10 days 5 hours 18 minutes and 17 seconds is the race time established by Sébastien Josse between St Barths and Port-la-Forêt for the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild’s inaugural transatlantic race, a little over four months after her launch! Setting sail from Gustavia on 6 December 2015, the native of Nice covered an actual distance of 3,773.79 miles at an average speed of 15.4 knots.
Perfectly negotiating the weather systems that lined his route throughout the 3,400-mile race, Sébastien Josse asserts his authority in this second edition between St Barths and Port-la-Forêt, the Finistere-region’s offshore racing stronghold where he started out some 18 years ago. Though the trajectory of the latest Gitana speaks volumes about his commanding performance in solo configuration, the average speeds racked up over the ground show that the skipper of the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild has found the right trim and knows just how to get the best out of his new steed. Indeed, this Verdier / VPLP design, is equipped with the famous lifting surfaces, which have caused a lot of ink to flow since the successive launches of these latest generation craft.
The only ‘foiler’ to set sail from St Barths on 6 December 2015, the Gitana Team launched into a race against the clock in a bid to get its skipper to the start of this return transatlantic sprint in the best possible conditions. Indeed, following the retirement of Edmond de Rothschild in the Transat Jacques Vabre, the five-arrow team had to adapt itself and review its programme. At stake was the qualification for the next Vendée Globe of course, but above all the invaluable experience that would enable the skipper to rack up these miles in solo configuration on the North Atlantic. To pull this off, the group’s design office and composite specialists set to work the minute the 60-footer returned to her home port of Lorient – on Wednesday 28 October – to correct the teething issues observed and reinforce her structure.
“2015 has been a very long and very packed year within Gitana Team. For it to finish in this manner is naturally a satisfaction and it’s really rewarding! Following our retirement in the Transat Jacques Vabre, the team has not given up despite the disappointment of seeing the race come to an end after just 36 hours at sea. We adapted the programme and responded as quickly as possible so that Sébastien could participate in the Transat Saint-Barth – Port–la-Forêt, which wasn’t on our programme initially. However, it was well worth the effort… Indeed, the outward delivery trip in crewed configuration and obviously these 3,400 miles in race format have been really precious in enabling us to calmly prepare for the 2016 season. We’ll now be able to go into refit to optimise and ensure the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild is reliable. We have one clear objective, which is to win the next Vendée Globe. To achieve that, Sébastien and all the members of Gitana are putting in 200% effort. This evening I feel very proud of this team, with a very special thought for the boat’s owners – Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild – who, day in day out support us and enable us to make our ambitions a reality.” Cyril Dardashti, General Manager of Gitana.
Q&A with Sébastien Josse, skipper of the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild
Victory + qualification
SJ: “Given the context in which I took the start – after retiring in the Jacques Vabre and with a break of just 48hrs in St Barths between two transatlantics – I must say that I was more geared up for qualifying and seeing how the boat would handle than an objective of pure performance. Right now, securing both is not unpleasant and I’m happy to take both.”
The race, the conditions and the key sections
SJ: “It was a race for a metronome! You always had to be on the right timing so that you could link onto the different weather phenomena: and that’s how things panned out! In terms of the weather, the course was pretty much ideal. We managed to hook onto a low without too much downtime in the tradewinds rounding the zone of high pressure, which enabled us to traverse half the Atlantic as far as the Azores. Paul and I were the only ones to hook onto this low and be able to really make use of it.
After that, I was the only one to have the right timing to be able to hook onto the second system, which was coming up via the south of the Azores. This second low was a ticket to Brittany, virtually on a single tack. The transition between the first and second low wasn’t easy but you needed a bit of luck on your side. To be at the leading edge of the front was a more comfortable position than that where SMA ended up, but the gap had already been created with the first low. The routing told me that Paul was over 200 miles astern of me at the finish in Port-la-Forêt. The maximum wind speed was 58 knots between Monday and Tuesday night and a minimum of 5-6 knots when we were circumnavigating the zone of high pressure setting out from St Barths.”
