With 11 days to go to the first start in Le Havre, activities in preparation for the opening of the race village are increasing. Since October 13th, between 35 and 80 people have been permanently setting up the race village, which is set to finish midday tomorrow, 22nd October.

The organization are doing everything they can to welcome the competitors, their boats and other visitors into Le Havre. Each of the 41 boats is making their way into the start port, and every day the Paul Vatine basin fills up with more of these spectacular high-tech ocean racing machines.

Whilst a few remaining boats finish their qualification, the majority are en route to Le Havre. The autumnal weather has had its part to play in giving the skippers and teams last minute opportunities to test their boats. "Today and tomorrow, there will be Northerly to North Westerly winds, which will make it uncomfortable sailing but not dangerous at 10 - 20 knots," explains Louis Bodin, the race meteorologist.

Multihulls in Port as of end Wednesday, 22 October:
Mollymawk, Anne Caseneuve.com, Banque Covef, Banque Populaire, Bayer, Belgacom, Biscuits la Trinitaine, Bonduelle, Foncia, Géant, Gitana, Groupama, Sergio Tacchini, Sodebo, Sopra Group, Victorinox (qualifying)

Follow the race through the Transat Jacques-Vabre website:
Transat Jacques Vabre

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Transat Jacques-Vabe News 3 November 2003 Update
 
The monohull fleet  and 50' multihull fleet started from Le Havre on Saturday into heavy weather. The 60' multihull start is postponed to Wednesday.
 
Georges Leblanc &Marc Nadeau were air-lifted off their Open 60 mono Ciments Saint-Laurent-Océan by a helicopter Sunday at 0730hrs, which was sent to their aid by CROSS Jobourg. The boat lost its keel last night offshore, the nearest land was the Isle of Cotentin. The other casualty of the first 24 hours was the 50' trimaran of Anne Caseneuve and Christophe Houdet, which the Race Office was informed had dismasted, but the skippers have not called for assistance.
Then at 0840hrs French time, British skipper Emma Richards telephoned the Race Office to announce that they were pulling into Brest due to a chain of unfortunate equipment failures on board. Pindar recorded 35 knots of wind in their area and the boat was about 25 miles from Camaret. The boat docked in Brest at 1230 French time and soon after Emma reluctantly confirmed that Pindar was retiring from the race due to extensive flooding inside the boat when the cockpit hose drain blew off and 3,000 litres of water ended up inside the boat, which knocked out the auto-pilot and electronics. “It is a massive disappointment, particularly because in all the races I have competed in over the past four years with Pindar we have only had one previous retirement. However, the point of acquiring the new boat is to try and win races, and due to all the problems we have had on-board, we are just not in a position to compete in this race.” Pindar had climbed to 7th place in the fleet by the end of yesterday just 30 miles from the leader.
British duo Ross Hobson and Andy Newman also alerted the Race Office this morning that Mollymawk had unfortunately hit an unidentified floating object, which has caused the front compartment to flood. “The hole is 1ft in diameter, we must have hit something, but the rest of the boat is okay, we have decided to slowly limp across the Channel towards Southampton as the weather will not allow us to make port in France.”
Then at 0840hrs French time, British skipper Emma Richards telephoned the Race Office to announce that they were pulling into Brest due to a chain of unfortunate equipment failures on board. Pindar recorded 35 knots of wind in their area and the boat was about 25 miles from Camaret. The boat docked in Brest at 1230 French time and soon after Emma reluctantly confirmed that Pindar was retiring from the race due to extensive flooding inside the boat when the cockpit hose drain blew off and 3,000 litres of water ended up inside the boat, which knocked out the auto-pilot and electronics. “It is a massive disappointment, particularly because in all the races I have competed in over the past four years with Pindar we have only had one previous retirement. However, the point of acquiring the new boat is to try and win races, and due to all the problems we have had on-board, we are just not in a position to compete in this race.” Pindar had climbed to 7th place in the fleet by the end of yesterday just 30 miles from the leader.
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Ellen Mcarthur, Sam Davies and Emma Richards, the 3 British femail competitors before the Start in Le Havre

ARUBA HEINEKEN REGATTA (9th November 03')

