Discover offshore racing
Passionate about boats and sailing for many years, I have regularly practiced inshore racing. The taste for travel led me to cross the Atlantic in both directions, on a cruise. But offshore racing is another rhythm and another scale... So when GPO, the organizer of the Atlantic Challenge, the new transatlantic return race for the Class40 proposed to have a Bateaux.com journalist embarked on board one of the sailing boats, I didn't hesitate. Preparations, atmosphere on board, sensations of speed on a boat pushed to its limits, freeze-dried food... I will try to share my experience as a team member with you in this series.
Horta appears under the clouds
For those who don't know, the Azores are particularly green islands. Atlantic Islands does not necessarily rhyme with shorts and tropical torpor. This Portuguese archipelago is generously watered by rain, making it the largest milk producer in Portugal. My landing on the island of Faial is a good illustration of this. It was only at the last moment, after crossing a thick layer of cloud, that the airport runway appeared. The sea, white from the plane, seems very rough. In front of the baggage retrieval carpet, their watch jacket is the symbol of the relief of the crews arriving this Saturday on the daily flight from Lisbon. I meet Benoit Formet, who embarks with me on Colombre XL, Charles-Louis Mourruau's Pogo 40 S2. In full preparation for the Mini 6.50 season for his project Racing For The Oceans, he takes the opportunity to come and try out the older brother of his Pogo 3.
Horta from the port
An international class and crew
IMOCA, Ultim, Mini 6.50, Figaro... Offshore racing speaks a lot of French. The Class40 has been able to seduce outside our borders and this can be seen on Horta's pontoons. First in the crew of Colombre XL. While an American and a Dutchman living in Portugal arrive to give us the place, English remains a major language of communication on board. Charles-Louis Mourruau, the 30-year-old skipper, grew up between Paris and Senegal. A crew member on classic tall ships such as Mariette or Eleonora for more than 10 years, he boasts an Anglo-Saxon sailing culture. Tom Gayford, co-skipper for this second stage, is from Toronto, Canada. Between Andrea Fantini's 100% Italian crew on Enel, the British Miranda Merron or the Spanish Alex Pella, the rest of the fleet is also cosmopolitan.
The crew of Colombre XL / Lost Boys (from left to right): Briag Merlet, Benoit Formet, Charles-Louis Mourruau (skipper) and Tom Gayford
Between DIY, tourism and weather
The Class40 brings together professionals and amateurs. Budgets and preparations vary and the do-it-yourself atmosphere on the pontoons is similar to that of long-distance boaters. Esprit Scout built with two carbon tubes brought back to the plane by a crew member, a temporary bowsprit to replace the one broken in the first stage.
On our side, the boat is ready on this Sunday before departure. Only the old torn sails in the Caribbean will be missing for the crossing, but Charles-Louis is looking for a sponsor to buy a new wardrobe. A short safety briefing allows us to review the man overboard equipment and procedures and the implementation of the liferaft. A necessary step, even if a kind of uneasiness always takes me by evoking emergency situations that we would prefer to avoid.
It's time to start tourism! It starts with a little observation of the paintings, left on the quay of Horta by the boats in stopover. A normally obligatory passage from which we have derogated, but honoured by Yoda. We note the signatures of famous predecessors and the poetic talent of some sailors. After that, a lunch on the terrace at Peter's Café Sport, the internationally renowned seafarer's bar, is a must.
It's time to go to the briefing. Christian Dumard, contacted by telephone, described the situation. After a soft start, things will accelerate from the first night. It's about staying in front of a cold front that should normally occlude before passing us. The situation when approaching the Bay of Biscay is more uncertain. The position and size of the ridge of high pressure that awaits us there varies according to the models. We also mention the wreck of the Great America, its oil slick and its containers potentially drifting between two waters. Fortunately, the future will show that the fleet has escaped this risk.
Let's dispel the fears with a last good dinner ashore. Back to Peter's, to test his famous gin do mar and a local feijoada before moving on to freeze-dried! Now, get to bed, before the big start!
