Barcelona World Race Prologue - Rolex Fastnet Race start
by OC Events 13 Aug 2007 22:09 BST
After a 25-hours postponement due to severe weather, the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race was given this morning in spectacular conditions. For eight of the crews involved, this major classic event is also the official prologue of the Barcelona World Race, and is expected to prove very demanding for both men and machines: the weather forecasts indicate that the fleet might have to struggle in 40+ knots winds off Land’s End. And if the breeze was actually more manageable today for the start, exiting the Solent has not been a walk in the park – beating in choppy seas generated by a “wind against current” situation, the crews had to tack frequently in this narrow and tricky stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and the English mainland.
The first hours at sea have been dominated by a captivating duel between Hugo Boss (Thomson – Cape) and her sister ship Generali (Eliès – Audigane), while right behind them PRB (Riou – Josse) was engaged in a match race against her “twin” Delta Dore (Beyou – Gavignet)! Under reefed main and staysail, in challenging conditions, the IMOCA 60s put on a show of sheer upwind power, Estrella Damm moving into the leading pack right after the Needles. Unfortunately, for Spanish skipper Guillermo Altadill and American co-skipper Jonathan McKee their progress was short-lived and three and a half hours into the race then had to announce their retirement from the Rolex Fastnet Race due to a fault in the electronics controlling the keel motors. With some uncertainty as to the cause of the problem, the duo decided that given the strong weather forecast ahead, there was no other choice than to retire. They will now focus on solving the problem ashore and prepare for the 2800nm qualification sail for the Barcelona World Race which they plan to start on Wednesday afternoon.
For the rest of the IMOCA 60 fleet, although the winds decreased slightly this afternoon allowing some to hoist a full main, the fact remains the winds are set to build dramatically. “One thing is certain,” said Seb Josse (PRB) yesterday, “we’re going to take a beating” – a foresight naturally shared by all the skippers, who have spent the whole weekend analysing weather files. For the teams who have just launched their boats, it will be a matter of taking it a bit easy in order to finish the Barcelona World Race prologue safely. It is the case for Servane Escoffier and Albert Bargues aboard Educacion Sin Fronteras (ex-Kingfisher): as the young French skipper explains: “This prologue is also our first encounter with the boat, we will start cautiously and gradually increase our pace.” Safety first! This applies to all the entrants, and is a simple matter of seamanship. As Delta Dore’s Jérémie Beyou emphasises: “Tomorrow morning, Delta Dore will be at Land’s End, with strong winds and currents, and Pierre Lasnier (weather router) estimates there will be a 7 to 9 metres swell (22 to 29 feet). We aim to complete this prologue, which will also be part of our qualifier. There’s no way we will put the boat at risk, so, should the weather conditions require it, we might switch from race mode to delivery mode…”
This prologue already proves very challenging, as the round-the-world event will doubtlessly also be. And tonight, for their first night at sea, the crews certainly won’t get any rest at all. The race is on, and it’s a red hot one.
Quotes
Alex Thomson, Hugo Boss
“We got off to a great start and we are past the Needles now with 20 knots of wind from the south-west. When you have spent all that time and money on a new boat it is nice to know that you are on the pace. It is a long race though and we have tough weather forecast so the priority will be to keep the boat safe and learn as much as we can during the race.”
Jean-Luc Nélias, Veolia Environnement
“We’ll reach Land’s End late tonight or tomorrow morning, the conditions are good at the moment and we’re really pleased with the boat’s performances. It will be an intense race with not much sleep, a lot of strategy and rough seas ahead.”
Servane Escoffier, Educacion Sin Fronteras
“The wind will pick up gradually. A good 20-knot breeze will take us out of the Solent. Then, in the Irish sea... the conditions won’t be quieter! This prologue is also our first encounter with the boat, we will start cautiously and gradually increase our pace. We have a beautiful campaign, and I’m very happy even though we still have a big job list ahead of us.”
Jérémie Beyou, Delta Dore
“Tomorrow morning, Delta Dore will be at Land’s End, with strong winds and currents, and Pierre Lasnier (weather router) estimates there will be a 7 to 9 metres swell (22 to 29 feet). We aim to complete this prologue, which will also be part of our qualifier. There’s no way we will put the boat at risk, so, should the weather conditions require it, we might switch from race mode to delivery mode...”
More information at www.barcelonaworldrace.com and fastnet.rorc.org