Three classes will start the Transat Jacques Vabre. The IMOCAs fleet will remain in Le Havre.
Because of a rapidly worsening weather forecast, in particular for the period Monday into Tuesday with predicted winds of 80kts and 10m seas, the start for the 40 strong IMOCA class for the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre, the two handed race from Le Havre to Martinique due for 1229hrs today, has been postponed and the class will not leave Le Havre until the situation improves.
A deep depression which yesterday required the modification of the race for the Class40s has accelerated and deepened and will hit the west coast of France and Portugal 24 hours earlier than expected. Winds of 80 knots and seas of 10 meters are forecast from Monday evening at Cape Finisterre.
Only the ULTIMs, which should be quick enough to be South of the systems, will race their course as planned. Their start and their course are unchanged.
The Ocean Fifty will also start today but will like the Class40 a head towards Lorient.
The biggest problem for the 40 IMOCAs is there is not a port on the Atlantic coast which could accommodate the 40 sixty footers and so they will remain in Le Havre until the weather system is passed.
Teams info
Five Days of Celebration to Mark the Arrival of the First 100% Mixed-Crew IMOCA Transatlantic Race
In two months, The Ocean Race makes its return to Lorient. For the arrival of the very first edition of The Ocean Race Atlantic, the city will come alive for five days in celebration of offshore racing and the ocean.
•••Boris Herrmann And Team Malizia Launch Malizia 4, Their New-Generation IMOCA Race Yacht
After two years of design and construction, Boris Herrmann and his Team Malizia are celebrating today the launch of their highly anticipated new IMOCA race yacht, Malizia 4.
•••Championship ranking
| 01 |   | Sam GOODCHILD
MACIF SANTÉ PRÉVOYANCE | 230.00 pts |
| 02 | | Violette DORANGE
INITIATIVES-CŒUR | 205.00 pts |
| 03 |  | Ambrogio BECCARIA
ALLAGRANDE MAPEI | 200.00 pts |
| 04 | | Elodie BONAFOUS
ASSOCIATION PETITS PRINCES - QUÉGUINER | 188.00 pts |
| 05 |  | Francesca CLAPCICH
11TH HOUR RACING | 176.00 pts |
| 06 | | Nico D'ESTAIS
CAFÉ JOYEUX | 165.00 pts |
| 07 | | Arnaud BOISSIÈRES
APRIL MARINE - RECHERCHE CO-PARTENAIRE | 154.00 pts |
| 08 | | Manuel COUSIN
COUP DE POUCE | 110.00 pts |
| 09 | | Corentin HOREAU
MACSF | 45.00 pts |