Transat CIC parade of sail and the race village inaugurated

Transat CIC parade of sail and the race village inaugurated

by The Transat CIC 23 Apr 11:06 PDT
28 April 2024

The fifteenth version of The Transat CIC, the well-known solo race from France throughout the North Atlantic to New York which can begin this Sunday from Lorient La Base took actual form and kind in the present day with the parade of the 34 IMOCAs and 13 Class 40s out across the Groix islands earlier than Lorient’s race village was inaugurated within the stunning early night Spring sunshine.

It was an impressive spectacle on the water permitting the solo racers a super alternative to take sponsors, family and friends afloat prematurely of Sunday’s begin in addition to giving the passionate native crusing fraternity an opportunity to see the fleet up shut and private. All through the day many guests flocked to the La Base oceanic and offshore crusing centre to see the fleet and the skippers. And the opening day of The Transat CIC was a key second to introduce and acknowledge the help of the company and institutional companions which make this historic race potential.

A good looking parade across the island of Groix for the IMOCAs and the Class40s

The Begin Village of the fifteenth version of The Transat CIC was inaugurated at 1800hrs native time. within the presence, amongst others, of Mireille Haby, Basic Director of CIC Ouest; Fabrice Loher, Mayor of Lorient and president of Lorient Agglomération; Delphine Alexandre, Vice-President of Well being, Water and Distribution of the Brittany Area; Edouard Coudurier, President of the Télégramme Group and Joseph Bizard, Managing Director OC Sport Pen Duick. After the standard ribbon slicing, all of the non-public and institutional companions of the race will stroll by way of the Begin Village of The Transat CIC earlier than participating in speeches on stage.

They mentioned:

Mireille Haby, Basic Director CIC Ouest: ” CIC is proud to be a accomplice of The Transat CIC and to fulfill all ocean racing lovers for the opening of the village on Lorient La Base. This village completely displays the values of the CIC, a mission-driven firm, by highlighting its robust commitments: supporting the territories, the decarbonization of transport with a give attention to crusing transport, with out forgetting help for all entrepreneurs. Beginning with the 48 skippers engaged on this tough route and to whom we want good luck! “

Fabrice Loher, Mayor of Lorient and President of Lorient Agglomération: “By welcoming the beginning of The Transat CIC, our goal is to affiliate the area with a significant offshore race. It has historic legitimacy once we bear in mind the double-handed Transat, within the Nineteen Eighties, which noticed the participation of nice crusing figures similar to Éric Tabarly, Marc Pajot, Florence Arthaud, Philippe Poupon and Bruno Peyron. and the Volvo Ocean Race gained in 2012 by Franck Cammas, an area skipper. However above all it has the technical and financial legitimacy with the distinctive infrastructure of the offshore racing middle and the presence of the most important groups at Lorient La Base.”

Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of the Brittany Area: “A monument to the single-handed ocean race, The Transat CIC was marked by the exploits of remarkable sailors – notably Breton – who, over time, contributed to forging its legend. It’s subsequently with nice satisfaction that the Brittany Area is becoming a member of, as a important accomplice, within the occasion ranging from Lorient. Past its sporting, fashionable and festive character, this occasion, hosted within the coronary heart of Brittany Crusing Valley®, is a chance to focus on the financial ecosystem of aggressive crusing in Brittany. This sector, which innovates for a lot of sectors, constitutes a formidable laboratory for exploring the mobility of the longer term, extra respectful of the setting. With the help of the Brittany Area, these concerned in aggressive crusing are dedicated and play a significant function in supporting accelerator within the ecological transition by mobilizing their innovation capacities, notably within the growth of propulsion applied sciences for crusing ships.”

Joseph Bizard, Basic Director OC Sport Pen Duick: “The inauguration of the Departure Village of the fifteenth version of The Transat CIC marks the beginning of the festivities, which can enliven Lorient La Base for six days. This can spotlight the brand new house port of the race, the place many offshore racing groups have taken up residence. We’re completely happy to arrange the beginning of the race within the Brittany Area and extra notably right here in Lorient La Base, and to provide a nod to historical past. The boats are actually moored in entrance of the Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly, not removed from Pen-Duick. It is transferring as a result of the 48 opponents will set off on Sunday on a transatlantic race gained by Éric Tabarly, whose victories in 1964 and 1976 largely contributed to the democratization of crusing, a sport that fascinates us a lot in the present day. The very good photographs of the boats circumnavigating the island of Groix this afternoon portend an impressive departure on Sunday, when they may set off in direction of New York. We’re already trying ahead to and await the quite a few guests to the Race Village.”

