Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
Encyclopedia : S : SI : SIN : Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race, or STAR, is an east-to-west yacht race across the north Atlantic. When inaugurated in 1960, it was the first single-handed ocean yacht race; it is run from Plymouth to the USA, and is held every four years.
The race was originally sponsored by the UK-based Observer newspaper, and known as the Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race, or OSTAR; due to changes in sponsorship, it has been known as the CSTAR, Europe 1 STAR, and the Europe 1 New Man STAR. Its most recent edition was simply known as The Transat.[The Transat], the official web site
- 1 History
- 2 The race
- 3 Past races
- 3.1 The OSTAR, 1960
- 3.2 The OSTAR, 1964
- 3.3 The OSTAR, 1968
- 3.4 The OSTAR, 1972
- 3.5 The OSTAR, 1976
- 3.6 The 1/OSTAR, 1980
- 3.7 The 1/OSTAR, 1984
- 3.8 The CSTAR, 1988
- 3.9 The Europe 1 STAR, 1992
- 3.10 The Europe 1 STAR, 1996
- 3.11 The Europe 1 New Man STAR, 2000
- 3.12 The Transat, 2004
- 4 References
History
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race was conceived by Francis Chichester and Herbert "Blondie" Hasler in 1956. The whole idea of a single-handed ocean yacht race race was a revolutionary concept at the time, as the idea was thought to be extremely impractical; but this was especially true given the adverse conditions of their proposed route — a westward crossing of the north Atlantic Ocean, against the prevailing winds.
Chichester and Hasler sought sponsorship for a race, but by 1959, no-one had been prepared to back the race; the two men eventually decided that they would race for a half-crown bet if all else failed. Finally, though, the Observer newspaper provided sponsorship, and in 1960, under the management of the Royal Western Yacht Club of England, the Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race, or OSTAR, was on.[All the Single handed Transatlantic Race history], from Team Woodbase[The Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race 1960-2000], by Peter Marsh[History — 11 June 1960], from Team Woodbase
The first run of the race was a great success; since then, it has run every four years, and has become firmly established as one of the major events on the yachting calendar. The name of the event has changed several times due to changed in main sponsor; it has been known as the CSTAR, Europe 1 STAR, and the Europe 1 New Man STAR; the latest edition was run as The Transat. Throughout its history, however, the essentials of the race have remained the same. It has also become known as a testbed for new innovations in yacht racing; many new ideas started out in the STAR.
The race
The course of the race is westwards against the prevailing winds of the north Atlantic over a distance of around 3,000 miles. The first edition of the race was from Plymouth to New York City; the editions from 1964 to 2000 were sailed from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island; the 2004 event sailed from Plymouth to Boston, Massachusetts.[Peyron Repeats STAR Triumph], from Sailing World[Records Tumble in Classic Transat Race], from the official web site
The actual course steered is the decision of the individual skipper, and the result of the race can hinge on the chosen route:[The Race — The Course], from Team Woodbase
- rhumb line
- The shortest route on paper — i.e. on a mercator projection chart — is a route which steers a constant compass course, known as the rhumb line route; this is 2,902 nautical miles. This lies between 40 degrees and 50 degrees north, and avoids the most severe weather.
- great circle
- The actual shortest route is the great circle route, which is 2,810 nautical miles. This goes significantly farther north; sailors following this route frequently encounter fog and icebergs.
- northern route
- It is sometimes possible to avoid headwinds by following a far northern route, north of the great circle and above the track followed by depressions. This is a longer way, though, at 3,130 nautical miles, and places the sailor in greater danger of encountering ice.
- Azores route
- A "softer" option can be to sail south, close to the Azores, and across the Atlantic along a more southerly latitude. This route can offer calmer reaching winds, but is longer at 3,530 nautical miles; the light and variable winds can also lead to slow progress.
- trade wind route
- The most "natural" way to cross the Atlantic westward is to sail south to the trade winds, and then west across the ocean. However, this is the longest route of all, at 4,200 nautical miles.
Past races
The OSTAR, 1960
The Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race of 1960 was a milestone in sailing, being the first single-handed ocean yacht race. 115 people expressed an interest in the race, and there were eight entries, of whom five actually took part. Only four were at the starting line on June 11, however, as Jean Lacombe arrived late and started three days after the others. All of the boats were monohulls; this was to be the only edition of the race without multihulls. It was also the only edition of the race sailed from Plymouth to New York City.
