Transat Jacques Vabre - The Podium Complete

Costa Rica - After surviving brutal storms, which took many competitors out of the Transat Jacques Vabre yacht race from France, the Multi50 multihull Crêpes Whaou sailed in to port under fireworks this week, as the first boat to finish this grueling race across the Atlantic. All eyes then quickly turned back to the Caribbean, to watch the Open 60s cross the line only hours later. With the arrival of Mike Golding in third place, the Open 60 podium for the ninth edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre is now complete, though the race continues for many.

Crêpes Whaou! 3 started the excitement, sailing out of the darkness to cross the finish line off Puerto Limon at 04:31 GMT on Tuesday. This was Franck Yves Escoffier third win in the Transat Jacques Vabre, but the first time he and co-skipper Erwan Le Roux had taken the new sailboat Crêpes Whaou! 3 across. The French pair took 15 days, 15 hours, and 31 minutes to complete the Multi50 course, which took the multihull south of Barbados for a total of 5805 miles of sailing, at an average speed of 13.41 knots. Asked about memories of this Transat, Escoffier said: “You have to start with this finish, the arrival here has been an extraordinary reception. We have seen some great welcomes but here in Puerto Limon between the fireworks and the whole world out to greet us on the dock, that was a great moment." With a different course for the Open 60s, it wasn't always assured that the Multihulls would finish first, so for Escoffier, it was a relief to finish before the monohulls. "The objective was always [to win], as well to beat the IMOCA Open 60's in and we pushed hard to do that,” he said upon arrival in Costa Rica.

A little over four hours later, the Open 60 winners crossed the finish line in Puerto Limon. Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier-Bénac sailed in at 08:52 GMT on Tuesday after 15 days 19 hrs 22 mins 10 secs at sea. The Frenchmen sailed their boat Safran a total of 5263 miles on the Open 60 route, at an average speed of 12.46 secs. Although the sailors had battled through a difficult Atlantic storm which took out several boats in their fleet, Guillemot admitted upon arrival that the worst part of their race was the final 24 hours.

With the Open 60 Groupe Bel in 'stealth mode' just 90 miles behind, Safran sailed the final miles in very unpredictable winds, its crew consumed by the worry that Kito de Pavant and François Gabart might sneak up from behind as they closed in on Costa Rica. “Every time were battling under the clouds, the storms, the rain, with no wind I was imagining Kito and François with their Laughing Cow running down the slopes with 25 knots of wind, whereas we were stuck with three or four knots. It was super hard for the morale, very stressful. Even up to an hour before the line we were still very anxious. But the main thing is that we got in in front,” said a relieved Guillemot.

At 17:33 Kito de Pavant and François Gabart crossed the Transat Jacques Vabre finish line themselves, taking second place in the IMOCA Open 60 class. For this race, 49 year old Kito partnered with 26 year old François, a French sailor who was top rookie on last year's Figaro circuit. Kito said as he stepped into dock: "I am very proud to finish second behind Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier Bénac. They were great from beginning to end. They really did not make any mistakes and sailed a great course. They have an excellent boat, which I can happily say because ours is the same." With tears in his eyes, Kito added: "I made a good choice, I certainly did with François, he was really good. He did much more than I asked of him."

Finishing up the IMOCA Open 60 podium was Mike Golding and Javier Sanso on the newly renamed boat Mike Golding Yacht Racing, which crossed the line at 14:59 GMT on Wednesday. The double-handed sailing team battled with equipment problems for much of the Transat Jacques Vabre race, and their ability to complete the race with such a good time is a testament to the will and skills of these seasoned ocean sailors.

This was Mike Golding's sixth consecutive Transat Jacques Vabre race and the fourth time the British skipper has finished on the podium. Golding finished second on 2001, and third in 1999 and 2003. This is, however, the first time he raced with his new sailing partner Javier Sanso, who was happy to no only survive the race unharmed, but share the podium with his friend. The sailor from Spain remarked: “It was a pretty tough race and we are happy with the result. Certainly when I look back and remember being in Le Havre and looking around at the standard of the fleet, and all the rock-stars of the IMOCA Open 60 world, I am very pleased to be in here with this result. Yes, it is a little frustrating that we had our problems which held us back, our electrics, battery and engine problems, but in the end it is a good result to be proud of. It was tough in the big storm. I don't mind telling you we were down below for a time just ready for whatever was going to happen, lifejackets on, harnesses on, but the thing is it was so bad outside I don't know what we would have done.”

