

TOTAL FLEET

TOTAL FINISHERS

% FINISHERS

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004

5 15 35 55 125 90 91 95 66 58 71 37

5 14 18 40 73 72 64 73 63 42 39 30

100 93 51 72 58 80 70 76 83 72 55 74

1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006

38 52 33 31 24 37 58 74

24 31 13 11 14 27 30 41

63 59 39 35 58 73 52 55

1989 1992 1996 2000 2004

13 14 16 24 20

7 7 6 15 13

54 50 37 62 65 69

PARTNERS

Artemis - Title Partner One of the UK’s leading investment companies, Artemis is an owner-managed investment provider known for achieving superior returns through funds that regularly beat their benchmark and peers. Since the ﬁrst funds were launched in 1998, Artemis has established a reputation for strong investment performance in up as well as down markets. www.artemisfunds.co.uk

HOST CITY PARTNERS (Start) Sutton Harbour Group The Sutton Harbour Group - regeneration and infrastructure specialists creating change for good in the South West, and beyond. We are opening our harbour to the Transat, and making possible the start from Plymouth by providing tailor-made facilities, pontoons, and supporting infrastructure. The Artemis Transat race village at the heart of Sutton Harbour will welcome yachtsmen, their support teams, and the general public alike, helping to create a spectacular send-off for the race. www.sutton-harbour.co.uk Air Southwest Air Southwest is the low-fare airline serving the South West of England. Low fares, coupled with warm and friendly service. Fast and frequent flights to Plymouth from London Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Dublin, Cork, Bristol and Jersey. www.airsouthwest.co.uk South West Of England Regional Development Agency The South West of England Regional Development Agency’s most important role is to ensure the long-term economic success of the region and works to unlock the business potential of the South West. Since 1999, we’ve invested nearly £1.2bn in the region’s economy helping to create or safeguard over 30,000 jobs; attract £494m of private sector investment; support 1437 business start-ups and helped reclaim over 600 hectares of brownfield land. www.southwestrda.org.uk Plymouth City Council Plymouth City Council and its partners share a vision to make Plymouth one of Europe’s finest, most vibrant waterfront cities and to stimulate and promote a wide range of high quality recreational and leisure activities. The city’s rich maritime history, spectacular location and vibrant city life make it one of Britain’s most popular tourist destinations. www.plymouth.gov.uk Event South West “The best events have colour excitement, ambience, uniqueness and community support”. Event South West is a regional event management company located in the city of Plymouth, which aims to attract, secure and support a diverse range of world class sporting and cultural events to the South West region. www.eventsouthwest.co.uk

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS G.H.Mumm - Ofﬁcial Champagne Partner Champagne G.H. Mumm is the world’s third largest champagne house. Since 1904, when Captain Charcot became the ﬁrst Frenchman to reach the Antarctic and celebrated with a glass of G.H. Mumm, the famous house of champagne has been involved in many oceanic challenges such as the Vendée Globe, The Transat Jacques Vabre or the Route Du Rhum. They are also proud sponsors of Skandia Cowes Week. G.H. Mumm will be in Boston and Marblehead to help the solo skippers of The Artemis Transat celebrate their success. www.mumm.com Royal Navy - Associate Partner Well versed in the dangers and excitement of ocean navigation, the Royal Navy fully understands the commitment, drive and teamwork required to compete in The Artemis Transat Race. On the 11th of May, the race start will be given onboard HMS Argyll, a 436ft frigate of the Type 23 Duke Class. www.royal-navy.mod.uk

HOST CITY PARTNERS (Finish) Boston Harbour Hotel - IMOCA 60 finish port The Boston Harbor Hotel is the official home of the famed The Artemis Transat Race and welcome the arrival of the IMOCA Open 60 fleet to Boston. The Boston Harbor Hotel, a Mobil Five Star hotel will also host the media centre and the race prize-giving ceremony on 28th May 2008. www.bhh.com Corinthian Yacht Club - CLASS40 finish port The Corinthian Yacht Club was founded in 1885 to promote what is now known as ‘Onedesign’ yacht racing. Today CYC members sail and race yachts of all sizes. The club is situated on a rocky promontory in Marblehead Harbor about 15-miles Northeast of Boston, Massachusetts. It was the American host club for The Transat in 2004 and is really proud to welcome the 2008 Edition of The Artemis Transat. www.corinthianyc.org

OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS OMEGA - Official Timekeeper Omega’s role as Official Timekeeper to the Artemis Transat 2008 is the latest exciting chapter in the Swiss prestige watch company’s proud nautical history. The Omega Marine Chronometer wristwatch earned its place in the record books when it helped French sailing legend Eric Tabarly to victories in the OSTAR east-west transatlantic race in 1964 and again in 1976. Omega then remained closely associated with sailing as Official Timekeeper of the Transat 2004 and was sponsor of the America’s Cup 2007 competitor Emirates Team New Zealand. www.omegawatches.com MUSTO - Official Clothing Partner Musto Ltd has long been associated with the most extreme and demanding sailing races and campaigns over the years. The comprehensive clothing ranges offer the perfect solution for every level of sailing from extreme racing in the Southern Ocean to cruising inland waterways and canals. www.musto.com BT - Official Communications Partner Just like they did for The Transat 2004, BT are providing communications support at The Artemis Transat start events in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth to include the provision of dedicated ADSL and ISDN Lines. BT will also provide communications support during the race at the main The Artemis Transat ‘race control’ office in Cowes, Isle of Wight. www.bt.com JURYS INN - Official Hotel Partner Jurys Inns Group is a leading, Dublin-based premium budget hotel group with hotels throughout Ireland and the UK and is one of the fastest-growing hotel brands in Europe. The Group currently has 23 hotels, 6 in Ireland and 17 in the UK, comprising 5,326 bedrooms. Our bedrooms offer business guests a comfortable stay with amenities that include comfortable bedrooms with high-speed internet access, multi-channel TV, and modern spacious bathrooms. www.plymouthhotels.jurysinns.com SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS - Official Media Evaluation Partner Sports Marketing Surveys is an independent research agency with over 20 years experience specialising in the sponsorship and sports sectors. Our clients include rights holders, sports goods manufacturers, governing bodies, sponsors, local government, PR agencies, consultancies, sports retailers, tourist authorities etc. We carry out research in all sports across the world, including Sailing and Yachting and have worked with OC Events for many years providing marketing and market research data. www.sportsmarketingsurveys.com FLAGSHIP ADVENTURES - Official Rigid Inflatable Supplier Flagship Adventures provide full corporate event management and a full array of skippered RIB charter options in Boston and Marblehead. They are a new company and the premier provider of support boat services for regattas and water based events in the area. www.flagshipadventures.com

IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROYAL WESTERN YACHT CLUB Founded in 1827, the Royal Western Yacht Club is one of the premier sailing clubs. It has a long and distinguished history of over 175 years as a sponsor of all aspects of sailing and the roll call of names and events reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of sailing. The Club created the Observer Single-Handed TransAtlantic Race (OSTAR) in 1960. www.rwyc.org

THE CLASSES CLASS40 The Class40 association is aiming to bring together Class40’s skippers and everyone with an interest in developing these boats. The Class40 is a monohull boat, which can be used for both racing and cruising. Maximum overall hull length of this boat is 12,18m (40 feet). The Class is really proud to add The Artemis Transat 2008 to its calendar and we wish all the best to the skippers entered in the race. www.class40.com IMOCA IMOCA is the International 60 feet Monohull Open Class Association. It was established in 1991 and has been recognized by ISAF since 1998. IMOCA is the governing body behind the ocean racing world championship of which races like the Vendée globe, The Route du Rhum and of course The Artemis Transat, are part. IMOCA manages the evolution of the technical rule, deﬁnes the events calendar and maintains safety as the ﬁrst priority for all boats by applying strict safety rules and strong controls prior to every race. www.imoca.org