The skippers tried a variety of routing strategies. Hasler chose the northern route, to avoid the depressions; Chichester and Lewis stayed closer to the great circle; Lacombe and Howells chose more southerly routes. Hasler sailed his junk-rigged Jester; Chichester had by far the longest boat, his 40-foot Gipsy Moth III, and this was reflected in the results:
Francis Chichester Gipsy Moth III UK Mono-40 40 days 12 hours 30 min Blondie Hasler Jester UK Mono-26 48 days 12 hours 02 min David Lewis Cardinal Vertue UK Mono-25 55 days 00 hours 50 min Val Howells EIRA UK Mono-25 62 days 05 hours 50 min Jean Lacombe Cap Horn France Mono-21.5 74 days ?? hours ?? minThe race had a huge impact on ocean sailing, and in particular solo sailing. Hasler's wind-vane self-steering gear revolutionised short-handed sailing, and his other major innovation — using a junk rig for safer and more manageable shorthanded sailing — influenced many subsequent sailors.[The Golden Globe Race], by Barry Pickthall, from boats.com[Finding Beauty in a Junk], by Michelle Potter
The OSTAR, 1964
Thirteen competitors started the next edition of the race in 1964, which by now was firmly established on the racing scene. All of the five original competitors entered, and all five improved their original times; but the show was stolen by French naval officer Éric Tabarly, who entered a custom-built 44-foot plywood ketch, Pen Duick II. The days of racers sailing the family boat were numbered following Tabarly's performance, for which he was awarded the Légion d'honneur by president Charles de Gaulle. It is also noteworthy that Tabarly and Jean Lacombe were the only French entrants in this race; Tabarly's success was instrumental in popularising the sport in France, the country which in future years would come to dominate it.
This was to be the year in which several future trends were established. Multihulls made their first appearance — sailing in the same class as the other boats; and the race featured the use of radio, for the first time, by several competitors who gave daily progress reports to their sponsors.[History — 23 May 1964], from Team Woodbase
Éric Tabarly Pen Duick II France Mono-44 27 days 03 hours 56 min Francis Chichester Gipsy Moth III UK Mono-40 29 days 23 hours 57 min Val Howells Akka UK Mono-35 32 days 18 hours 08 min Alec Rose Lively Lady UK Mono-36 36 days 17 hours 30 min Blondie Hasler Jester UK Mono-26 37 days 22 hours 05 min Bill Howell Stardrift Australia Mono-30 38 days 03 hours 23 min David Lewis Rehu Moana UK Cat-40 38 days 12 hours 04 min Mike Ellison Ilala UK Mono-36 46 days 06 hours 26 min Jean Lacombe Golif France Mono-22 46 days 07 hours 05 min Bob Bunker Vanda Caelea UK Mono-25 49 days 18 hours 45 min Mike Butterfield Misty Miller UK Cat-30 53 days 00 hours 05 min Geoffrey Chaffey Ericht 2 UK Mono-31 60 days 11 hours 15 min Derek Kelsall Folatre UK Tri-35 61 days 14 hours 04 min Axel Penderson Marco Polo Denmark Mono-28 63 days 13 hours 30 min Robin McCurdy Tammie Norie UK Mono-40 retired
The OSTAR, 1968
The race was by now acquiring a reputation for pushing forward the technology of ocean sailing, and the 1968 edition featured the first ever use of computer-based weather routing. A far cry from today's laptop-laden yachts, this consisted of a land-based mainframe computer, English Electric's KDF9, linked by radio to Geoffrey Williams in his boat Sir Thomas Lipton. Although outside private routing advice of this kind is no longer permitted in most "unassisted" races, it is now routine for ocean sailors to do similar analyses using their on-board computers to process public weather information.
Williams created another story by his use of the "shortcut" through the Nantucket Shoal. This dangerous route was supposed to be illegal, but due to an error the race instructions required skippers only to keep south of Nantucket, instead of Nantucket Light. Williams successfully navigated the treacherous route in a gale. Gales were a major feature of the race, with a large storm on the 11th of June, and Hurricane Brenda, both contributing to the large number of retired and abandoned boats; one casualty was Éric Tabarly, aboard his new trimaran Pen Duick IV.
