Images / Launch for the New Safran !

#RDR2014 / Quality IMOCA fleet for La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe

Current and past champions of the non-stop solo round the world race, the Vendée Globe, will feature highly in the IMOCA Open 60 class in the upcoming Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe which starts from Saint Malo on Sunday 2nd November. 

#IMOCA / Au revoir New York

Today at 1120, the first boats left North Cove Marina, one by one they were bid good luck by Sir Keith Mills, Chairman of OSM (Open Sports Management and Barcelona Deputy Mayor Mrs Maite Fandos, also President of FNOB (Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing ), co-hosts with OSM of the IMOCA Ocean Masters New York to Barcelona race. Also bidding them a safe journey was Luc Talbourdet, Vice President of the IMOCA Class and Peter Bayer, CEO of OSM.

Credit : Th Martinez / OSM

La Route du Rhum / Coville's on the comeback !

A long, industrious, testing 24 hours for both of the leading Ultime skippers in the 2010 Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale sees Thomas Coville start to come back at the so far completely dominant Groupama 3 of Franck Cammas. Coville has pushing as hard as he dares on the giant red tri Sodebo, reporting to today’s lunchtime radio vacation that he had been regularly making 33-34 knots, and has posted the highest 24 hours run yet of this edition of the race, making 519 miles as his northerly routing now sees him in stronger and more consistent wind than Cammas.

Credit : Ch Launay / Sodebo

IMOCA / A SIZEABLE IMOCA FLEET FOR THE END OF 2010

The Imoca skippers are due to meet up again in St Malo on 31st October for the Route du Rhum-la Banque Postale and in Barcelona on 31st December for the Barcelona World Race. 9 boats are set to compete in the Rhum and at least ten for the Barcelona.
At the present time, some skippers are finishing off their projects in order to make it to the start line, while others are adding the final touches to their brand new prototypes.

IMOCA / PRB wins into Gijon and leads the Vuelta Espana a Vela

After 110 miles of tough, mainly upwind racing and a thrilling, tight finish only three minutes and 12 seconds separated the top three teams when they crossed the finish line in Gijon.

© Maria Muiña / Vuelta a España a Vela

France’s past Vendée Globe winner Vincent Riou, sailing with Jean Le Cam and crew on the new PRB reaped the benefit of one, small favourable wind shift to take the winning gun and the overall lead of the Vuelta España a Vela. At 01:04.12hrs (loca) PRB lead near her near sister-ship Safran across the finish line with the leg 1 winner only one minute and 59 seconds later, with Spain’s Movistar of Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez only 1 minute and 13 seconds behind the IMOCA world champion Guillemot.