Mike Golding was happy to have made this comeback after a dismasting forced him out of the Vendee Globe around the world race. "The mast is still up, the keel is still on and we are in relatively good shape, with a good result. I think that it is the same for all us top three boats here. We are all boats who were in the Vendée Globe, and for one reason or another were knocked out of the Vendée Globe, so for all of us it is a nice feeling to exorcise that demon.”

After Michel Desjoyeaux won that around the world race, Mike Golding had his head set on beating his friendly rival. Golding jokingly told YachtPals before the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, "I don't care if I'm 15th, so long as he's [Desjoyeaux] 16th! But, I mean, obviously he's the winner of the Vendée, and from my perspective it would be nice to beat that boat, but it's a pretty tall order I have to say." Golding got his wish, as he crossed the line nearly eight hours ahead of 'Le Professeur [22:14:34 GMT], who will no doubt have a new fire in his belly to retake the honors in the next Transat Jacques Vabre race.

- Sailing news by Kim Hampton exclusively for YachtPals.com

IMOCA Open 60 - Transat Jacques Vabre

1. Safran Marc Guillemot - Charles Caudrelier Benac - FINISHED 04:31 GMT NOV 23
2. Groupe Bel Kito De Pavant - François Gabart - FINISHED 17:33 GMT NOV 23
3. Mike Golding Yacht Racing Mike Golding - Javier Sanso - FINISHED 14:59 GMT NOV 24
4. Foncia Michel Desjoyeaux - Jérémie Beyou - - FINISHED 22:14 GMT NOV 24

• W Hotels Alex Pella - Pepe Ribes - AT SEA
• Veolia Environment Roland Jourdain - Jean Luc Nélias - AT SEA
• Akena Verandas Arnaud Boissières - Vincent Riou - AT SEA
• Aviva Dee Caffari - Brian Thompson - AT SEA
• 1876 Yves Parlier- Pachi Rivero - AT SEA
• Artemis Ocean Racing Samantha Davies - Sidney Gavignet - AT SEA

BRIT AIR Armel Le Cleac'h - Nicolas Troussel - Retired
BT Sébastien Josse - Jean François Cuzon - Retired
DCNS Marc Thiercelin - Christopher Pratt - Retired
HUGO BOSS Alex Thomson - Ross Daniel - Retired

Multi50 - Transat Jacques Vabre

1. CRÊPES WHAOU ! Franck Yves Escoffier - Erwan Leroux - FINISHED 04:31 GMT NOV 23

• GUYADER POUR URGENCE CLIMATIQUE Victorien Erussard - Loic Fecquet - AT SEA
• REGION AQUITAINE-PORT MEDOC Lalou Roucayrol - Amaiur Alfaro - AT SEA
• PRINCE DE BRETAGNE Hervé Cleris - Christophe Dietsch - AT SEA

ACTUAL Yves Le Blevec - Jean Le Cam - Retired
FENETREA-CARDINAL Alain Maignan - Nicole Harel - Retired

Related Sailing Articles and Photos:

• Transat Jacques Vabre (all articles, photos, videos and blogs from the Transat Jacques Vabre)
• Transat Jacques Vabre – Speed Sailing the Atlantic (with daily updates during the race)
  
• Mike Golding Interview
• Boat Pitch-Poled in Transat Jacques Vabre
• Ocean Rescue in the Transat Jacques Vabre
• Open 60 (yacht pals Open 60 yachts)
  
• Le Havre
• France
• Michel Desjoyeaux
• Dee Caffari
• Mike Golding
• Sam Davies
• Brian Thompson
• Vincent Riou
• Vendée Globe
• Open 60
• Trimarans
• Sailing News

Sailing Video: Finishers in the Transat Jacques Vabre yacht race. Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier Benac sailing SAFRAN, Kito De Pavant and François Gabart sailing GROUPE BEL, and Mike Golding and Javier Sanso sailing MIKE GOLDING YACHT RACING across the Transat Jacques Vabre finish line in Costa Rica. Tip: Click TV icon on video player above to view video full screen.

Sailing Videos: Sailing in the Transat Jacques Vabre. Tip: Click right/left arrows to see next/last video.