Artemis Ocean Racing II starts Transat Jacques Vabre

by Tim Kelly on 9 Nov 2009
At 14.30 today British sailor Sam Davies, with co-skipper Sidney Gavignet, started the dash across the Atlantic from Le Harve, France to Costa Rica in the double handed Transat Jacques Vabre (TJV). Sam and Sidney are competing against some of the biggest names in offshore ocean racing onboard Artemis Ocean Racing II.

Following her success in last year’s Vendée Globe as Britain’s best finisher (fourth) in the race and first girl, Sam teamed up with Sidney in July to take part in a number of races over the summer culminating in the TJV. Between them the duo have close to 40 transatlantic crossings to their names, so their experience and knowledge has undoubtedly put them as the dark horse team of the race.

For her sailing achievements this year, Sam has also been nominated, amongst three others, for the ISAF World Sailor of the Year Award which is presented on Tuesday. Whilst many guests will gather for the ceremony in South Korea, Sam will be ‘enjoying’ freeze dried food and the potential of extreme weather as she skippers Artemis Ocean Racing II towards Costa Rica.

Sam commented from the dockside before leaving: 'This race is full on and non-stop for both Sidney and I, and it can be mentally and physically exhausting, but after months of training, we can’t wait to get back on the race track and give it our best shot. Most of the week we have been in Le Harve we have seen dark grey skies and at times torrential rain, but the team has been fantastic in getting the boat ready for the off and Sidney and I feel really well prepared.'

'Although Artemis is not designed for a long downwind race which usually characterises this race, we hope that we can stay near the leaders and that some upwind conditions give us the boost we need. I really just want to finish feeling proud of ourselves and the course we have taken, and the way we have sailed. The first couple of days are going to be crucial... We could see lots of variable wind strengths and directions so we will have to do lots of manoeuvres - it will be a very tiring start to the race and we will have to manage ourselves well. So much will be down to the weather on this race and who does what, but I want to feel we have sailed as close to 100% as we can. So let’s hope we can celebrate a good result in Costa Rica in a couple of week’s time. '

Sidney said: 'The first 48 hours we will go due west out of the English Channel and pass south of the Scilly Isles after the first night, not really directly upwind but after 48 hours it really will be upwind, and we could see 25-30 knots on the first night. It's not so bad for us because Artemis likes upwind! So we could be in a good position in a couple of days. For now all the different weather models we have looked at agree that this is the best option for the next two days. Normally at the Azores you have High Pressure and from there you can hook into the Trade Winds, and one option is to go south east, then south into the Trade Winds, but for now that door is shut! So our only option, right now, is to go north of the Azores, although maybe in a couple of days things will change. We will see!!'

The 4,700-mile Transat Jacques Vabre from Le Havre (France) to Puerto Limon (Costa Rica) across the Atlantic is the major race of the 2009 IMOCA season and has a line up of some of the greatest names in offshore racing. The boat, Artemis Ocean Racing II also competed in the 2008 Vendée Globe but following the race the boat has gone through a major weight reduction ‘diet’.

Mark Tyndall, CEO, Artemis Investment Management: 'Artemis Ocean Racing II has gone through a lot of changes in the last six months and Sam and Sidney have already achieved a great result in the Rolex Fastnet Race. They have worked hard and focused a great deal on the speed and performance of the boat and we are looking forward to watching them race across the Atlantic. From everyone at Artemis we would like to wish them all the best and safe sailing to Cost Rica – we will all follow their progress closely.'