By GF
Published ,
Update
The Cl40 boats started the race at 10:45 a.m. this Monday. Vincent Curutchet / Alea
The boats which had been waiting for favorable conditions for departure for several days cast off from Lorient this Monday morning.
The endless wait for the Ocean Fifty (15 meter trimarans) and the Cl 40 (12 meter monohulls) ended this Monday with the departure from Lorient of these two categories which had left Le Havre eight days ago but which had been forced to stop in Morbihan due to the arrival of storm Ciaran. The crews launched their Transatlantic race in tough conditions with winds of 20 knots on the line, waves of more than two meters and very cloudy skies. A last minute withdrawal was recorded, that of the Dékuple duo (Cl40), composed of William Mathelin-Moreaux and Pietro Luciani (damage not repaired).
Modified routes
The postponement of the start pushed the organizers to modify the routes of the different categories so that they did not arrive in too dispersed order in Martinique. The route will be 3,765 miles for the Imoca, via Santa Maria (Azores). The Vendée Globe boats are expected to arrive in the Antilles on November 17. The Ocean Fifty will have to travel 4,200 miles (departing from Lorient), via the Cape Verde Islands with an arrival scheduled for the next day. The Cl40 monohulls will have to complete a 3,750-mile journey (departing from Lorient), via Porto Santo (Madeira). They will be expected from November 22 in Pointe-à-Pitre.