Birds fly south

Emma Richards and Mikaela von Koskull make their final preps for the Jacques Vabre

It seems likely that Richards and von Koskull will be hard pressed to take on the creme da la creme of the French fleet and be competitive. There is a similar generation boat - Gitana IX - taking part and the two boats may end up having a good race. However Richards says the event is one she wanted to do and it could provide a step up the ladder for her to get a ride on one of the top 60ft trimarans next year. Andrew Pindar's pockets are not deep enough - yet - to build a new 60ft trimaran. "It is in my dreams to say 'yes', but that's where it will stay for a while," Richard says when I ask her if she is heading in the direction of a new 60ft tri. "How do you get on to a trimaran if it's not your own. If we can prove ourselves as best we can on this boat and get the tactics right and show we're good sailors, then we might get on a better trimaran."

There is also the adrenalin rush aspect of trimaran racing on which Richards now seems to be hooked. "The delivery round here [to Le Havre] took 24 hours and we averaged 16-17 knots and spent a lot of time doing 22 knots. The whole time it was like we're off - you're hardly touching the water. At night in the pitch black it is the same, but it is all by feel."