Transat B2B 2015

IMOCA Ocean Masters eastbound singlehanded transatlantic race to set sail this December

The IMOCA 60s are set for a busy autumn. After completing in the doublehanded Transat Jacques Vabre, the skippers in the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship will line up for a second transatlantic race, this time singlehanded running from the Caribbean paradise island of Saint Barts on 6 December to Port la Forêt in Brittany in the Transat B2B.

Olivier de Kersauson nicknamed Port la Forêt 'the Vallée des Fous' (Valley of the Mad), due to it spirit of adventure and camaraderie between its leading lights such as the Desjoyeaux family, Jean le Cam, Roland Jourdain and others, combined with the development of leading-edge technology aboard increasingly sophisticated race boats. This prompted the choice of finish port taken jointly by Open Sports Management, organiser of the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship, and the IMOCA Class Executive Committee.

Boasting a coefficient 4 in the Championship, the Transat B2B will be the final event in the first half of the 2015-2016 IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship.

Being singlehanded, the race serves as a qualifier for the next Vendée Globe and is anticipated to attract a similarly large entry.

A key appeal of the race is that it is both technical and complex. To get away from the Caribbean successfully, the monohulls will have to climb northwards to fall under the influence of the depressions that sweep eastwards across the North Atlantic. So the boats are likely to be at best tight reaching for two or three days, before they can reach the westerlies which will catapult them towards Brittany at high speed.

The course will be another opportunity, this time in singlehanded configuration, to see the differences between the classic 'Archimedian' boats and the latest foil-assisted generation.

Jean Kerhoas, President of the IMOCA Class, commented: “We’re very proud to be able to work with the home of French offshore racing, and we have the active support of the Brittany and Finistère regional councils to organise this project. Saint Barts is the finish port for a number of transatlantic races and the competitors will once again be able to appreciate its charm before the darkness of winter.”

Peter Bayer, Managing Director of OSM: “It’s fantastic to be going back to the roots of this transatlantic race which is better known as the B to B. For the finish, we had to choose between several excellent files and ultimately Port la Forêt was selected. This will be the first solo race for the foiling IMOCA 60s, which is very exciting particularly as it will give us a foretaste of the Vendée Globe. And it’s right in the middle of the Paris boat show which is a great opportunity to share this spectacle with the many fans of offshore racing across France.”