The first test in real conditions
SJ: “In addition to being a fine transatlantic race, it was a great test for both the boat and me. It was exactly what I’d come here for. Since the launch, on 7 August 2015, it’s been a bit of a race against the clock. The Jacques Vabre didn’t smile on us and it was important to get going again very quickly in order to get some miles under my belt and amass some experience with the new boat. Heading back to the yard without having been able to validate the choices was unthinkable and not very gratifying for either the team or for me. Having done two transatlantics in less than a month and making the finish with a boat in perfect condition is a lot better with a view to the Christmas festivities and tackling 2016 with a greater degree of certainty. The winds were predominantly downwind and reaching, with just a few hours of upwind, but it was highly educational. The boat is made of stern stuff, very pleasant with this big cuddy under which you feel safe. She’s quick and on certain points of sail the addition of the foils is really impressive. However, to be making 30 knots in a monohull is not the same thing as on a multihull; it’s less stressful and you wonder how you’re going to land at the bottom of the wave, but not whether you’re going to be the right way up… One thing for sure, I’m a fan of the foils and I don’t need to think about it for even a second, I’m keeping them! The only slight regret comes from the line-up, which has suffered over recent days and I’d like to spare a thought for Paul, who really hung on and it was nice to be able to battle it out with him for the first few days.”
Solo sailing is like riding a bike!
SJ: “I hadn’t done any Imoca solo sailing since 2009 and this race was a discovery trip on the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild, but I soon found my bearings again. It was reassuring because prior to it becoming second nature, you always wonder “am I going to be in good shape?” You need to get your reflex actions back. However, this is just the start. I’m going to need to continue to sail the boat. Now I know what I’m about we call that experience and that’s not something you forget.”
Teamwork
SJ: “The timing was tight! Since our retirement in the Transat Jacques Vabre, the team has spared no effort and been able to make the crossing with the boat, arrive with a jobs list that wasn’t too long and be able to set sail again in a solo race: it was an almighty challenge! It’s a team victory! In truth, they worked flat out over the weekends and the weeks so the boat was ready and if they hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t be in Port-la-Forêt today. Thank you and hats off to the guys for having worked so hard!”
Edmond de Rothschild’s figures in the Saint-Barth – Port-la-Forêt
– Race time: 10 days 5 hours 18 minutes 17 seconds
– Time spent leading the race: 10 days 4 hours 10 minutes 4 seconds
– Along the great circle route (direct route): 3,374.64 miles, at an average speed of 13.8 knots
– Over the ground (distance actually covered): 3,773.79 miles, at an average speed of 15.38 knots
– Maximum distance and speed (smoothed data) over 24hrs: 439.59 miles, at a speed of 18.3 knots
– Maximum wind recorded: 58 knots on the night of 15 to 16 December
The Transat Saint-Barth – Port-La-Forêt
This solo transatlantic race, which is now contested between the Caribbean Islands and France, was first initiated in 2007, with its second edition held in 2011. A ‘return’ transatlantic sprint at the end of the Jacques Vabre, the race that originally went by the name of the BtoB (Back to Brittany) is an integral part of the IMOCA Ocean Masterscircuit with a year to go until the start of the Vendée Globe. The perfect opportunity as well as a full-scale test for those solo sailors keen to head back to Europe in competition mode, the Transat Saint-Barth – Port-La-Forêt is an event that also serves as a qualifier for the legendary round the world race. The weather conditions that the sailors may encounter at this time of year make this a demanding transatlantic race that is likely to sift out the key protagonists.
3rd edition
Singlehanded transatlantic race
From St Barths (French West Indies) to Port-la-Forêt (Finistère, Brittany)
3,400 theoretical miles (direct route)
Start on 6 December at 15:00 GMT, scheduled finish between 16 and 20 December
Positions updated every hour, except between 2200 and 0400 GMT to leave the competitors room for strategic choices
Seven entries: Fabrice Amedeo, Newrest-Matmut / Eric Holden, O Canada / Sébastien Josse, Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild / Paul Meilhat, SMA / Enda O’Coineen, Kilcullen Voyager / Thomas Ruyant, Le Souffle du Nord / Morgan Lagravière, Safran