This is Not Groundhog Day

The dock in Le Havre is alive with activity and positive energy. We have waited out the storm and tomorrow we are cleared to start the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023. This is not Groundhog Day. This time we will race.

We start at 0830 UT (0930 French time) tomorrow morning and we will race directly to Martinique with leaving the Island of Santa Maria in the Azores to stbd. This shortens our course by over 1000 miles and should see us arriving at the finish in just under two weeks’ time.

I am disappointed not to sail the original course, which promised more time on the water and the tactical challenges of crossing the equator twice. But storm Ciarán could not be ignored and that was our lot. I lost a week of sailing, but gained a week to bank sleep, get out running and spend some time alone onboard the boat, I chose to invest in myself during that downtime and I feel better for it.

The team arrived back in Le Havre yesterday and have reassembled in their previous positions, ready to support Nick and I at the start. The boat is in great shape and we are ready to race.

Original TJV route before the delayed start

I can’t wait to get out there. The forecast is messy, lots of complex weather systems at play on the Atlantic, bringing awkward sea states, too much or not enough wind and we must carve our way through these weather features with a smart strategy that balances the need for speed, with a risk level appropriate to this being the outbound leg of two major Vendée Globe qualification races.

The start will be broadcast live on social media channels and we will of course share regular updates with you from onboard. We have waited long enough. Let’s get out there and do the thing that makes all the hard times worthwhile. Let’s go racing!

Follow the race here

Pip x