Struggling to make the start

Some competitors may not make the start of the Open 50 class' inaugural Saguenay-St Pierre Vendee transatlantic race

The start date of 15 June for the Saguenay-Saint-Pierre-Vendée open 50 transatlantic race, is somewhat theoretical as the journey began for the competitors some weeks ago as they made their way - mostly across the Atlantic to get to the start of the race in Chicoutimi in Canada.

Défi Vendéen left the Sables d’Olonne on 11 May for an upwind crossing of the Atlantic "20 days of upwind and 20 minutes of good times downwind," complained Jean-François Durand on his arrival in St Pierre et Miquelon where he made a rapid pitstop. In addition, under Newfoundland, the boat hit a whale and the resulting vibrations in the keel meant they had to lift the boat out of the water on arrival in Chicoutimi.

Branec , stayed in the West Indies after the Route du Rhum. Her skipper and delivery crew went to pick her up at the beginning of April, once it was sure that there was no more ice in the St Laurence River. A crossing towards Halifax was going very smoothly when the mast fell down 400 miles from their destination. A month of looking at options and finally skipper Roger Langevin has been forced to throw in the towel. He will not be able to participate.

Gifi left La Rochelle bound for a first stop in Saint Pierre - a first ocean crossing for both boat and crew. Once again almost her entire voyage across the pond was upwind - real test for both boat and crew who were to be rewarded with a warm welcome from the locals of Saint-Pierre - an island of sailors who know what it is to cross an ocean. Gifi was the first multihull to tie up in the marina of Chicoutimi, joining up with monohull Le Défi Vendéen who had arrived some days earlier.

During this time in the Mediterranean, the Open 50 monohull Accati had given up, let down by her sponsor who withdrew their financing - the effects of collateral from the war even affect the ocean racing world!

Race favourite Renaud Le Youdec, an experienced sailor and confirmed skipper, prepared his boat chartered by the Yacht-Club of St Pierre well. He cast off from La Rochelle with his crewmate and habitual shore crew Jean Bacave. For them it was a classic delivery which turned out to be a real test : 13 days of upwind in 25 to 30 knot winds and to end, under Newfoundland two days of calm surrounded by growlers.

Exhausted after 16 days of sea, they finally arrived in St Pierre, had a rapid pitstop and set sail again for Chicoutimi.

Anne Caseneuve set sail on 17 May aboard her trimaran from the Ile aux Moines. She too crossed the Atlantic upwind. Everything was fine on board until after 5 days at sea, serious rigging damage forced forced her to turn back to France. The race was then really on - new rigging, repairs, a week of work before the boat could cast off once more. For Anne it is no longer a delivery on the cards but a race against the clock to make it to the start in Saguenay within the time limit. And the Atlantic is still as unfavourable as ever, upwind, which is not the ideal point of sail for a trimaran. Anne and Christophe aren’t giving up and continue to do everything they can to be on the start line.

Tri –Sélectif , the trimaran of Pascal Quintin set sail from northern Brittany bound for the Azores where, after a 24 hour stopover, he has headed on towards Canada. He too has suffered an unfavourable forecast which is drawing out his course time and doesn’t leave him an awful lot of time to recuperate and get the boat in shape for 1500 15 June start time.

With seven days to the start, four boats are moored in the marina of Chicoutimi, three are still at sea and two have just withdrawn: the skipper from Guadeloupe Beauvarlet and the American Around Alone competitor Tim Kent. Beauvarlet has withdrawn officially due to problems of subsidy, while the designer of Kent's Everest Horizontal is against the idea of him making a transatlantic crossing before having done a complete check-up of the boat, following the single-handed round the world race.