Vendée Globe

The winter refits are coming to an end for the majority of the thirty IMOCA monohulls taking part in the forthcoming Vendée Globe. In particular, the English Transat is coming up for those, who have decided to take part.

With a little over seven months to go to the start, preparations are speeding up for the thirty sailors registered for the Vendée Globe. Between those busy recovering from damage suffered in the Barcelona World Race, like Vincent Riou’s PRB, Jérémie Beyou’s Delta Dore and Roland Jourdain’s Veolia Environnement, those preparing for The Artemis Transat, which starts on 11th May and then the few, who are still in the construction phase in the yard, like Marc Thiercelin’s DCNS, they are busy at work in the sheds, in the harbours and on the pontoons.
While Roland Jourdain and Jérémie Beyou have announced their decision not to take part in The Transat, as they had initially planned in their programme –due to a lack of time – others have already relaunched their boats over the past few days. That is the case for Marc Guillemot’s Safran, which was so impressive in the Transat Jacques Vabre, and which returned to her natural element last week. The same goes for Yann Eliès’s Generali, which was relaunched last Thursday in Lorient, after being in the yard for three months to undergo substantial modifications, including the removal of the double helm, which has been replaced by a central tiller. «That has given us a lot of room, including inside to move things around » explained Yann Eliès, convinced he now has « a boat configured for the Vendée Globe,, which is ready to be sailed around the world by a lone yachtsman.» As for Mike Golding, he has been dealing with some problems with his keel on Ecover. His young compatriot, Samantha Davies has announced her Roxy will be launched in the coming days. Quite an event, as this is none other than the former PRB, twice winner of the Everest of the Seas. In short, to keep it simple, everyone is working hard on the IMOCA monohulls, many of which will be taking part in the Petit Navire Grand Prix in Douarnenez, then the English Transat.

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