© F. Van Malleghem Photographe

The IMOCA season-opening 1000 Race has proved a fascinating test for the seven skippers taking part, who have had to contend with everything from no wind to fresh downwind conditions in the Bay of Biscay.

The race, which set sail from Port-la-Fôret in Brittany and returns to nearby Concarneau by way of the Fastnet Rock and two virtual waypoints in the Bay of Biscay, started in light winds on Sunday. 

But since then a fresh northerly air stream has seen the IMOCAs go upwind to Fastnet and then sail fully powered-up in squally downwind conditions on their way south to a turning mark - Trophée Gallimard - positioned about 150 nautical miles north of Cape Finisterre.

So far this 1,200-mile sprint has been dominated by the reigning IMOCA Globe Series champion, Sam Goodchild on board MACIF Santé Prévoyance who has led from the start and was first at Fastnet. 

However, this morning the leaderboard looked a bit different with Goodchild dropping down the ranking by virtue of taking a longer westerly and more southerly route toward the Waypoint Gallimard, while his rivals attempted to cut the corner to windward of him.

The current ranking showed Violette Dorange of France on board Initiatives-Coeur with the shortest distance to sail to the finish - 388 miles - and with less than a mile advantage over Corentin Horeau of France on MACSF. In third place it was Frenchwoman Elodie Bonafous on Association Petits Princes-Queguiner, with Goodchild back in fifth position, 22 miles behind Dorange, but favoured in the routing to resume his lead later today.

© Jean-Louis Carli


The veteran IMOCA skipper Jérémie Beyou, whose boat Charal is currently in the shed undergoing bow and hull modifications, has been watching the race and says Goodchild showed how important it is to get a good start on a relatively short course like this.

“I think they had quite a difficult first 24 hours,” Beyou told the Class. “But what was quite obvious was that the first into the windless area was the first out and I think that’s what Sam did well. It’s always important to have a good start - it’s like a Figaro leg and in the Figaro, if you are ahead from the first minute, it’s always an advantage and it was the case this time.”

Going downwind offshore in the last 24 hours, Goodchild has also been quick on a boat that proved its all-round ability when winning the last Vendée Globe in the hands of Charlie Dalin. “It’s very good everywhere - maybe it can be a bit better downwind in medium-plus or strong wind, but in these conditions it is the best boat in the fleet,” said Beyou.

Beyou feels this edition of the 1000 Race has been an ideal first outing for the four skippers in the fleet who are racing solo in IMOCA for the first time - Francesca Clapcich on 11th Hour Racing, Bonafous, Horeau and Nico D’Estais of France on Café Joyeux, the only daggerboard boat in the fleet. He is currently in sixth place about 10 miles ahead of backmarker and Vendée Globe veteran Arnaud Boissières on April Marine-Recherche Co-Partenaires.

“It is the first solo race for them in the Class so I think they have no pressure,” said Beyou. “They will make mistakes - that’s normal, but it’s the perfect race in terms of weather conditions for a first race of the season, and for a first race solo. It’s a bit different for Sam and maybe with him we are watching to see if he is going to make a mistake because if he doesn’t win it is because he makes a big mistake or has no luck.”

Out on the course, Violette Dorange is in good spirits racing the boat formerly skippered by Sam Davies. In this race she has shown excellent speed in light and medium conditions reflecting her pre-season training, but also her experience of having completed her first Vendée Globe last year. 

“I’m really happy because I’d lost a bit of time on my manoeuvres and in the end, I know that sometimes I’m a bit slower than the others on the downwind legs and the reaches, but I’m still managing to hang on and that’s keeping me in the race,” she said.

Looking ahead, she explained her approach to the remainder of the downwind phase. “My strategy on this downwind leg is to really go for speed before the wind shifts because on these boats there are big differences in speed, so you need wind. And we’re going to have a big transition phase at the end of this leg where the wind will drop a lot, and I think that’s going to bring quite a few small changes.”

The 25-year-old skipper from La Rochelle, said after three days at sea in race mode, she is feeling good but is short of sleep. “It’s not easy to catch up on sleep because you always have to be fully focused, on your toes, and quick to react to the adjustments. I managed to get a bit of sleep for the first time this morning, but it’s not easy. Otherwise my spirits are high. I feel good on board my little boat, the conditions are good, everything’s fine, so it’s really enjoyable,” she said.

Beyou, meanwhile, says the closing stages of the race from Trophée Gallimard all the way northeast to Concarneau, are going to be difficult in light winds to begin with. 

“They’re between two low pressures - it is likely there will be some wind off the Spanish coast, but on the line to the finish maybe it is going to be a bit tricky…anyway, it will still be better to be ahead,” he said.

Ed Gorman