J/11S loves TransQuadra Race
by J/Boats 7 Mar 2018 06:01 PST
Transquadra 2017-18 © François Van Malleghem
The race is billed as "the 40th anniversary offshore race for amateur" sailors. The event links Atlantic and Mediterranean short-handed sailing teams with Doublehanded and Singlehanded categories.
The first legs are short "sprints" from Lorient, France to Quinta do Lorde, Madeira and from Barcelona, Spain to the same finish line- a spectacular, mountainous island several hundred miles west off Morocco off African coastline. From there, the race goes from Madeira west-southwest across the eastern Atlantic across the Atlantic to Le Marin, Martinique. The fleet experiences sailing in well-known "trade wind route" breezes that flow off the Bermuda High, starting from the northerly quadrants at the start and swinging to the easterlies commonly found in the Caribbean at the finish line.
The J/11S Jataka took 3rd overall (boat-for-boat) in the Duo Lorient Class of 54 boats. She was sailed by the doublehanded team of Phillipe Girardin and Gwenael Thomas from France- sailing the course in 13 days 12 hrs 41 min 20 sec. The team triumphed over many famous offshore teams and boats that are renowned in RORC offshore events- like JPK 1010s, JPK 1080s, SunFast 3200s, SunFast 3600s, and others.
YellowBrick Tracking here. More TransQuadra Race sailing information can be found here.