Although won by a monohull, this race saw the multihulls firmly established on the scene. Thirteen of the 35 boats entered were multihulls, led by the controversial proa Cheers; many observers felt that a proa was entirely unsuitable for ocean sailing, but she made a fast time along the Azores route.[History — 1 June 1968], from Team Woodbase
The top seven finishers:
Geoffrey Williams Sir Thomas Lipton UK Mono-57 25 days 20 hours 33 min Bruce Dalling Voortrekker South Africa Mono-50 26 days 13 hours 42 min Tom Follett Cheers USA Proa-40 27 days 00 hours 13 min Leslie Williams Spirit of Cutty Sark UK Mono-53 29 days 10 hours 17 min Bill Howell Golden Cockerel Australia Cat-42.5 31 days 16 hours 24 min Brian Cooke Opus UK Mono-32 34 days 08 hours 23 min Martin Minter-Kemp Gancia Girl UK Tri-42 34 days 13 hours 15 minThe 17 non-finishers included Éric Tabarly on Pen Duick IV, and Alex Carozzo of Italy on San Giorgio. Carozzo went on to compete in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, the other major single-handed sailing event of the year.
The OSTAR, 1972
Tabarly's trimaran Pen Duick IV made a return to the race in 1972, sailed by Alain Colas, at the head of a strong French contingent; of the 55 entrants, 12 were French, and the top three finishers were all French.
The average boat size was increasing rapidly, as longer boats are capable of higher speeds. A sign of the changing times was that the rules had a minimum size, to deter unsafe entries, but no maximum; and so the star of the monohull fleet was Vendredi Treize (Friday the 13th), a 128-foot three-masted schooner — a huge boat for a single-hander. However, the race was now dominated by the multihulls, with a trimaran winning and four of the top six finishers being multis.
The 55 entrants included the first female competitors, both French. Sir Francis Chichester, now 70 years old, sailed with the fleet in Gipsy Moth V; however, he was unable to complete what was to be his last race, and he died later the same year. Peter Crowther made the longest crossing in the race's history while sailing the oldest boat, the 66 year old gaff cutter Golden Vanity; his crossing took 88 days.[History — 17 June 1972], from Team Woodbase
The top ten finishers:
Alain Colas Pen Duick IV France Tri-70 20 days 13 hours 15 min Jean-Yves Terlain Vendredi Treize France Mono-128 21 days 05 hours 14 min Jean-Marie Vidal Cap 33 France Tri-53 24 days 05 hours 40 min Brian Cooke British Steel UK Mono-59 24 days 19 hours 28 min Tom Follett Three Cheers USA Tri-46 27 days 11 hours 04 min Gerard Pesty Architeuthis France Tri-55 28 days 11 hours 55 min Martin Minter-Kemp Strongbow UK Mono-65 28 days 12 hours 46 min Alain Gliksman Toucan France Mono-34.5 28 days 12 hours 54 min Franco Faggioni Sagittario Italy Mono-50.5 28 days 23 hours 05 min James Ferris Whisper USA Mono-53.5 29 days 11 hours 15 minThere were eleven retirements, and one boat was abandoned.
The OSTAR, 1976
1976 saw the biggest edition of the race, in all senses. 125 boats entered, and the 128-foot Vendredi Treize returned as ITT Oceanic. However, the all-time size record for the race, and probably for any single-hander, was set by Alain Colas, sailing the 236-foot four-masted schooner Club Mediterranée.[Club Méditerranée: un géant parmi les monocoques] (French), with a picture of the boat Although about the same overall length as HMS Victory (which had a crew of 820)[The Battle of Trafalgar Muster Roll], from the official HMS Victory website, this modern boat was expressly designed for easy handling.
The race was organised into three classes: Jester (J): up to 38ft; Gipsy Moth (G): 38 to 65 ft; and Penduick (P): over 65ft, unlimited. Monohulls and multihulls were not segregated. It is notable that the second-placed boat overall was a trimaran of the smallest class; and perhaps even more so that third place went to a monohull from the same class.
