Tuesday October 3 at the Maison de la radio in Paris, the sixteenth edition of the Jacques Vabre double-handed transatlantic race was presented. Ninety-five boats will be at the start, or 190 skippers including five Ultramarines.
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In 25 days, the big start of the double-handed transatlantic race will be given. Before setting sail, the 190 sailors met at the Maison de la radio, a few steps from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, to discover the outlines of the race. This year, four categories will be competing: the Imoca, the Ocean Fifty, the Ultim and the Class 40. For each, a unique route. The route offered to skippers will be the longest in history, with markers to go around off the coast of the South Atlantic and two passages through the Doldrums for the Ocean Fifty, Imoca and Ultim categories.
The celebration therefore promises to be great in Martinique, which expects popular excitement after the 2021 edition disrupted by social tensions. “We were in a particular context, the protest was not against Jacques Vabre, it was global across the territory. Now, one thing is certain, there was the dispute, but it did not prevent us from having a very good finish and I think that we have acquired the elements to deal with an unforeseen event. “, indicates Alexandre Ventadour, territorial advisor of Martinique.
For its part, the Martinique Tourism Committee is planning a quality arrival village, with several activities and hopes for a large audience.
It is a major sporting event for our Martinique. […] It will be an opportunity for us to highlight our traditional nautical tool, the gumwood sail, the skiffs… But it is also an opportunity to celebrate with the people of Martinique, to invite them to come and discover the boats. We also want to liven up our city, Fort-de-France, one of the most beautiful bays in the world.
This year, at the start of the sixteenth edition, a 100% Martinican crew composed of Hervé Jean-Marie and Jean-Yves Aglae aboard “Martinique Tchalian” to present oneself to on the starting line. “We have no complexes, we will enjoy crossing the Atlantic. Mentally, we are ready, we will have to know how to manage fatigue before departure “, declares Hervé Jean-Marie.
This will be the first participation for this Martinican team, which is still in the economic finalization of their project, which it hopes to complete before departure. “We knew from the start that it was not going to be an easy project to set up, because it has no history with us. Succeeding in getting local partners on board is a bit of a painstaking task in the sense that it requires a lot of work, but we expected that. “, confesses Jean-Yves Aglae, co-skipper of “Martinique Tchalian”.
Several activities are planned at the departure and arrival of the Jacques Vabre transatlantic race, including “the mapipis paddle which will be organized on November 12 during the race, it will be in symbiosis with the Jacques Vabre” announces Damien De Longueville, president of Martinique Transat.
The departure of the Jacques Vabre will be given on October 29, the first skipper is expected in the bay of Fort de France around November 11.