The Transat update

40 boats expected for this year's singlehanded transatlantic race

Following the announcement of the 50ft class last week, today's confirmation of the 60ft class entry takes the total number of boats competing in the singlehanded The Transat race between Plymouth and Boston to 40 boats.

"To have close to 30 fully professional sponsored campaigns entered, combined with the 50ft class, is a sign of the good health of this part of the sport of sailing and one could argue the sport of offshore sailing in general," said Mark Turner, CEO, Offshore Challenges Events, organisers of the 2004 race. "It's going to be an extraordinary gathering in Plymouth in May - a total of 40 race boats representing seven nations, in the one ocean race that has history, adventure and cutting edge technology. We don't doubt that the 2004 race will be adding another exciting chapter to the rich history of this race."

The 60ft ORMA multihull class will be fielding 12 entries in an event described as "an English ring with French diamonds" by two-time winner Loick Peyron. 11 of the ORMA skippers are from France together with just one non-French skipper, Giovanni Solidini from Italy. They will be endeavouring to beat the multihull record set in the 2000 race by Francis Joyon of 9 days, 23 hours and 21 minutes.

The ORMA entries include 2002 Route du Rhum multihull winner Michel Desjoyeaux on Geant, who competed in the 2000 event on board his monohull PRB before going on to win the Vendée Globe; 2003 ORMA Champion, Franck Cammas on Groupama and female skipper Karine Fauconnier on Sergio Tacchini, who finished third on the 2003 ORMA circuit and is following in the footsteps of her father, Yvon Fauconnier who was crowned winner of the 1984 event.

The biggest story in the ORMA 60 class will be the participation of Yves Parlier on board his brand new twin-masted catamaran - the first race for this radical new boat.

"With a very competitive field of 12 ORMA 60s helmed by the very best multihull skippers, we can look forward to an exciting and hard-fought battle in this class," said Mark Turner. "Joyon set an immense record in 2000 by crossing the Atlantic in under 10 days, and with the right weather we could see a few of these boats going the same pace, if not faster. But the reality of this race is that it is a gruelling course, that not only takes its toll on the skippers but the boats too. Storm force conditions can dog the fleet along with the risk of icebergs...in the last race six of the 60ft class never made it across, three dismasted including Yves Parlier and Thomas Coville. You have to finish to win."

Today's announcement sees a total of 16 IMOCA Open 60s confirmed for the start. Many of the Class 1 monohull skippers who competed four years ago, have now transfered their attention to the multihull class, such as, Desjoyeaux, Yves Parlier and Thomas Coville, but some of the skippers are back for a second time. Mike Golding
on board the new Ecover, Roland Jourdain on his brand new Sill, Marc Thiercelin on Pro-Form (formerly Whirlpool/ Tiscali) and Dominique Wavre (ex- Temenos) know only too well the challenges they will face in this sprint across the North Atlantic that can deliver gales, icebergs and dense fog.

The 16-strong field competing in the 2004 edition represents five nationalities - French, British, Australian, New Zealand and Swiss - and the winner's podium is wide open. Few will underestimate Jourdain, Golding and Jean le Cam who will be racing their new Open 60s. But, equally the performances of Jean-Pierre Dick, Alex Thomson, Vincent Riou, Sebastien Josse and Nick Moloney will be closely watched following their epic solo battle in last year's Defi Atlantique.

In addition to the 60ft fleet announced today, another 50-foot multihull has confirmed their participation. US competitor Rich Wilson, will be racing his multihull Great American II in which he recently completed two double handed record from Boston to Melbourne and Hong Kong to New York. This takes the number of competing 50ft multihulls to six along with six 50ft monohulls.


Confirmed entries:

ORMA 60s
Boat name/skipper/nationality
GROUPAMA / Franck Cammas / France
SODEBO / Thomas Coville / France
GEANT / Michel Desjoyeaux / France
SERGIO TACCHINI / Karine Fauconnier / France
FONCIA / Alain Gautier / France
GITANA X / Marc Guillemot / France
GITANA XI / Lionel Lemonchois / France
SOPRA GROUP / Philippe Monnet / France
MEDIATIS REGION AQUITAINE / Yves Parlier / France
BANQUE COVEFI / Steve Ravussin / Switzerland
BANQUE POPULAIRE / Lalou Roucayrol / France
TIM PROGETTO ITALIA / Giovanni Soldini / Italy
Total 12

Present record: 2000 / EURE ET LOIR / Francis Joyon (France) / 9d 23h 21m

Open 60s
Boat name/skipper/nationality
VIRBAC / Jean-Pierre Dick / France
ECOVER / Mike Golding / UK
OBJECTIF 3 / Charles Hedrich / France
BOAT NAME TBC / Conrad Humphreys / UK
VMI / Sébastien Josse / France
SILL / Roland Jourdain / France
UUDS / Hervé Laurent / France
BONDUELLE / Jean Le Cam / France
TO BE CONFIRMED / Anne Liardet / France
SKANDIA / Nick Moloney / Australia
PRB / Vincent Riou / France
PINDAR - ALPHAGRAPHICS / Mike Sanderson / New Zealand
CHEMINEES POUJOULAT ARMOR LUX / Bernard Stamm / Switzerland
PRO-FORM / Marc Thiercelin / France
AT RACING / Alex Thomson / UK
EX-TEMENOS / Dominique Wavre/ Switzerland
Total 16

Present record: 1992 / CACOLAC D'AQUITAINE / Yves Parlier (France) / 14d 16h 1m