Birds fly south

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

Richards like everyone else in Le Havre is thoroughly impressed by the quality of the fleet taking part in the Transat Jacques Vabre. "In what we do - in shorthanded sailing - it is the big thing of the year. There are 14 trimarans up one side of the harbour and the same number of Open 60s and 50s on the other." 34 50-60ft boats - the majority full on Grand Prix ocean racing machines - are taking part in the event. "It far outweighs the Volvo start or many of the events you would see in other countries."

1,000s of people are currently milling the dock in Le Havre despite it being mid-week and in early November. There is a certain electricity in the air and it is hard to tell whether this is the anticipation of the start or the hot competition, the fact there are an impressive number of colourful fast-looking boats here or that there are many stars lurking around from the hi-flying trimarans sailors such as Loick Peyron, Franck Cammas and Alain Gautier, to the more recent hero OSTAR winner Francis Joyon to most of the main players from the last Vendee Globe - Desjoyeaux, Ellen MacArthur, Roland Jourdain, Yves Parlier, etc. etc. etc.

From a short glimpse of this it is easy to see why Richards and von Koskull do a majority of sailing in these circles. Here in France they are famous and highly respected not just by the sailing fraternity. But then, this is France, or so the excuse normally goes.