Brest Atlantiques: Start scheduled for Tuesday, November 5th at 11:00am
by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson 2 Nov 2019 17:44 PDT
3 November 2019
Brest Atlantiques © Alexis Courcoux
The start of the Brest Atlantiques race, which was postponed on Thursday due to stormy weather conditions in the Bay of Biscay, is now set to start on Tuesday at 11:00am.
Since the announcement on Thursday of the delayed departure, the organisers have been monitoring the weather developments closely in order to determine the first window of opportunity for the four Ultim 32/23 Class trimarans to set off on the 14,000 mile course.
That first opportunity will be on Tuesday, as Jacques Caraës, the race director, explains: "The conditions for Tuesday will be suitable for the race start, with an average wind speed of 25-30 knots in a north-north-westerly direction. This will allow a swift descent from the Bay of Biscay in around 10-12 hours, but with sea conditions that remain uncertain. With the weather conditions naturally evolving all the time, particularly at this time of year, we will continue to monitor it closely. We will have a clearer idea of the conditions in the next 48 hours."
Now that the weather conditions have been confirmed suitable during this window, the race organisers, with the go-ahead from the maritime authorities, have set the departure time for 11:00am. The 2.5-mile line will be between the western buoy of Ile de Sein, passing it on its port side, and the race committee boat Le Rhône, passing it on its starboard side.
"As soon as the delay to the start was confirmed, it was important for us to take advantage of the first possible window of opportunity," explains Emmanuel Bachellerie, Director of Brest Ultim Sailing, the organizing authority of the Brest Atlantiques. "The maritime authorities have been extremely helpful in listening and understanding, and we are extremely grateful for their continued support. However, together with the race HQ, we continue to closely study the different weather forecasts which in November can change very quickly."
François Cuillandre, Mayor of Brest and President of the Brest metropole: "I have full confidence in the skippers and the organisers in terms of ensuring a safe departure. The weather conditions, along with the approval from the maritime authorities to start the race on Tuesday, means that we can get Brest Atlantiques under way as soon as possible. Let's hope the conditions turn out to be what we expect - I'm really looking forward to it!"
For more information visit www.brestatlantiques.com.