Just as they did on Monday's dress rehearsal prologue start in Newport, Seb Josse and his well drilled, young crew on Groupe Edmond de Rothschild proved quickest out of the blocks, filling their gennaker headsail first to accelerate smoothly away from the fleet.
Though they all compressed again at the upriver turning mark, set off the North Cove Marina, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild rebuilt their margin when they stuck to the Jersey shore and slid away, leading Musandam-Oman Sail out to towards the Atlantic.
With the Hudson River mirror calm in the early morning, the departure from the quiet sanctuary of Manhattan’s North Cove Marina was one filled with emotion, not only as crew bid their dockside farewells to family, friends and hard working shore crews, but these minutes signified the final end of the three year preparation, planning and execution period for the exciting new MOD70 class and the Multi One Championship. The time has come to go racing.
Ahead is a six day sprint across the Atlantic to Brest, which will test the five teams’ abilities to maintain high speeds hour-after-hour. And in the new fleet which is studded with the fastest ocean racers on the planet, all are sure the level will be high, but the question most teams were pondering as they left today was exactly how high?
Quotes:
Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper of FONCIA: "It will be fun and interesting in this new race. We leave just ahead of a cold front, which is good because it will get us down to the Gulf Stream quickly and then we will go fast to the first mark of the course, the Scilly Isles. Until then we will be downwind but after that it will be about managing the finish into Brest. And being one design means that if you are not as fast as your neighbour then you are doing something wrong and have to adjust to be faster. We have a strategy for the race, but of course sailing is never an exact science so we adjust as we go.”
Stève Ravussin, skipper Race for Water: “ I love the speed and this KRYS OCEAN RACE across the Atlantic is only about speed. I think we can make a good race. I am never nervous, life is good. Three years of working for the first Transat for the class and here we are with a perfect forecast. It will be windy. And this is the perfect boat for me.”
Yann Guichard, skipper Spindrift racing: “I am ready, we have been waiting for this for a long time and here we are with a fantastic forecast. I think it will be really fast and a bit wet. The level will be really high, the rhythm needs to be very high because we know everyone will be pushing very hard. We have to be there. It depends, if we are comfortable with the boat and the weather I am sure that we can be the team that sets the level.
Sébastien Josse, skipper Groupe Edmond de Rothschild: “ The weather looks just as it has for the last three days so we expect a fast Transat, downwind. All good. For us it is more than a year that we have trained together and it is now the perfect timing for us to be going racing for my crew. With the background we have we have done enough training and so we are really confident in the boat and with the crew. I don’t feel nervous at all. I know where we go, it is just six days of sailing, I know my crew so well and we are not a crazy crew. You are nervous where you don’t know where you are going or what might happen, but this is just a front, not a big low pressure. Maybe it’s windy, but it’s not the Southern Ocean.
The question is how hard to push. The level is high and so you don’t know whether it will be crazy or be smart and sensible, and you have to find that level. In 48 hours it will start to be windy, with more than 30kts, and that is when you have to decide which gear to use, whether to be in sixth gear or five for a bit.”
Ryan Breyamaier, Musandam-Oman Sail: “I am so proud to be representing my country getting out of here in the shadow of these skyscrapers and looking forwards to an amazing passage on a great boat. The forecast is great and we plan to take full advantage so that we can be there to celebrate Bastille Day in good shape, and that will be huge.”
Dopo gli Europei di Sorrento, il circuito dell’International Maxi Association torna in mare con 22 imbarcazioni protagoniste delle regate costiere e inshore prima della storica offshore verso Genova
Ci sono vittorie che nascono dal dominio e altre che prendono forma nella resistenza. Quella di Ambrogio Beccaria alla Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d'Olonne 2026 appartiene senza dubbio alla seconda categoria
Se la clamorosa rimonta di Ambrogio Beccaria resterà negli annali della classe IMOCA, la storia di Élodie Bonafous è quella di una regata brillante trasformata in una dolorosa lezione dal regolamento
La 73ª Loro Piana Giraglia ha preso il via nelle condizioni che ogni velista sogna quando pensa al Mediterraneo: sole, brezza regolare e il Golfo di Saint-Tropez come palcoscenico per una delle classiche più prestigiose della stagione internazionale
La vera sfida deve ancora arrivare. Secondo Alberto Bona, co-skipper e performance manager del Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing, il finale di regata potrebbe rimescolare completamente le carte
Dopo il botta e risposta delle prime due giornate, questa volta è stato Django a prendersi la rivincita, conquistando la vittoria in IRC e il Line Honours sul percorso di 14 miglia con il tempo di 1h 26'22"
Il Rolex TP52 World Championship '26 ha ufficialmente preso il via nelle acque di Porto Cervo, dove una flotta da record di 15 TP52 provenienti da 11 nazioni si è ritrovata per uno degli appuntamenti più prestigiosi della vela agonistica internazionale
La velista oceanica italo-americana Francesca Clapcich, a bordo di 11th Hour Racing, ha concluso la Vendée Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne al quinto posto, dopo 8 giorni, 20 ore, 31 minuti e 11 secondi di navigazione
Solidarietà e territorio: lo Yacht Club Santo Stefano sostiene la Croce Rossa Costa d’Argento per il progetto "Giannutri SiCura"
Dopo quasi otto giorni di navigazione in solitario, la skipper di 11th Hour Racing naviga a poco più di 250 miglia dall'arrivo, mantenendo la quinta posizione e affrontando un finale che potrebbe ancora riservare sorprese