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  An unusual transatlantic race—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond
 | | MACIF in New York during the Bridge – Centennial Transat 2017 Thierry Martinez |
Simply put, we modern sailors live in rarified times. Not only did America's Cup Class boats just finish flying at speeds pressing 45 knots atop carbon-fiber hydrofoils that are driven by wingsail-powered sailplans, but even “regular” racing sailboats increasingly carry canting keels, water ballast, dual rudders and hard chines. But as impressive as these high-performance boats may be, this same technology and forward-leaning design has long influenced offshore steeds and has helped today's breed of high-performance offshore-worthy multi-hulls to own almost all offshore passage records, and to also take a swing at a rather unusual race that recently ran from the Saint-Nazaire Bridge in France (which spans the Loire River in Brittany) to the Verrazano Bridge in New York City.
While point-to-point transatlantic races are not that rare, The Bridge 2017 was unique in that it celebrated the 100 years of friendship (following the carnage of World War I) between the United States and France with a race between the 1,132-foot Queen Mary II ocean liner and a fleet of French-flagged maxi-trimarans, which were all sailed in their fully crewed configurations. Racing began on June 25, 2017, at 1900 hours, sharp, to commemorate the arrival of the Sammies (read: American soldiers) on the French coast 100 years prior.
 | | Queen Mary 2 - The Bridge 2017 © Thierry Martinez / Sea&Co |
(Yes, you read that right...sailors racing aboard 100-foot monster trimarans against the QM II herself.)
While there's no question that the Queen Mary II commanded a significant waterline advantage (say, 1,000-plus feet of it!), there's also no question that these multi-hulls are capable of staggering 24-hour mileage returns when the winds and waves line up correctly.
Ultimately, the Queen Mary II took first place, followed just under two and a half days later by Francois Gabart (FRA), sailing aboard his 30-meter maxi trimaran Macif, who was followed some 12 hours astern by Francis Joyon (FRA), the current Jules Verne Trophy holder for the fastest fully crewed circumnavigation, who was sailing aboard his maxi-trimaran Idec Sport, followed by Thomas Colville, the current solo around-the-world-record holder, who was sailing aboard his maxi trimaran Sodebo Ultim.
 | | Thomas Colville – Sodebo Ultim – The Bridge Centennial Transat © Thierry Martinez / The Bridge |
Granted, two-and-a-half-days is a rather lengthy finishing-line delta for today's offshore races, but it's critical to remember that the QM II was able to concentrate on making great VMG speed, while the trimarans had to worry about wind and wave angles in order to hit their target numbers. Ultimately, of course, this meant that the multi-hulls needed to sail significantly more miles than the Queen Mary II to reach the Big Apple.
Still, the simple fact that offshore sailboat design has progressed to the point where a fleet of trimarans actually makes for reasonable competition for a ship the size and complexity level of the Queen Mary II offers fascinating insight into the state of yacht design, as well as the state of sailing in general that human beings armed with tillers and winch handles (OK, grinding pedestals) could come within a few days of besting a 70,327 gross tonnage vessel that's driven by two GEC diesel-electric engines and two massive five-bladed propellers. (The QM II carries a beam measurement of 105 feet, which is equal to the LOA of Joyon's Idec Sport.)
 | | IDEC Sport Jean-Marie Liot / DPPI / IDEC |
While the Bridge 2017 celebrated 100 years of post-Great War friendship between two proud nations, odds are excellent that the next time the Queen Mary II lines up against offshore steeds, the race won't be nearly as lopsided as the 2017 edition. After all, boats like the G4 project and the now-foiling MOD 70s (not to mention the DSS-style foils that have been fitted aboard IMOCA 60 monohulls) are clearly demonstrating that foils have their place offshore (so long as they don't hit anything and snap off...just ask skipper Alex Thomson and his Hugo Boss team about that experience from the last Vendee Globe) and that they offer game-changing results, especially when there's a whole team of sailors onboard to assist, rather than a solitary sailor, such as in the Vendee Globe.
So, sailboats might have lost the Bridge 2017, but all sailors should raise a glass to the fact that we are watching-in real time-an impressive evolution of technology, sailboat design and sailing skill that's helping to shatter distance records the world over.
 | | MACIF crosses the finish line in New York - The Bridge – Centennial Transat 2017 Tim Butt |
But just like I'll bet my house that the day will come that sailors will beat the cross an ocean, I'll also gladly wager the rest of everything I own that, irrespective of how fast sailboats eventually sail or foil, guests aboard the stately Queen Mary II will always have the more comfortable-albeit decidedly less adventurous-seat across the Pond.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
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