Offshore Racing

Yesterday, the Vendée Globe race organisers announced the final fleet of participants: With the waiver of a wildcard, qualification is based on miles sailed, in 40th place Oliver Heer SUI, who has thus cleared all the hurdles for participation. The report.

The Tour de France starts today with the prologue in Dunkerque, this year a mixture of short regattas at the leg venues and a total of 6 connecting legs along the French Atlantic coast. Among the 15 teams, there is again a team from the Geneva CER with Valentin Gautier SUI this year. A women's team, led by the Olympic medalist Susanne Beucke GER, is among the participants for the first time. Eivinn Melleby NOR on board the international 'Neka Sailing Team' is the second Olympic medalist among the starters. ----- The reports.

Oliver Heer SUI suffered serious damage during the Transat CIC, including a power failure. Thanks in part to contacts with his shore crew, he was still able to finish the race. The race organisers had lodged a protest against Heer for "unauthorised assistance". The jury has now rejected the protest, which means that Oliver Heer SUI has overcome another hurdle towards the Vendée Globe. The report.

From 2019-2022, Yann Quenet FRA has already circumnavigated the Globe in a 4m long self-built yacht. Yesterday, he started his second circumnavigation in Saint Brieuc FRA. ----- The report.

The 'New-York-Vendée' came to an end yesterday evening at 22h with Denis Van Weynberg NED finishing 27th. Only Sam Goodchild GBR had to abandon the race after breaking his mast. Oliver Heer SUI finished 24th and thus secured his starting place for the Vendée Globe, the report. The race tracker with ranking and the reports.

We reported on the victory of Remon Vos NED's 100-foot maxi 'Black Jack' yesterday. In second place arrived the Club Swan 80 'My Song', which fought a close duel with Black Jack up to the Giraglia Rock, but tore its mainsail in the fresh mistral at the gybe and was only sailing with a headsail for the rest of the race. All rankings and the report.

This morning, Benjamin Dutreux FRA ('Guyot Environement') crossed the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne in 13th place. It's rush hour this afternoon at the finish: 14th (Eric Bellion FRA) to 18th (Clarisse Cremer FRA) are only 12 miles apart! The last group with Oliver Heer SUI - now 23rd - finally has fresh winds again and should reach the finish late this evening. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Fresh mistral winds of over 30 knots made for a fast race: Shortly after midnight, the 100-foot maxi Black Jack reached the finish in Genoa after 15 hours 24 minutes, just one hour over the course record. The rest of the fleet is still underway this morning, with many teams not even starting due to the stormy conditions. The race tracker and the event website.

Yesterday, the next group arrived in Les Sables d'Olonne: Samantha Davis GBR ('Initatives Coeur') finished 6th, 3 days 7 hours behind. Only 6 hours later Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team SNEF') finished 8th. Meanwhile, 10 Open 60 have reached the finish line. The second half of the fleet (from 18th place onwards) is still in the calms in the middle of the Atlantic but is expected to receive fresh winds by midday today. Oliver Heer SUI is 20th. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The start of the Mediterranean classic Giraglia from St. Tropez to Genoa takes place today at midday in St. Tropez. In the IRC classification, 86 teams will be at the start, including Ruedi Huber SUI with his TP52 ‘Music’ and Pietro Supino SUI with his Swan 80 ‘Sapma’ - the entry lists. The race covers 243 miles from St.Tropez via the Giraglia rock in the north of Corsica to Genoa. The start will be broadcast live from 12 noon. The event website.