Two major depressions hit the race and caused a record fifty retirements; Tony Bullimore was rescued by a passing ship after his boat caught fire, and American Mike Flanagan was lost overboard from Galloping Gael. A particularly sad story was that of Mike McMullen, whose wife Lizzie was electrocuted and killed while helping him to prepare Three Cheers for the race, just two days before the start. Believing that Lizzie would have wanted him to go on, he started the race, but was never seen again.
Colas in Club Mediterranée was plagued by halyard problems; although 330 miles in the lead, he was forced to pull in to Halifax, Nova Scotia to make repairs, and was penalised 58 hours for accepting help. The race then went to Éric Tabarly, whose win, on the 73-foot Pen Duick VI, was his second; it was also the last win for a monohull.[History — 5 June 1976], from Team Woodbase
The top finishers (including the top three of each class):
Éric Tabarly Pen Duick VI France Mono-73(P) 23 days 20 hours 12 min Mike Birch The Third Turtle Canada Tri-32(J) 24 days 20 hours 39 min Kazimierz Jaworski Spaniel Poland Mono-38(J) 24 days 23 hours 40 min Tom Grossman Cap 33 USA Tri-53(P) 26 days 08 hours 15 min Alain Colas Club Mediterranée France Mono-236(P) 26 days 13 hours 36 min Jean Claude Parisis Petrouchka France Mono-47(G) 27 days 00 hours 55 min David Palmer FT UK Tri-35(J) 27 days 07 hours 45 min Walter Greene Friends USA Tri-30(J) 27 days 10 hours 37 min Jaques Timsit Arauna IV France Mono-38(G) 27 days 15 hours 32 min Alain Gabbay Objectif Sud 3 France Mono-38(J) 28 days 09 hours 58 min Francis Stokes Moonshine USA Mono-40(G) 28 days 12 hours 46 min
The 1/OSTAR, 1980
The 1980 race introduced a length limit of 56 feet overall, in order to curb the excesses of previous races. The class sizes were adjusted downwards: Jester (J): up to 32ft; Gipsy Moth (G): 32 to 44ft; Penduick (P): 44 to 56ft. The new restrictions were unpopular with some sailors, particularly the French, many of whom opted to sail instead in the new Route du Rhum race.
The race was once again dominated by multihulls, with the top five places all taken by trimarans, and marked the end of even competition between monos and multis. Éric Tabarly was to compete, aboard the hydrofoil trimaran Paul Ricard, but was unable to enter due to injury. The race continued its history of innovation with the first use of the Argos satellite-based tracking system; this system allows boats to be tracked during the race, and can also be used to signal distress. The use of this system has now become a major feature of many ocean races, such as the Vendée Globe. The cost of the system was covered by introducing a new race sponsor, the radio station Europe 1, in conjunction with the Observer.
The winner was American Phil Weld, in only his second OSTAR, whose trimaran Moxie was custom built to the 56 foot limit; he set a new course record of 18 days. Many were impressed by this popular sailor's win at the age of 65. The preponderance of larger boats, and particularly multihulls, left the smaller Jesters seriously outclassed; the highest-placed was Free Newspapers, sailed by John Chaundy, who finished in 29th place, with a time of 28 days.[1980 — Triumph of the Multihulls], from the official web site[History — 7 June 1980], from Team Woodbase
The top ten finishers:
Philip Weld Moxie USA Tri-51(P) 17 days 23 hours 12 min Nick Keig Three Legs of Mann III UK Tri-53(P) 18 days 06 hours 04 min Philip Steggall Jeans Foster USA Tri-38(G) 18 days 06 hours 45 min Mike Birch Olympus Photo Canada Tri-46(P) 18 days 07 hours 15 min Walter Greene Chaussettes Olympia USA Tri-35(G) 18 days 17 hours 29 min Kazimierz Jaworski Spaniel II Poland Mono-56(P) 19 days 13 hours 25 min Edoardo Austoni Chica Boba Italy Mono-56(P) 20 days 02 hours 30 min Daniel Gilard Brittany Ferries I France Mono-44(G) 21 days 00 hours 09 min Richard Konkolski Nike II Czech. Mono-44(G) 21 days 06 hours 21 min Tom Grossman Kriter VII USA Tri-56(P) 21 days 08 hours 01 min
The 1/OSTAR, 1984
The 1984 race saw the pace of technical innovation continue to accelerate. Custom-built trimarans were again the main force, but the monohulls also advanced, with the introduction of water ballast and other innovations. Some controversy over the size limitations in the previous race resulted in slightly larger classes, and the removal of restrictions on bow and stern overhangs; yachts were divided into five classes, but still with no distinction between monohulls and multihulls. Europe 1 continued to support the race, and Argos beacons were again used by all boats.
