2:52 AM Mon 19 Oct 2009 GMT
The inaugural La Solidaire du Chocolat transatlantic race started on Sunday 18th October at 17:50 local time (15:50 GMT). 24 double-handed Class40 yachts crossed the start line off Saint Nazaire, France. The race will take these sailors 5,000 miles across the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea to the finish line off Progreso, Yucatan in Mexico.
The fleet is now headed west into a savage low pressure system, expected to hit on Monday and early Tuesday, as it crosses the Bay of Biscay.
With a High Pressure system sitting over the coast of Brittany, conditions were bright, but light, with 5-6 knots of northesterly breeze as the fleet mustered east of the start line running south-east from Saint Nazaire's breakwater into the Loire Estuary. The engine gear selectors on each Class40 were sealed by race officials on Sunday morning and with no independent power, the fleet were cautious to avoid a general recall and expend extra time restarting. The result: a clean start and a French trio at the front with Tanguy de Lamotte and Adrien Hardy on Initiatives-Novedia crossing the line first, Chemin?es Poujoulat with Bruno Jourdren and Bernard Stamm in second and Damien Seguin with co-skipper Armel Tripon on Cargill-MTTM in third.
As the fleet made gentle progress along the shipping channel, keeping north of the Mindin and Mor?es Banks, to the deeper water four miles north-west of Saint Gildas Point on the southern bank of the Loire Estuary, prospects for the first 48 hours at sea were hanging over the teams. All weather models agree that the Low Pressure system approaching Europe will deliver rapidly-building breeze with a front arriving at Cape Finisterre very early on Tuesday morning. For the first night at sea, the breeze is forecast to build to 10-15 knots, increasing to 15-20 south-easterly and turning southerly to build rapidly to 25-35 knots with the probability of 50 knots gusts in the thick of the front on Monday.
Accompanying these strong conditions, the shallow water around Cape Finisterre is likely to deliver waves along the continental shelf of 3-4 metres in height with a high probability of much larger swells. As a consequence, Race Director of La Solidaire du Chocolat, Bernard Duval, insisted at the pre-start briefing on Sunday that all skippers wear harnesses, lifejackets, survival suits and their personal Man Overboard locator beacon for the duration of the storm and must keep their boat's grab bag ready.
Although the speed of the front is likely to be 28-30 knots and will last around 6-8 hours, conditions after the system has passed will still be demanding with south-westerly breeze of 20-30 knots and 45 knots in the squalls following the front and a predicted 6 metre swell rolling in from the west in the wake of the storm.
The fleet is an exceptional mix of seasoned, offshore veterans and experienced amateur yachtsmen with ten nationalities competing, but the storm forecast for Monday and throughout Tuesday is democratic and all the teams will be intent on preserving themselves and their boats. 'You have all freely entered the spirit of this event,' the race organiser, Damien Grimont, told the skippers at the prestart briefing on Sunday morning. 'However, I must insist that you stay clipped-on and vigilant, even after the worst of the storm has passed,' he continued, adding that the race organisation team will remain in Saint Nazaire for an extra three days after the fleet has left to provide any assistance. 'Those onshore - family, supporters and the race organisation - are watching you constantly, but it is your responsibility to keep safe. Not just for the first part of the race, but throughout,' added Grimont.
by Media
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Double Is Pt, QLD