Two days behind the winner Charlie Dalin FRA, Jérémy Beyou FRA ('Charal') finished 3rd in Les Sables d'Olonne yesterday. Only 2 hours later Sébastien Simon FRA ('Groupe Dubreuil') followed, and another hour later Thomas Ruyant FRA ('Vulnerable') was 5th. This morning, the second chasing group will reach the finish: Yoann Richomme ('Arkea-Paprec') was still 50 miles short, and only 3 miles behind, Samantha Davis GBR ('Initiatives Coeur') is not letting up. Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team SNEF') will finish the race in 8th place at noon today. Oliver Heer SUI leads the group that tried their luck in the north in 18th place .... and is still in the calms. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Yesterday afternoon, Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) crossed the finish line in 2nd place, 17 hours behind winner Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif). Tonight, the first chasing group will follow with Jérémy Béyou FRA (Charal), Sébastien Simon FRA (Groupe Dubreuil), and Thomas Ruyant FRA (Vulnerable) - the battle for 3rd place has not yet been decided. ----- The second chasing group follows 140 miles behind, with Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team Snef) in 8th place. ----- The second half of the fleet is bobbing in the center of a high in the middle of the North Atlantic: Oliver Heer SUI is 20th this morning at just 0.4 knots! ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Shortly before midnight, Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) crossed the finish line after 10 days and 4 hours as the winner of the New York Vendée. Next up today is Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) in Les Sables d'Olonne, he was still 174 miles short this morning. Justine Mettraux is sailing in the second chasing group - 550 miles short of the finish. Ranks 6 (Samantha Davis GBR (Initatives Coeur)) to 8 (Justine Mettraux SUI/Teamwork-Team Snef) are only 3 miles apart! The second half of the fleet is still in the doldrums in the middle of the Atlantic. Oliver Heer SUI was able to fight his way up to 17th place. The race tracker and the reports.

It remains exciting! Although Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif), somewhat knocked off yesterday, should reach the finish tomorrow evening as the winner. It remains completely open whether the southern group will conquer the other podium places or whether Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) will still manage to regain his second place. He has finally reached fresh winds in the north and is now the fastest in the fleet. He has moved to 6th place and is now 80 miles behind second-placed Jérémy Béyou FRA (Charal). Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF) is still in 7th place. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The difficult weather conditions on the North Atlantic continued yesterday. Only Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif), already 364 miles ahead and still making good progress, should reach the finish on Saturday. The north winds that are now blowing should carry him to the finish. Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) is still waiting for wind in the far north He has now dropped back to 11th place. New in 2nd place is Thomas Ruyant FRA (Vulnerable), who leads the closely bunched southern group. In this group in 7th place is also Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF), just 40 miles behind Ruyant. Oliver Heer SUI improved one place to 24th, His middle group has reached a huge doldrums zone and is sailing close together. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The two breakaways Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) and alone in the far north Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) were both slowed down yesterday by high pressure zones. Meanwhile, the fleet, more than 300 miles back, has split into two groups: The first chasing group will pass the Azores to the south, a diversion with a little more wind. The second group will sail a little further north. Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF) is in 8th place in the southern group, 380 miles behind. The race tracker and the reports.

The atypical weather continues to make for a varied race in the North Atlantic. Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) is now 215 miles ahead of Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia), who has turned north in search of wind. The main part of the fleet - Yoann Richhomme FRA is already 441 miles behind in 3rd place - is seeking its luck in the south. Among them is Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF), who has moved up to 6th place, 467 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI follows in 25th place. The race tracker and the reports.

In the still changeable conditions in the North Atlantic, a preliminary decision was probably made yesterday: Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) and Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) were the only ones to reach the fresh southerly winds and pulled away. This morning, Boris Herrmann GER and Charlie Dalin already have a 260-mile lead over third-placed Nicolas Lunven FRA (Holcim-PRB). Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF) also made a leap forward: in 6th place she is 283 miles back, only 23 miles behind 3rd place. Oliver Heer SUI is still 25th. The race tracker and the reports.

After the flat transition zone, the fleet has now reached fresh southerly winds and accelerated again, but the weather remains inconsistent. Back in the lead is Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia), who has chosen a slightly more northerly course than the leading group. Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) is 7 miles back in 2nd, Nicolas Lunven FRA (Holcim-PRB) follows in 3rd, 19 miles behind. The women's championship is underway in positions 8-12: in 8th, Pip Hare GBR (Medallia) is 90 miles behind, Justin Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF) follows in 11th, 98 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI has dropped back to 25th place. The race tracker and the reports.