The first day of the race saw several dismastings in strong gales, and several skippers were awarded time for rescuing other racers. This resulted in an upset at the finish — Philippe Poupon, sailing the 56-foot trimaran Fleury Michon VI, arrived first with a time of 16 days 12 hours, and went to bed thinking that he had won. But the race was awarded to Yvon Fauconnier, who finished 10 hours later but was given a 16-hour time allowance for rendering assistance to Philippe Jeantot, whose catamaran Credit Agricol had capsized. The winner among the monohulls was Warren Luhrs, in his 60-footer Thursday's Child.[History — 2 June 1984], from Team Woodbase
The top ten finishers:
Yvon Fauconnier Umupro Jardin V France Tri-53(I) 16 days 06 hours 25 min Philippe Poupon Fleury Michon France Tri-56(I) 16 days 12 hours 25 min Marc Pajot Elf Aquitaine II France Cat-59(I) 16 days 12 hours 48 min Éric Tabarly Paul Ricard France Tri-60(I) 16 days 14 hours 21 min Peter Philips Travacrest Seaway UK Tri-60(I) 16 days 17 hours 23 min Daniel Gilard Nantes France Tri-60(I) 16 days 17 hours 51 min Olivier Moussy Region Centre France Tri-45(II) 16 days 19 hours 16 min Bruno Peyron L'iglon France Cat-60(I) 16 days 20 hours 21 min Francois Boucher Ker Cadelac France Tri-50(I) 16 days 21 hours 48 min Warren Luhrs Thursday's Child USA Mono-60(I) 16 days 22 hours 27 min
The CSTAR, 1988
With Carlsberg taking over as main sponsor, the Carlsberg Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race of 1988 saw 95 entrants, with custom-built multihulls again dominating. Favourable weather made ideal conditions for a fast pace, and indeed Philippe Poupon's winning time set a new race record of 10 days, 9 hours and 10 minutes. One of the main hazards of the race was damage by whales; Mike Birch's Fujicolor was damaged by a whale, forcing him to retire from the race; and David Sellings was forced to abandon Hyccup after she was sunk by an aggressive pod of whales. The original Jester, which had taken part in every edition of the race, was lost in heavy weather in the tail-end of the fleet.[History — 5 June 1988], from Team Woodbase
The top eleven finishers were all Class 1 multihulls. The top five were:
Philippe Poupon Fleury Michon France Tri-60(I) 10 days 09 hours 15 min Olivier Moussy Laiterie Mt St Michel France Tri-60(I) 11 days 04 hours 17 min Loïck Peyron Lada Poch II France Tri-60(I) 11 days 09 hours 02 min Philip Steggall Sebago USA Tri-60(I) 11 days 09 hours 55 min Bruno Peyron VSD France Cat-60(I) 12 days 23 hours 20 minThe fastest monohull, UAP 1992, finished 13th. The top five monohulls:
Jean Yves Terlain UAP 1992 France Mono-60(I) 17 days 04 hours 05 min John Martin Allied Bank S.Africa Mono-60(I) 17 days 08 hours 18 min Jose Ugarte Castrol Solo Spain Mono-60(I) 17 days 21 hours 47 min Titouan Lamazou Ecureuil d'Aquitaine France Mono-60(I) 18 days 07 hours 00 min Courtney Hazelton Mariko USA Mono-45(III) 21 days 05 hours 44 min
The Europe 1 STAR, 1992
The Europe 1 Star of 1992 saw the fleet beset by a full range of hazards — storms, icebergs, trawlers, fog and whales hit boats on the northern route, before they were finally becalmed off Newfoundland. The monohulls managed the heavy conditions and crosswinds quite well, but the multis were plagued with capsizes and damage. Yves Parlier was the top monohull skipper in a new Open 60, setting a monohull record time of 14 days 16 hours.[History — 7 June 1992], from Team Woodbase
The top ten finishers included two monohulls:
Loïck Peyron Fujucolour Tri-60(1) 11 days 01 hours 35 min Haute-Normandie Tri-60(1) 12 days 07 hours 49 min Banque Populaire Tri(1) 12 days 09 hours 14 min Took Took Tri-60(1) 13 days 04 hours 01 min Primagaz Tri-60(1) 13 days 07 hours 40 min Yves Parlier Cocolac d'Aquitaine Mono-60(1) 14 days 16 hours 01 min Up My Sleeve Tri-40(4) 16 days 06 hours 45 min Queen Anne's Battery Mono-60(1) 16 days 11 hours 30 min C L M Tri-50(2) 16 days 12 hours 17 min Dupon Duran Tri-50(2) 16 days 20 hours 16 min
The Europe 1 STAR, 1996
Loïck Peyron had a new 60-foot trimaran, Fujicolor II, for the 1996 edition of the race; and he led at the start, passing the Eddystone lighthouse at 28 knots. However, Francis Joyon dominated the race, and 600 miles from the finish seemed set to win, at which point he was 24 hours ahead of his nearest rival; but his trimaran Banque Populaire was capsized by a gust off Nova Scotia, leaving the race to Peyron.