TEAM ALLEN/GUMMER (GBR) LEADING AFTER FIRST DAY ARUBA HEINEKEN REGATTA
 Aruba, November 9th 2003– On Sunday November 9th 2003, the British team Richard Allen and Stuart Gummer won the first race of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta. The lead on their fellow countrymen Sunnucks and Self was a few seconds. Team Larsen/Pols from the Netherlands crossed the finish line with their Nacra Formula 18 in sixth position, which brought it in third position on handicap. The conditions were perfect with wind force 4. 
 The olympic Tornado’s dominated obvisiously the front of the fleet. The first five finishes were of Tornado teams. The battle for the first and second place was srong. Team Allen/Gummer was constantly fighting the other British team Sunnucks/Self. The final difference was only half of the boat-length. The Dutch duo Larsen/Pols could follow and was able to limit the gap. Pols, last year’s winner: “It was close racing today. When the wind decreases, such a race monster will continue. We lose speed very quickly, so we hope for more wind in the coming days.”
 After a rainy first day, today’s conditions were tropical again. The practice race of this morning was sailed with 30 degrees Celsius, sunshine and wind force 4. It was team Larsen/Pols that won on handicap. At the end of the afternoon, all 53 competing teams were welcomed with live music on the beach. Title sponsor Heineken offered all sailors a happy hour and a beach party, which caused a good atmosphere on the beach.
 The Aruba Heineken Regatta will be held from November 9th until 14th 2003. Eight races are scheduled, included a long distance race on Thursday November 13th 2003. The regatta is sponsored by the Aruban Tourist agency, Heineken, Hapag Lloyd, Holiday Inn, KLM, TNG, Magic Marine, Coca Cola, AWA, Tropical Bottling Company Aruba, Does & Cadushi, Pelican Watersports, Palm Tours, Aruba Watersport Center, Anthony Veder & Co, Astec, Meta Corporation, Seaworld Explorer, Kodak, Meta Corporation, AS Aruba and the Caribbean Mercantile Bank.
 

Top five after race 1:
1. Tornado /GBR – Allen en Gummer
2. Tornado / GBR – Sunnucks en Self
3. Formule 18 / NED – Larsen en Pols
4. Formule 18 / NED – Graat en Koene
5. Tornado / GBR – Northrop en Speller

Click here for the website: Aruba Heineken Regatta

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BULLIMORE in Middle Sea Race
 
Tony Bullimore's 30m catamaran Team Pimsic (ex Team Legato) is the only multihull class starter in the 607 mile Rolex Middle Sea Race, started Malta, Saturday 25 October, returning to Malta after sailing around Sicily and smaller islands. view the website
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24 February
JV DAY 26: KINGFISHER2 DISMASTS - ALL CREW SAFE - JULES VERNE
RECORD BID IS OVER...

21 FEBRUARY
Geronimo reaches Cape Horn in record time.

Ellen MacArthur and her crew on Kingfisher 2 suffered a broken daggerboard, which has been repaired. Kingfisher is close to the record time but needs to gain about 3 days over Geronimo on present timings. Kingfisher 2 is sailing into the iceberg zone.
 
New record holders of the shortest passage to Cape Horn:
(1) Geronimo - 40 days, 16 hours, 16 minutes, 09 seconds
(2) Orange - 42 days, 02 hours, 52 minutes
(3) Sport Elec - 46 days, 16 hours, 57 minutes
(4) Enza - 48 days, 02 hours, 32 minutes
(5) Commodore Explorer - 53 days, 06 hours, 42 minutes
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AZAB 2003 REPORT (click here to return to Top)
Three trimarans started the eighth Azores and Back Race from Falmouth on 6 June in a total fleet of forty eight single and double handed yachts.

Most competitors are still amateurs in this 2400 mile round trip. Competitors stop in Ponta Delgada for refreshment, parties, and Azorean hospitality, before the restart

Strong headwinds up to force nine, and big seas took their toll as a number of competitors retired in the first couple of days.

Alex Bennett (Goss Challenge crewman) and Ifor Pedley sailing the chartered 40’ “West Briton” (Mollymawk designed by Nic Bailey), had made good about 344 miles (sailed 500 miles) down the rhum line when they discovered a cracked inner forestay. With an estimated hundred miles more of strong headwinds they decided to retire and not risk losing the rig

Later the race became slow with light winds. Multihull winner for the 1st leg was Roger Barber in the 34’ Shuttleworth designed “Meridian”, Donald McHardy having retired in the 35’ “Fiery Cross” designed by Merfyn Owen. The winning time was 8 days 15 minutes and 40 seconds.

Roger Barber was leading the fleet home in big seas when a gust accelerated “Meridian” and she pitchpoled twelve hours from Falmouth. Roger (39) was soon picked up by a Sea King helicopter from RNAS Culdrose which was already on exercise in the Area.

This allowed “Fiery Cross” to win the 2nd leg in 5 days, 20 minutes and 42 seconds.

The next AZAB race can be expected in 2007.
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