Transat
Jacques Vabre - One Week To Go Until Team Cowes
Arrives At Start Port Of Le Havre
IN
BRIEF:
*
ONE WEEK TO GO UNTIL TEAM COWES ARRIVES IN LE
HAVRE IN PREPARATION FOR TJV START... All 41 entries
must arrive at the start port of Le Havre by Friday,
24th October allowing one week for the organisers
to carry out scrutineering, the shore teams to
do any last minute preparations and for the thousands
of people who visit the port to get a close up
look at the impressive fleet on show before the
monohull race start on Saturday, 1st November...
*
TEAM COWES COMPLETES SECOND PART OF OFFSHORE TRAINING
returning from Lorient to Cowes: "It was
an upwind slog, crashing through each wave - it
was wet and very cold..." Nick reviews the
weather for the 4,340 mile TJV as the challenges
of setting out into the cold North Atlantic in
November become a reality...
FROM
NICK:
Exiting
the Channel/Bay of Biscay/Cape Finistere
Racing
out of the Channel across the busy shipping lanes
is the first challenge for the skippers before
crossing the notorious Bay of Biscay and rounding
Cape Finistere: "So much of the boat preparation
is for this part of the race – it is the
most important part to protect your boat. Finistere
has a massive influence on meteorology and if
you are in good shape when you step out of the
traditional path of the weather depressions then
you are in the race. If not, you have a very hard
race ahead of you."
The Trade Winds/The Doldrums
The
Trade Winds are split into two areas – the
Northern Trade Wind sector (N/NE winds) start
along the coast of Portugal to the Equator; then
the Southern Trade Winds (S/SE winds) after the
area of the Doldrums – a notorious windless
zone: "You hope to find some good Trade Wind
sailing whilst working on the best position to
cross the Doldrums. You need to gain as much westing
as you can to cross this area as this is normally
the best position to be in. Although, contrary
to that in the last TJV the guys to the east actually
benefited more than the guys who were further
west. Crossing the Doldrums you enter into upwind
sailing then you are looking at reaching and downwind
sailing."
South of the Equator to Finish
The
fleet will enjoy faster downwind sailing in warmer
conditions but there are still many challenges
to face: "In the last TJV we were fighting
for second place with Mike Golding’s Ecover
and we must have traded places over 20 times –
there is still everything to play for. The decisions
are whether to head inshore for the coastal breeze
or stay offshore for steadier breeze. Also, 2
miles from the finish there is a big sandbank
and, again, you have to decide whether to go inside
or outside."
For TJV race information go to http://www.jacques-vabre.com
