Istanbul Europa Race - Small Beginnings

In November 2007, IMOCA announced its intention to create a crewed race around Europe for its skippers, the organisers and all sponsors, a race that would follow the epic 2008-2009 Vendee Globe. The Istanbul Europa Race was born, a gamble worth taking.
Six teams signed up for this first edition, and this is what they came for:

Looking at the Istanbul Europa Race line-up, it felt as if the pontoons of the Ottoman capital were hosting some kind of a revenge on the epic Vendee. The Mediterranean provided a perfect stage, a sea full of mythological legends and there was a perfect cast of actors: The perfect stage - the Mediterranean being the sea of most mythological legends - and the perfect cast: four rivals all hunting down the main man, with a Spanish crew taking the role of referee. The suspense is great and the atmosphere amazing, and quite a different scene from before.

Mainly because this is the longest crewed race the IMOCA circuit has ever held. Four ports of call, but three legs that make even the most experienced sailor modest. Sailors that are used to the  Mediterranean know how hazardous it can be and how much vigilance is required.
The leg that runs through the Aegean Sea islands and around the Italian 'boot' will not be as chaotic as the return journey but it will still be fraught with potential pitfalls. The second leg, from Nice to Barcelona, will be short and intense. It is bound to be sprint race with no respite for either man or boat.  And the final third leg: a marathon full of  traps from the Straits of Gibraltar, to the Bay of Biscay and the Channel currents - each to be given utmost respect. Whoever arrives first into Brest will certainly be a highly experienced crew.


Return on investment

A race of this sort will really test the relationships within the crews, who'll need to act as a team right to the end, if they are to stand a chance of winning. That's one of the beauties of crewed racing: just having the right skills is not enough to guarantee success, its having a strong, efficient crew that works well together that really makes the difference.  That's why so many of the skippers have their technical team onboard, the ones who know the boats inside out from numerous refits over the years. It helps on the technical front, but its also an opportunity for the skippers to give something back to those that have worked hard for them, behind the scenes. Either piecing together carbon fibre or glued to a computer screen. Single-handed racing is definitely the result of team effort. So its no surprise that many of the teams have their technical team onboard, such as Marc Liardet (Boat Captain, Foncia), François Denis (Boat Captain, DCNS), Philippe Echassoux (Paprec-Virbac 2) or Brice De Crisenoy (Boat Captain, Groupe Bel).


New expertise and a transferal of knowledge

The Istanbul Europa Race is also a chance to bring new expertises to the campaigns. Its no coincidence that many of the competitors have recruited some of the most talented sailors from the Figaro Class: Gildas Morvan, 2009 France Champion onboard Veolia Environnement, Marc Emig and Eric Drouglazet to join Christopher Pratt and Marc Thiercelin (DCNS Filières du Talent). And you can't  forget Jérémie Beyou, who has a strong bond with Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) following his two victories in the Solitaire du Figaro, or François Gabart who will team up with Kito De Pavant (Groupe Bel) for the Transat Jacques Vabre.
And finally, some of the others will use this race to hand over their boats to their new owners and share what they know. Guillermo Altadill, onboard 1876, will have a chance to get to know his new prototype. Jean-Pierre Dick will reveal the ins and outs of his Paprec-Virbac 2 before handing her over to Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes, who are both aiming to compete in the 2010-2011 Barcelona World Race.

That's how the the Istanbul Europa Race offers teams the chance to go off the usual beaten track of ocean racing. Pitstopping in prestigious ports, re-discovering the virtues of crewed racing, and taking different routes from the main transatlantic races is exactly the spec that IMOCA had aimed at. The Istanbul Europa Race is meeting those expectations.

What the skippers said:

Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement): "This race will be an opportunity to measure the potential of pure speed of my "old boat" compared to the others. When we are racing single-handed, the speed issues are obviously different. I will also have the opportunity to validate the fact that we can work with a philosophy of sustainable development and of making the most of our project. And it's also a good opportunity to welcome new faces onboard, that's why we invited Gildas Morvan. He's a great regatta sailor and a great guy who will be able to ask us all the questions he wants. Also, having an external opinion is a brilliant way to improve. What's more, "the red giant" (his new nickname) already knows the course having raced it the other way round. He might well have a few tips for us."


Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel): "This race will be the first opportunity to demonstrate the potential of Groupe Bel. Regarding the crew, I decided to mix talented sailors on one hand, such as Sébastien Audigane (the fastest man on earth), Yann Régnau, who is also my sails expert and François Gabart and the members of my technical staff on the other. They know the boat well and they are also very skilled sailors with great racing experience. And sailing with a crew also means sharing really enjoyable times  with people you've worked with on a dailay basis. We also really want to show our opponents that they should be scared of Groupe Bel."


Marc Liardet (boat captain de Foncia) : "Even if we are used to crew racing (Trophée SNSM, Grand-Prix Petit Navire), this one is different because of its length. Apart from the obvious thrill of sailing with Michel, this race will also be an opportunity to see how he works on the boat, where he puts the limits. It should help us confirm some of the ideas we're working on."