The Transat is back! For the first time in eight years this iconic race is back and in a big way with some of the biggest names in sailing taking part, including French legend Loïck Peyron onboard Eric Tabarly's Pen Duick II
The Race | The Transat bakerly: "The Transat – single-handed ocean racing at its best. Up to 3,500 miles of open water from southwest England to New York City. A challenge dominated by the progression of low pressure systems sweeping across the north Atlantic that produce the headwinds that define this classic race. To start with the fastest time was in the order of 40 days. Now the world’s top solo sailors in the world’s fastest boats can make the same passage in as little as 8 days. After skipping an edition four years ago, The Transat is back with up to 40 boats in four classes, starting from Plymouth, England, on May 2nd 2016."
Presentation of the skippers in Saint-Malo:
The Transat bakerly fleet gathered in Saint-Malo for the first ever pre-race Warm-Up to Plymouth | The Transat bakerly: For the first time in the history of the solo classic the race was preceded by a non-timed, pre-start warm-up from Saint-Malo to Plymouth. The crowds gathered in the French Brittany port of Saint-Malo to welcome the skippers and boats who will contest this year’s Transat bakerly solo transatlantic race from Plymouth to New York. For the first time in the history of the solo classic, first staged in 1960 when it was won by Sir Francis Chichester, the race is preceded by a non-timed, pre-start warm-up from Saint-Malo to Plymouth. Almost all of the yachts taking part in the gruelling 3,000-mile classic set sail from Saint-Malo at 20:00 local time on Saturday 23rd April for the 130-nautical mile passage to Plymouth. On board were the skippers plus members of the media or other corporate guests who enjoyed an authentic taste of what The Transat bakerly is all about – sailing to windward. Most of the boats docked in Plymouth on Sunday morning.
Skippers:
ANNA-MARIA RENKEN - NIVEA
ARMEL LE CLÉAC’H - Banque Populaire VIII
ARMEL TRIPON - Black Pepper / Les ptits doudous par Moulin Roty
EDOUARD GOLBERY - Région Normandie
ERIK NIGON - Vers un monde sans Sida
ERWAN LE ROUX - FenêtréA – Cardinal
FRANÇOIS GABART - MACIF
GILLES LAMIRÉ - French Tech Rennes St Malo
HIROSHI KITADA - Kiho
ISABELLE JOSCHKE - Generali – Horizon Mixité
JEAN-PIERRE DICK - St Michel - Virbac
LALOU ROUCAYROL - Arkema
LOÏCK PEYRON - Pen Duick II
LOUIS DUC - Carac
MAXIME SOREL - VandB
PAUL MEILHAT - SMA
PHIL SHARP - TBC
PIERRE ANTOINE - Olmix
RICHARD TOLKIEN - 44
ROBIN MARAIS - Esprit Scout
SÉBASTIEN JOSSE - Edmond de Rothschild
THIBAUT VAUCHEL-CAMUS - Solidaires en Peloton - ARSEP
THOMAS COVILLE - Sodebo
VINCENT RIOU - PRB
YVES LE BLEVEC - Team Actual
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