En France 49

 

The French ocean racing capital is keeping its feet on the ground. Training a new generation of sailors.

Down to earth wooden dayboats line the Vendee Globe Race accueil (welcome) pontoon. 

Whilst Privilege catamarans are busy commissioning craft, catering for the more comfort oriented end of the cruising market, along the quay.

The next fleet in will be the Golden Globe. Racing here from  Gijon, in long keeled 'old school' cruising designs, with no ‘modern’ (post 1960) technology permitted. A prelude to their race proper, solo around the world. Which leaves in September.

In the last edition, Rustler 36's, like Baldhu, dominated the rankings. She has arrived one race early. Entered for 2026.

The port’s fame derives from the Vendee Globe. Raced in state of the art, sixty foot, foiling IMOCA's, every four years. The pinnacle of solo ocean racing. Next start in November 2024.

A 'sturgeon' super-moon lit the western sky as Stargazer left St Denis, this morning.

So large and luminous that its cratered surface is visible to the naked eye.

A fiery pre-dawn glow bathes the eastern horizon. Silhouetting the low dunes of the Ile de Re. Ten to twelve knots of north east night breeze, and a fast ebbing tide, carry Stargazer on her way.

 The sea is calm. The wind benign. Stargazer's speed varies between five and eight knots. According to how much tidal assistance she is receiving.

A perfect day on which to calibrate the ‘new’ (over the winter) wind instrument. The mast head vane reads high on starboard tack and low on port. Requiring the input of an offset to centre it up. 

I bring Stargazer up onto the wind and make a series of (otherwise unnecessary) tacks. Noting the wind angle reading, when the telltales, on the jib, go from streaming horizontally (above) to fluttering upward (below). 

That is the point at which the air flow over the sail stalls ; and should read the same on each tack. The difference, between the readings on port and starboard, divided by two, is the offset to enter. Minus if the starboard reading is higher than port and vice versa.

The beaches are filling, as Stargazer glides into Les Sables d’Olonne. The heat of the day now sapping the energy of our breeze.  The tide just turned, ushering us up the harbour.

Picture Credits

Charlie Dalin, foiling aboard IMOCA Apivia ,courtesy of  RORC (Royal Offshore Race Club)