Kiwi solo sailor Conrad Colman switches to highly competitive IMOCA class in TransAt Jacque Vabre
by Ed Gorman/IMOCA class 12 Nov 2023 00:24 PST
12 November 2023
Conrad Colman - Mail Boxes Etc - TransAt Jacques Vabre - November 2023 © Mail Boxes Etc
Kiwi born, French domiciled, round the world sailor Conrad Colman, is competing in the IMOCA60 class in the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre, which got underway on Tuesday from Le Havre, France.
Sponsored by Mail Boxes Etc, an international courier services, packing and parcel delivery company, the Transat Jacque Vabre is the next step in Colman's ambition to compete in next year's Vendee Globe race. In the two-handed TransAt Jacques Vabre, he is sailing with Fabio Muzzolini, who despite the Italian sounding name is French. Muzzolini started sailing late in life, but has the distinction of placing second in the single handed Mini Transat 2021.
Currently Mail Boxes Etc lies 25th in the 40 strong and highly competitive IMOCA fleet - which contains many of the worlds top short-handed sailors.
Colman spoke with top international sailing correspondent, Ed Gorman, after the start of the TransAt Jacques Vabre:
Conrad, tell us what it feels like to be out racing again after the long battle you have had to get your campaign up and running and now with a new sponsor?
"It feels amazing to be out at sea again after such a long fight to get my project up and running. You know, when I am sitting here watching the boat cruise along – we are currently approaching Cape Finisterre in a pretty good position in the fleet – it makes me think about all of the hard nights and long days in the boatyard when I was sanding or preparing or gluing, just doing everything that was required to get this boat operational again. I’m sitting here thinking about all that work and enjoying an incredible sense of satisfaction."
How tough were the first 24 hours? We have seen a handful of boats have to divert for repairs. How did you and Fabio find the conditions in the early part of the race?
"Well, I am sailing with quite old sails on my boat. I have a new jib, the J2, and a new spinnaker – both new last year for the Route du Rhum. Otherwise I have sails from 2019 or 2016 on board, and so we’re certainly taking reefs when appropriate and doing everything to keep the sails in one piece and I am delighted to have made it through the worst of the winds unscathed. The boat is in perfect working order and myself and Fabio are in pretty good shape too and trying to catch up on sleep and get ready for the challenging decisions that are coming up, as to which way to go."
Do you think the long wait for the start has affected the way you have tackled the first challenges, or does it all feel fairly normal now you are finally on your way to Martinique?
"I don’t think the delayed start affected the way we approached the race. We were always going to be conservative in the first few days, when there was a risk of breaking the boat or the sails. So far we have made it through without any damage. My philosophy is always that in the first couple of days you can lose the race, but you can never win the race, and so we were pretty careful not to lose the race in the first 24 hours. In order to do that we had to keep the boat in one piece and go well."
Finally, Conrad, tell us about your strategy for the next few days. Are you committed to the southerly route and how do you see it panning out?
"In terms of tactics to come – basically, we need to go down the Portuguese coast and then decide whether we take the middle option or the southern option. The idea of going north into more of these really strong depressions and cold fronts does not excite either three of us – me, Fabio or the boat. So we will be looking at an option that will allow us to stay in good health and still go fast in the right direction."