Japan’s Kojiro Shiraishi seeking to construct new reminiscences and a robust outcome on The Transat CIC

For the Japanese skipper of DMG MORI GLOBAL ONE, Kojiro Shiraishi, the Transat CIC solo race from Lorient throughout the North Atlantic to New York which begins on Sunday will not be solely a vital IMOCA Globe Sequence race en path to qualification for his third Vendée Globe.

Extra particularly it represents a protracted awaited probability to reconnect with among the formative moments of his very early profession and revisit fond reminiscences of his apprenticeship along with his legendary mentor Yukoh Tada, the Tokyo taxi driver turned ocean racer who grew to become the primary Japanese sailor to win a around the world race. After triumphing in Class 2 on the 1983 BOC Problem around the world race Tada sadly took his personal life through the 1991 Round Alone. Since shedding his ‘grasp’ Koji has devoted all of his races on his boats ‘Spirit of Yukoh’ to Tada.

However extra pragmatically the Transat CIC sees ‘Koji’ searching for to ship a stable solo race outcome, ending up among the many 2019 foiling boats of DMG MORI GLOBAL ONE’s design. He finds himself nonetheless searching for qualifying miles after having to retire early from the 2022 Route du Rhum after a collision not lengthy after the beginning.

And whereas he made a great job of final yr’s RETOUR À LA BASE solo from Martinique again to Lorient he suffered from the debilitating signs of Dengue fever during the Transatlantic passage which actually compromised his capacity to assault within the strong, excessive velocity situations.

Now aged 56, second oldest skipper on the circuit after 64 yr outdated Jean Le Cam, Koji is in glorious bodily and psychological form with a properly ready boat which has a full new set of sails designed and spec’d for the Vendée Globe. Trying again at his connections with The Transat he recollects,

“When the beginning was in Plymouth and I used to be based mostly in Gosport in 2006 I went to the beginning seeking to purchase a 60 footer he may very well be and these have been the primary fashionable Open 60s I had seen and I used to be hooked and so in lots of respects my historical past with the Open/IMOCA 60 began there.” He recollects. He acknowledges he’s in a stronger place than final yr when it comes to securing a particular place on the Vendée Globe begin line however he explains, “This race could be very a lot about ending. We have to begin each races to ‘tick the bins’ and we’re behind on miles and so we have to give attention to ending each races, the Transat CIC and the New York Vendée. Now we have upgraded the boat since final yr with a brand new bow and foils and now have all model new sails which we have to check however I’m going to push exhausting on each races. I’ll sail secure however I’m additionally fortunate sufficient to have two almost an identical masts so I can afford to push exhausting.”

Equally there are very worthwhile business causes to do Transat CIC, “The USA is necessary to us from a business standpoint, DMG Mori USA is large there they usually have shoppers they’re bringing to us, which is good as that’s totally different to, say, Martinique or Guadeloupe. And we now have a sponsor in Hakkaisan, a Japanese sake which is brewed in New York. However as properly New York itself could be very particular to me because the Round Alone began there in 2002. That was simply after 9/11 and the race began very close to to Floor Zero. So it’s a particular place in my coronary heart as does Newport RI, we’ll go there. Now we have so many buddies there as I spent a number of time there. The primary time was with Yuko Tada in 1990 after I was shore crew with Kukoh Tada.”

He outlines his early historical past which is commonly missed as he began lengthy earlier than ocean racing mushroomed in France, ” I began with Kukoh Tada constructed boat in Japan, sailed throughout the Pacific to San Francisco after which I arrived in San Francisco to ship the boat with him by way of the Panama Canal to Newport. That was his first lengthy ocean passage on the age of 20. That was when Augin, Jeantot and Gautier have been all competing and Yukoh Tada needed to play his sax within the Newport Jazz Pageant however they didn’t contemplate him adequate and mentioned no. And in addition in 2002 the end of the Round Alone was into Newport so the USA could be very particular.”

Shiraishi will not be lengthy again in France from his winter at house in Japan, “It was good to be again house…not least as a result of everybody understands me!” he laughs, “However I reside in two very totally different worlds. In France it is just crusing and work, focusing solely on the venture. And at house it’s all about doing sponsor relations work as a result of many of the sponsors are there and Japanese. So the one time I’m able to meet them is when I’m at house. It is vitally exhausting to keep up a great relationship together with your sponsors when the boat will not be shut by.”

And greater than ever he works exhausting at his energy and conditioning together with Jérémie Beyou’s health coach Stéphane Eliot, “I prepare exhausting and take care of myself rigorously however at my age restoration time is longer. I’m making an attempt to construct a physique which doesn’t break, that’s the goal!”