ISTANBUL EUROPA RACE - Leg 1-Full of learnings

Istanbul Europa Race
Leg 1 – full of learnings

They’ve finally made it to Nice. The six competitors who started from Istanbul last Saturday had not imagined how demanding this leg of the race through the Aegean, Ionian Tyrrhenian Seas would be. This leg has definitely confirmed some of the pressures that IMOCA had thought might crop up on this leg.  

The first thing learnt was that the French sailors could suffer a defeat to other International teams in an IMOCA race. Guillermo Altadill’s crew (1876) succeeded where the British armada had failed.  And they did it in a stylish way, leaving two-times-winner of the Vendee Globe Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) behind them, also highly experienced Kito De Pavant ((Groupe Bel) and Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2), winner of the last Barcelona World Race. The International nature of IMOCA is a reality and the victory of the Spanish crew is great news for the future of the Class. Guillermo and his team mates will definitely want to repeat this in the second leg of the race to Barcelona.

The second thing noticed was the small gaps between the leaders, showing how homogeneous the fleet is and how close they are in performance. Only two boats were unable to join in the battle. Veolia Environnement and DCNS, Les filières du talent got stuck in light winds in the Aegean Sea and the weather window opened to the four leaders who were just in front. The obvious frustration these two crews must have felt should lead to a ferocious retaliation in the sprint race through the Balearic Sea from Nice to Barcelona.

An interesting mix of elements

Crewed racing is particularly rewarding for all the sailors onboard. For the skippers to be able to race with their technical teams and special guests offers an objective perspective on the racing. It’s an opportunity to confirm some design options, sail choices… And the Istanbul Europa Race is also an opportunity for all the sailors to start preparing for the last event of the 2009 season, The Transat Jacques Vabre. Apart from François Gabart, who will join Kito De Pavant in Barcelona, on all the other boats, the skippers have their co-skippers with them who’ll be joining them in November from Le Havre to Costa Rica. This shows once again that mixing skills and style can be a rewarding race prospect.

As they left Istanbul, the fleet of IMOCA 60s headed into a set unknown conditions: an unfamiliar sea where the navigators rarely sail let alone race; a new way of working with a crew, but with double-handed or single-handed sailing still in mind; a great battle with the boats set at their maximum performance. This first leg has already taught everyone a lot: the ‘oriental’ bit of the Mediterranean is highly demanding with traps set in the form of islands and light winds; the line-up, even though it’s somewhat smaller than usual, is still of a high quality. What’s more, dealing with the heat, the lack of sleep, the extreme vigilance and the preservation of the crew, are all essential elements to win. 1876’s crew has shown that they could put up just as much of a fight as the most experienced IMOCA sailors. This is great news for the future.

Finally, The Mayor of Nice and Minister for Industry, Christian Estrosi’s welcoming in Nice was particularly  symbolic. His presence was also the opportunity to remind us that for every IMOCA60 campaign, it takes a small business to run it with assistants, technical crews, communications people – they form just a small part of what’s needed to run a reliable campaign. Designers, quality boatyards, high-tech sail makers play a large part in making it a success. During these difficult times for the European economy, it’s good to know that some dynamic, economic forces remain….