Transat Café L'or village opened, skippers primed for action

The boats are photographed at dusk before the Transat Café L'or © Jean-Marie Liot / Alea

The extensive TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR race village opened in Le Havre, Normandie Saturday in beautiful Autumn sunshine which blessed the thousands of visitors who took advantage of the start of the French holidays to see the fleet of 74 boats which will race to Martinique, starting next Sunday.

It is a high level fleet which even across the 16 previous editions of this classic Coffee Route double handed courses has probably not seen all classes so closely matched. Not one of them really has a stand-out favourite on paper, not least in the four boat Ultim class or the 18 boat IMOCA Class. There has probably never been a better chance of a British winner in the IMOCA class than this edition as Sam Goodchild, 2023 IMOCA champion, has taken over as skipper of MACIF Santé Prevoyance.

Sam Goodchild, "I like the idea of winning."

British skipper Sam Goodchild is back where his ocean racing career really began. In Le Havre in 2011 as co-skipper of a Class40 he was a fresh faced 17 year old with a head if full of ideas and ambitions. He has had his fair share of triumphs and disappointments over the years. Some of the highs and lows have been compressed into the same race such as during last winter's Vendée Globe solo round the world race which he lead but struggled the final miles after ripping his mainsail in half, but overall Goodchild's career to date has followed logical steps.

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IMOCA

11th Hour Racing's Perfect partnership is prepared and super motivated

"I am a rookie" jokes Francesca Clapcich with a self-deprecating grin. The charismatic Italian American, better known as Frankie has already won The Ocean Race with 11 th Hour, her second crewed round the world race, and in her previous life as a double Olympian was 49er FX European and World Champion.

But, yes, strictly speaking the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR is her first IMOCA race in the colours of her very own 11 th Hour Racing campaign, it will be her first double handed transatlantic. She may be a little wide eyed as she walks the dock in Le Havre, determined to enjoy and learn from every moment of this experience. But she is no rookie. It's not her first rodeo.

But she is loving this 'first and is deeply appreciative': "I have an IMOCA on the dock with my face on it. That does not happen to everyone every day. I really want to live this full experience to enjoy it all. And it is the first time being together in a duo with Will."

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ULTIM - A pair of aces

Are Laperche-Cammas the ultimate dream team?

Theirs is the story of a pair of aces united on an Ultim well capable of winning this TRANSAT CAFE L’OR. At just 28 years old Tom Laperche already has four years under his belt as skipper of SVR-Lazartigue. He has called on the indispensable Franck Cammas to further improve and do everything he can to aim for victory on this year’s Coffee Route double handed race.

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