Peyron's time of 10 days, 10 hours and 5 minutes, was just 50 minutes short of the course record. Peyron was the first person to win two successive editions of the race, and only the second to win twice. Gerry Roufs won the monohull division, sailing the 60-foot Groupe LG2. Italian Giovanni Soldini won the 50-foot monohull class, in Telecom Italia.[History — 1996], from Team Woodbase
Only three multihulls overcame the conditions to make the top ten finishers:
Loīck Peyron Fujucolour II Tri-60(1) 10 days 10 hours 05 min Paul Vatine Region Haute Normandie Tri-60(1) 10 days 13 hours 05 min Mike Birch Biscuits la Trinitaine Tri-60(1) 14 days 12 hours 55 min Gerry Roufs Groupe LG 2 Mono-60(1) 15 days 14 hours 50 min Giovanni Soldini Telecom Italia Mono-50(2) 15 days 18 hours 29 min Josh Hall Gartmore Investments Mono-60(1) 16 days 15 hours 56 min Vittorio Malingri Anicaflash Mono-60(1) 16 days 19 hours 24 min Hervé Laurent Groupe LG1 Mono-60(1) 17 days 00 hours 55 min Eric Dumont Café Legal le Gout Mono-60(1) 17 days 01 hours 11 min Catherine Chabaud Whirlpool-Vital-Europe 2 Mono-60(1) 17 days 06 hours 43 min
The Europe 1 New Man STAR, 2000
With sponsorship from Europe 1 and New Man, a French sportswear manufacturer, the fortieth anniversary edition of the OSTAR was run under the title Europe 1 New Man STAR.[The Race — This Year], from Team Woodbase
A surprising total of 24 Open 60 monohulls entered the race; most of these were using the event as a qualifying run for the Vendée Globe starting later in the year. One of these was the youngest racer in the fleet at age 23, Ellen MacArthur in her Open 60 Kingfisher; she beat the big names to become the surprise winner of the monohull division, and the youngest ever winner of the race. The overal winner was Francis Joyon, in his trimaran Eure et Loir.[2000 — Open 60 battle], from the official web site[Kingfisher Challenge 2000 — She Did It!], from Adverc Battery Management[LARGEST EVER PROFESSIONAL 60-FOOT CLASS TO COMPETE IN THE TRANSAT], from Nick Moloney
ORMA 60 Multihulls:
Francis Joyon Eure et Loir France 9 days 23 hours 21 min Marc Guillemot Biscuits la Trinitaine France 10 days 1 hours 59 min Franck Cammas Groupama France 10 days 2 hours 40 min Alain Gautier Foncia France 10 days 8 hours 37 min Jean-Luc Nelias Belgacom France 10 days 19 hours 35 min Yvan Bourgnon Bayer en France France 16 days 6 hours 21 min Lalou Roucayrol Banque Populaire France lost a hullIMOCA 60 Monohulls:
Ellen MacArthur Kingfisher UK 14 days 23 hours 1 min Roland Jourdain Sill Beurre le Gall France 15 days 13 hours 38 min Mike Golding Team Group 4 UK 15 days 14 hours 50 min Thierry Dubois Solidaires France 15 days 15 hours 33 min Giovanni Soldini Fila Italy 16 days 4 hours 10 min Catherine Chabaud Whirlpool France 16 days 10 hours 19 min Michel Desjoyeaux PRB France 16 days 15 hours 51 min Marc Thiercelin Active Wear France 17 days 15 hours 44 min Dominique Wavre Union Bancaire Privee France 17 days 17 hours 2 min Joe Seeten Nord Pas de Calais France 18 days 2 hours 