TeeJayVee update

From Le Havre, James Boyd files news and images from the start pits of the Transat Jacques Vabre

Among the impressive line up of 60ft trimarans the choice is even harder. While it is tempting to rate the boats which have done well in the ORMA Grand Prix this year, it is equally likely that some of the new boats could be up to speed.

Never to be underestimated is Loick Peyron on Fujifilm. His Nigel Irens/Marc Lombard design was launched earlier this year and was experimenting with a new flexible wingmast, designed to twist. Unfortunately this proved unsuccessful and the rig came tumbling down at the Fecamps Grand Prix in September. He has now replaced the mast with the rig built for Thomas Coville new Sodebo trimaran. The Vendee Globe skipper and double Jules Verne record holder ( Commodore Explorer and Sport Elec) is having a new van Peteghem-Prevost design built, but the mast was delivered well in advance of the platform and was bought at the 11th hour by Peyron. Giovanni Soldini's Fila trimaran also recently lost her mast but her crew were able to save the pieces and have rebonded them together - a possible process with carbon masts.

Peyron's former crewman, the highly talented Jean-Luc Nelias, should also be viewed as a threat. His new van Peteghem-Prevost design, Belgacom many are discounting because she is fresh out of the box and normally these radical boats take several months or even years to reach their full potential. In the case of Belgacom it may be different. Nelias has formulated many of his ideas for the boat while he was campaigning the old Belgacom (formerly Loick Peyron's perpetual race winner Fujicolor - racing in the TJV as Banque Covefi with Vendee skipper Bertrand de Broc and last year's winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, Pascal Bidegorry on board).

The construction process included building a full-sized model of the cockpit and Nelias employed an army of workers to finish the boat and her finish and detail work are exceptional. This is the new Belgacom's first race and has the added benefit of Vendee Globe winner Michel Desjoyeaux as crew. Could this virgin tri get lucky on her first outing?

Below: Jean-Luc Nelias (left) and his crew, Vendee Globe winner Michel Desjoyeaux