Panerai Transat Classique - Spectacular start
by Panerai Transat Classique 2015 on 8 Jan 2015
Start of Panerai Transat Classique 2015. James Mitchell
In the Panerai Transat Classique 2015 at 2.11 p.m. Lanzarote time the competitors launched themselves into the 2,800 mile race to Fort-de-France. And the show was spectacular!
They’re off! And boy what a sight it was too! The course may be a long one, almost 3,000 nautical miles, but the yachts contesting the Panerai Transat Classique 2015 made it a point of honour to cross the line as soon as the starting gun fired. At 14:11 GMT (10:11 Martinique time), and with 15 knots of wind and in bright sunshine, Adventuress crossed the line close to the Committee boat while Corto and Argyll battled it out at the other end. Vagabundo II tried her luck in the middle on a port tack, but had to yield to Corto. As for Gweneven, she decided to hug the shore.
The big guns, such as Altair, Amazon, The Blue Peter and Faïaoahé seemed happy to play second fiddle for the time being, presumably secure in the knowledge that their power would make the difference, while Desiderata took a back seat in the proceedings. However, the beat out to the offset buoy was all about the 'small fry' whose superior manoeuvrability gave them the edge over their more imposing counterparts. Corto, Gweneven and Argyll doubled the buoy under the nose of Amazon, and their kites went up in a flash. Standing out of the crowd to the right, the big schooners designed by William Fife engaged in a duel which saw Altair gradually surrender the advantage to Adventuress. A memorable moment. Fabulous.
Argyll wins Lanzarote Trophy
The run down to the buoy, to determine the winner of the Lanzarote Trophy, allowed Altair to play catch up and, thanks to the power of her immense sail plan (365 sq. metres on a reach), she quickly overtook Faïaoahé, Gweneven and The Blue Peter. It was a splendid effort but not enough to make up for lost time and, after a magnificent battle, Argyll seized the Lanzarote Trophy. With the offset buoy doubled, the yachts competing in the Panerai Transat Classique regained their freedom to decide which route to take.
Just hours into the race and already the fleet is facing its first major decision: should the boats leave Fuerteventura to the east or the west?
Early indications suggest that most of the yachts have set a course to take them between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, and only Argyll, briefly accompanied by Corto and The Blue Peter, is heading south to take the eastern route around Fuerteventura. Will Argyll’s gamble pay? Will the lively weather conditions among the islands slow the others down? Is it better to avoid a choppy cross sea by taking the southern route? We’ll know more tomorrow.
Calm before the start
This morning you wouldn’t have believed the start was imminent, such was the relaxed atmosphere on the pontoons. Of course, people were busy downloading the latest weather file, locating a spare pair of wellies for a forgetful crew member, making a final trip to the supermarket for fresh produce... But the crews also took the time to meet up and enjoy a pleasant breakfast, courtesy of Panerai. Addresses were exchanged and photos taken.
Judging by the general air of nonchalance, the competitors were feeling well-prepared for the Panerai Transat Classique 2015. All the same, when the time came to cast off the lines, the tension was palpable. Those ashore probably suffered the most from pre-race nerves, the crews themselves soon turning their attention to the business of sailing. After a final flurry of hugs and farewells, it was time for the competitors to live the dream.
Lanzarote Trophy
1st – Argyll
2nd – Corto
3rd – Amazon
4th – Altair
5th – Faïaoahé
6th – Gweneven
7th – The Blue Peter
8th – Vagabundo II
9th – Adventuress
10th – Desiderata
What the sailors say?
Victor Janouich, Adventuress
'During the rebuild we did our best to return the ship to her original state. Back in 1924 Adventuress was one of William Fife III’s first attempts at using the Marconi rig, but we opted to make her a gaffer. I’m sure William won’t hold it against us. I am really pleased to be able to offer these youngsters something I could only dream of at their age. We’ve got a good group and everyone is enthusiastic and willing to learn. We wanted to do it the traditional way and, little by little, we’re getting there. Of course we’ve got some electronics aboard, for the purpose of navigating, but I’ll also be trying to plot my route using paper charts and a sextant, just like sailors have been doing for centuries. Sailing is a veritable art, whether it be tying a knot or taking a bearing. I used to work as a trader in a ruthless environment where only the fittest survive, but I enjoy team sports and my current challenge is to lead this group of young volunteers across the Atlantic. And that’s only the beginning of our adventure.'
Suzan and Adrian McLachlan, Desiderata
'We are a young retired couple and we left London to set up home in Majorca, an island in the Balearics. When we first heard about the Panerai Transat Classique, we said to ourselves ‘Why not?’ We already knew Julia and Stuart, the owners of Desiderata. We can’t wait to get out onto the ocean. We’ve been sailing for years but only short trips. This is a first for us. We know that by the end of the race we’ll have some truly unforgettable memories. And these classic yachts have that ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’ that modern boats lack. We’re about to discover what a night watch is like, even though we won’t be in the same one. We’ve got a super crew of three women and four men.'
Stephane Benfield, Altair
'We’re all very excited. We’re motivated and we’ve got a great crew with a great attitude and the atmosphere is great too. The owner’s daughters have joined their father aboard and they are all incredibly enthusiastic and motivated. We’ve already squeezed a top speed of 16 knots out of Altair, but we’ll try to perform consistently to break our record of 260 miles in 24 hours [Ed: an average of 10.9 knots] and, who knows, perhaps we’ll clock up 1,000 miles in the first four days. The weather is in our favour, so we’ll do our utmost to seize the opportunity.'
Rémy Gérin, Faïaoahé
'So, lively conditions for the first few days of the race with 20 to 25 knots of wind, gusting 35, NNE to NE for the southerners. And for those who are tempted to stick to the orthodrome and pass to the north of some if not all of the islands, they can expect in the next couple of nights gusts of up to 50 knots as the wind whistles through the islands, still in the NE, with a heavy sea (NE swell up to 7 m, crossed with a smaller swell from the NW: just enough to reinvigorate us after the excesses of the festive season). In any case, the anticyclone is well established and looks set to provide us with a fair trade wind for the first week of the race.
As for the situation aboard Faïaoahé, the crew joined Sunday evening and everyone is finding their feet. We finished victualling, most efficiently, the day before yesterday. The catering aboard should be up to the standard we announced a couple of nights ago when we presented the crew on the main stage: ‘We’re not racing, we’re here for a gastronomic cruise.’ One problem that persists is to decide where to stow the Spanish ham that Margot helped me buy. And of course find the right knife to do the thing justice.'
Panerai Transat Classique 2015
Start: 7 January 2015, Lanzarote (Canary Islands)
Finish: Fort-de-France, Martinique.