22 min Xavier Lecoeur GEB France 19 days 13 hours 3 min Didier Munduteguy DDP 60me Sud France 21 days 7 hours 18 min Patrick Favre Adrenalines France 31 days 5 hours 19 min Yves Parlier Aquitaine Innovations France dismasted Thomas Coville Sodebo Savourons la Vie France dismasted Eric Dumont Services Euroka France dismasted Dirk Gunst Tomidi Belgium autopilot failure Richard Tolkien This Time UK sail damage Bruce Burgess Hawaiian Express US personal reasons
The Transat, 2004
The 2004 edition of the race featured a new title — The Transat — and a new finish, at Boston, Massachusetts. 37 boats entered, in four classes: ORMA 50 and 60-foot multihulls; and IMOCA 50 and 60-foot monohulls. Despite stormy conditions, all four classes of boats broke records; seven of the Open 60 monohulls broke the previous monohull record. Several boats suffered damage, however.
ORMA 60 Multihulls:[Leader Board— ORMA 60 Multihulls], from the official web site
Michel Desjoyeaux Geant 8 days 8 hours 29 min Thomas Coville Sodebo 8 days 10 hours 38 min Franck Cammas Groupama 8 days 14 hours 16 min Alain Gautier Foncia 9 days 7 hours 5 min Karine Fauconnier Sergio Tacchini 9 days 12 hours 36 min Lalou Roucayrol Banque Populaire 9 days 14 hours 5 min Giovanni Soldini TIM Progetto Italia 10 days 6 hours 26 min Philippe Monnet Sopra 10 days 9 hours 28 min Fred Le Peutrec Gitana XI 11 days 9 hours 20 min Steve Ravussin Banque Covefi 12 days 4 hours 27 min Yves Parlier Mediatis Region Aquitaine 13 days 7 hours 11 min Marc Guillemot Gitana X broken centre boardIMOCA 60 Monohulls:[Leader Board— IMOCA 60 Monohulls], from the official web site
Mike Golding Ecover 12 days 15 hours 18 min Dominique Wavre Temenos 12 days 18 hours 22 min Mike Sanderson Pindar Alphagraphics 12 days 20 hours 54 min Nick Moloney Skandia 13 days 9 hours 13 min Conrad Humphreys Hellomoto 13 days 20 hours 24 min Marc Thiercelin Pro-Form 14 days 1 hours 41 min Hervé Laurent UUDS 14 days 3 hours 58 min Sebastien Josse VMI 14 days 10 hours 2 min (corrected) Karen Leibovici Atlantica-Charente Maritime 17 days 17 hours 12 min Norbert Sedlacek Austria One 17 days 18 hours 35 min Charles Hedrich Objectif 3 18 days 4 hours 12 min Anne Liardet Quicksilver 19 days 14 hours 27 min Jean-Pierre Dick Virbac dismasted Vincent Riou PRB dismasted Bernard Stamm Cheminees Pouj. Armour Lux capsizedORMA 50 Multihulls:[Leader Board— ORMA 50 Multihulls], from the official web site
Eric Bruneel Trilogic 14 days 1 hours 23 min Rich Wilson Great American II 15 days 0 hours 19 min Dominique Demachy Gify 15 days 13 hours 13 min Etienne Hochede PiR2 19 days 13 hours 45 min Franck-Yves Escoffier Crepes Whaou! broke centreboard Mike Birch Nootka autipilots brokeIMOCA 50 Monohulls:[Leader Board— IMOCA 50 Monohulls], from the official web site
Kip Stone Artforms 15 days 5 hours 20 min Joe Harris Wells Fargo 16 days 14 hours 21 min Jacques Bouchacourt Okami 17 days 23 hours 17 min Roger Langevin Branec III over time limit
References
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.