What was the start of the Jacques Vabre like for the IMOCA Lazare?
24 hours after the start, Tanguy and Félix informed us that they had hit something. There was a lot of water coming into the boat. After inspection, the crew spotted a breach in the starboard side, so large that daylight could pass through it.
Not without difficulty, the boat was brought back to Lorient. We embarked on a new race, in order to refit the boat, bearing in mind that it was to be used for two transatlantic races. After numerous exchanges with the architects and the composite team, we validated the possibility of taking the boat out of the water. If the structure had been affected, the boat could have folded in two when it was craned.
Without removing the keel or dismasting the boat, which would have cost us an extra day, the team rebuilt almost 5 meters of planking, working day and night.
Four days after the start of the technical stopover, the duo headed back to Martinique! The rest of the Jacques Vabre went rather smoothly, with a few technical problems, but that's nothing unusual in such an event.
When will Tanguy and Félix cross the finish line?
Their ETA is scheduled for 1 er december 2023 in the early hours of the morning. Bearing in mind that, according to the race instructions, the line closes at 1pm on the same day... So don't delay. Lazare's crew is currently bumping up against a ridge of high pressure with very little wind.
How will Tanguy follow up the Transat Retour à la Base, which starts on November 30?
Tanguy is going to work as fast as he can to get back into the race. Even if the starting line for "Retour à la base" remains open for 6 days, the idea is to sail with the whole IMOCA fleet. So if everything is OK from a technical and safety point of view, Tanguy will be setting off single-handed just a few hours after his arrival.
How do you organize such a short stopover after such a gruelling Jacques Vabre?
We have held regular technical briefings with the crew to determine what work needs to be done when the boat is docked in Martinique. Supplies are also ready to be taken on board.
And Tanguy? What will he do in the few hours of his stopover before moving on to his 2 e Transat?
He'll get some rest and eat a fish! That's his only request. It's true that the timing is extremely tight. It's not easy enough to finish the Jacques Vabre in last place, especially in the calms. It's a real test of nerves and mental strength. But Tanguy is showing us that he has a mind of steel, driven by the social cause that Lazare represents. Representing people who have lived on the streets gives him tenfold strength and pushes him to excel.
