A new offshore race for the Class40
Grand Pavois Organisation is organising a new race reserved for Class40 cars at the joint request of the city of La Rochelle and Class40. Called the Atlantic Challenge Guadeloupe - Horta - La Rochelle, this race is part of the continuation of the Route du Rhum destination Guadeloupe, which ended in December 2018. Included in the calendar of the French Sailing Federation, it is placed under the race direction of Denis Hughes.
"There were 53 boats racing at the start of the Route du Rhum and a lot of retirements. If many have already returned by cargo ship, the class found it interesting to make a return in race from Guadeloupe" explains Pierrick Garenne, Head of Communication at GPO.
This new race may also allow some Class40 duets to qualify for the Transat Jacques Vabre 2019 on the last stage Horta - La Rochelle of 1?300 miles.
A spring departure
The race will start from Guadeloupe on 23 March 2019. A spring departure that will allow skippers who so wish to participate in Caribbean races (RORC Race - Royal Ocean Racing Club). And a date that also makes it possible to respect the class calendar with the Normandy Channel Race organised from 16 to 26 May 2019.
The crews will therefore head to La Rochelle around mid-April (13-14 April) to check the boats before setting off again for the next race.
A stopover in Horta
Before arrival in La Rochelle, competitors will make a stopover in Horta with an ETA scheduled between 3 and 5 April 2019 and a new departure on 8 April. A stopover set up for different reasons, as Pierrick Garenne explains "This stopover has different uses. First to refocus the fleet in Horta, then to check the weather conditions, to offer a grouped arrival in La Rochelle with a regatta in contact over the last 5 days at sea and the possibility of changing crew in the Azores."
A crewed race
The Atlantic Challenge Guadeloupe - Horta - La Rochelle will be run with a crew of two minimum skippers. The on-board safety equipment will limit participants to four unless they comply to get more people on board.
16 crews have already registered and it is still possible to register even if the organisation does not expect many more people since the majority have already returned by cargo ship.
The registered members
Loïc Fequet (Tibco - 123)
- Aymeric Chappellier (Aïna Enfance et Avenir - 151)
- Marc Dubos (Scout Spirit - 81)
- Miranda Merron (Campagne de France - 147)
- Franz Bouvet (Yoda - 65)
- Morgane Ursault-Poupon (Fleury Michon Bio - 30)
- Arthur Hubert (Hope for a Rum - 152)
- Mikael Riking (Talenta - 95)
- Emmanuel Le Roch (Edenred - 100)
- Charles-Louis Mourruau (Lost Boys - 101)
- Luke Berry (Lamotte Module Création - 153)
- Arthur Le Vaillant (Leyton - 156)
- Marc Lepesqueux (Sensation Class 40 Extreme - 140)
- Catherine Pourre (Earendil - 145)
- Kito De Pavant (Made in Midi - 142)
- Andréa Fantini (55)...
