Transat Jacques Vabre – And the Brits?

Three of the four boats with a British crew member are still racing

After one week of the 15th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre race the racing is close with many of the leading boats bunched close together across the four classes.

Best placed of the British crewed boats is Initiatives-Cœur of Sam Davies and Nicolas Lunven (FRA) just nine miles behind the IMOCA leader Apivia of Charlie Dalin and Paul Meilhat of France, and dueling with second placed Charal of Jérémie Beyou and Christopher Pratt of France.

Brtish crewed boats – Positions 14 November at 10:00 hrs UK:

Class40 (45 entries)
8th Tquila – Brian Thompson and Alister Richardson – 89 Nm to leader

Ocean 50 (7 entries)
5th Leyton – Sam Goodchild and Aymeric Chappellier (FRA) – 109 Nm to leader

IMOCA (22 entries)
3rd Initiatives-Cœur – Sam Davies and Nicolas Lunven (FRA) – 9 Nm to leader
Retired – Hour Racing Team – ALAKA’I – Justine Mettraux (SUI) and Simon Fisher

The Ocean Fifty fleet is sailing in a particularly tight group. They gybed and are on a south-westerly trajectory to Cape Verde.

The Class40s are spread out from Cape Finisterre down to the Canary islands but the leading five boats are separated by just 6 nautical miles.

The IMOCA 60 footers are gliding along the west African coast at 13 knots and watching the Ocean Fifty fleet – on the same course – closely.

The Ultimes have now arrived in the dreaded doldrums but Maxi Edmond de Rotschild could not be better placed, with a 300 mile advantage on second placed rival SVR Lazartigue.

The fleet of 79 boats has been reduced to 77 with two IMOCAs suffering broken masts early in the race.

Transat Jacques Vabre – Positions 14 November at 10:00 hrs UK

CLASS40 (45 entries)
1. Banque du Léman – Distance to destination 3160,32 Nm to finish
2. Redman – Distance to destination 3160,77
3. Edenred – Distance to destination 3162,54

OCEAN FIFTY (7 entries)
1. Primonial – Distance to destination 3504,94 Nm to finish
2. Solidaires En Peloton – Distance to destination 3565,99
3. Koesio – Distance to destination 3576,11

IMOCA (22 entries)
1. Apivia – Distance to destination 3942 Nm to finish
2. Charal – Distance to destination 3949
3. Initiatives-Cœur – Distance to destination 3952

ULTIMES (5 entries)
1. Maxi Edmond de Rothschild – Distance to destination 5012,48 Nm to finish
2. SVR – Lazartigue – Distance to destination 5296,77
3. Actual Ultim 3 – Distance to destination 5418,14

Full rankings available here . . .