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A Transat Jacques Vabre full of promise
The calibre of the 39 crew and 78 sailors registered for the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre promises a high-flying competition, with a race of rare quality and depth. From Le Havre to Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, the four classes of offshore sailing boats (Class40, Multi 50, IMOCA60 and Ultime) will compete over a 4,350-mile course full of hurdles, squalls and excitement. Today, at the Pavillon Champs-Elysées in Paris, they were all present, eager to head out to sea, boots and oilies ready to cross the start line on Sunday, November 5.
42 pairs at sea
As happens every two years, couples are getting together as the summer approaches…to form solid partnerships for the Transat Jacques Vabre, the double-handed race of reference, which has been leaving Le Havre since 1993. For this 13th edition, 42 teams will cast off their moorings, and head for Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, on 4,350-mile long ride; a mixture of tactical and strategic plays, spiced with extremely diverse weather. Thus, this demanding two-handed “Route du Café” – it follows the coffee trade route - requires sailors to find their other half, for the better and for the worse. So, who will be there on the start line on November 5?
The racecourse - by Sylvie Viant, race director
A well-known destination: SALVADOR DE BAHIA
In 2013, and again in 2015, all the boats flew past Salvador de Bahia, sails filled by the trade winds of the south-east, under the tropical sun...One imagines that they dreamt of finally finishing their race in All Saints’ Bay. In 2017, it will be a reality!
Historic coffee destination announced - Setting sail for Salvador de Bahia!
The 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre will kick off on Saturday, October 28, 2017, around the Bassin Paul Vatine (marina) in Le Havre, for a week of festivities that will mark the 500th anniversary of this maritime city. On Sunday, November 5, 2017, the competing skippers will cross the starting line of the longest transatlantic route to a legendary coffee port, Salvador in the state of Bahia in Brazil.
A full-bodied edition
42 duos took off from Le Havre on Sunday, October 25 heading for the Brazilian port, Itajaí: 14 Class40, 4 Multi50, 20 IMOCA and 4 Ultimes.
The weather conditions were hard, even brutal, for the majority of the fleet.
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Events calendar village
Ouverture du village au Havre vendredi 27 octobre à 16h
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4 races, 4 double handed winners
A strong and diverse international class
Conceived in 2004 as a category to encourage greater access to ocean racing, the Class40 was taken up with exceptional enthusiasm in 2006, barely ten months after the writing of the measurement rule. To date, nearly 150 boats have left the boatyard,…
Multi50: an exciting class
The Multi50 class is changing. With professionalisation of the teams and more modern design of the boats, the class turned a corner in 2016. Increasingly attractive for skippers and their sponsors, the Multi50 class has updated its measurement rule, which now allows…
IMOCA OCEAN MASTERS
For the last 45 years, the greatest sailors in the world have been carving out incredible stories of human adventure, sailing around the world alone, non-stop and without assistance.
The IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association)…
Composed of Actual, Banque Populaire, Macif and Sodebo – so far – the Collectif Ultim (the Ultime Collective) is an association of long-time offshore racing boat owners. It was created in 2013 around a project: to seek new challenges with new large multihulls and to share them with as many people as possible.
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24 years of races
In its 24 years of existence, the biannual Transat Jacques Vabre has managed to establish itself as the toughest and longest-running two-handed transat. The race is equally revered by the sailors and an enthralled public, reaffirming its relevance and the investment of its partners with each edition. The original concept is simple: the source of this great race is an historical route: the coffee route. It is an event with an expert mix of tastes, vintages, aromas and characters.