Yesterday, the fleet reached a flatter transition zone with the leaders moving closer together. Next up are southerly winds of up to 30 knots, and it remains to be seen who will be the first to accelerate from the now widely spread out fleet. ----- Charlie Dalin FRA ('Macif') is ahead with a 1.6-mile lead over Nicolas Lunven FRA ('Holcim-PRB'). Jérémy Beyou FRA ('Charal') is 9 miles behind in 3rd place. Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia') is 11 miles back in 4th place. Justine Mettraux SUI has moved to 8th place, 38 miles behind. Positioned slightly south of the leading group, she has a good chance of reaching the fresh southerly winds first today. Oliver Heer SUI follows as the first non-foiler in 15th place, 117 miles behind. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

After the flat start, fresher westerly winds kicked in yesterday as expected and the fleet accelerated to 30kn (55km/h). ----- The foiling favorites have moved to the front: Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) is 0.6 miles ahead of Nicolas Lunven FRA (Holcim-PRB) this morning, with Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) a further 0.2 miles behind. Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF), 35 miles behind, has moved up to 11th place after a slow start. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Since the start yesterday evening 80 miles outside New York, light winds have dominated the action, and the fleet of 28 solo skippers is making slow progress and sailing close together. Conditions that for once favored the older IMOCAs without foils. ----- In the lead is Sébastien Simon FRA (Groupe Dubreuil) with a 0.3 mile advantage over Violette Dorange FRA (Devenir), followed 0.1 mile behind by Samantha Davis GBR (Initiatives Coeur). Justine Mettraux SUI in 18th place is 3 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI is currently 21st, but still has to take a 3-hour early start penalty. At the moment, there is a big lull, but during the day, westerly winds will set in. Towards THE evening, the first yachts should pass the last (virtual) control mark 180 miles off New York. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Tonight at 20h the start of the last big race of the Open 60 before the start of the Vendée Globe will take place off New York. The 29 solo skippers are already on their way to the virtual starting line, the best way to follow the start will probably be via Race-Tracker. The forecasts so far predict a crossing with rather moderate winds. The last starting places for the Vendée Globe are also at stake: Oliver Heer SUI must finish the race to confirm his qualification, as must Violette Dorange FRA, the youngest participant at the age of 22. Also taking part is Jingkun Xu CHN, who has to make do with just one hand and is a national hero in his home country. The favourites are Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif), Thomas Ruyant FRA (Vulnerable), Yoanne Richomme FRA (Paprec-Arkéa) and Jérémy Beyou FRA (Charal). But Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team Snef) and Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) can also be counted on. Herrmann GER will be broadcasting the start live from aboard his Malizia from 1945h CET. The race tracker and the event website with reports and pictures from New York.

The start of the transatlantic race back to France takes place tomorrow in New York. This is the last big test before the Vendée Globe (start in November), and therefore also the last qualifying regatta; 40 solo skippers are allowed to take part in the Vendée. Switzerland will once again be represented by Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team Snef) and Oliver Heer SUI, who was able to repair his damaged Open 60 in time. Alan Roura SUI (Hublot), however, will miss the start: He damaged one of his foils in a collision with flotsam, and a serious repair is not possible in New York - the report. The preview.

Another coastal race was on the program yesterday in St. Malo. After an initial lull, fresh winds of around 18 knots set in and the trimarans were able to realize their full potential with speeds of up to 30 knots. ----- The day's victory went to ‘Solidaires en Peloton’ with Thibault Vaucher-Camus FRA, which moved up to second place. ‘Réalités’ with Fabrice Cahierc FRA defended their lead in the overall standings with a 2nd place. The women's team of Francesca Clapcich ITA with Elodie Mettraux SUI ('Upwind by Merconcept') abandoned the race and remain in 8th place. ----- The leaderboard and the report.

The first act of the annual Ocean Fifty trimaran championship began yesterday with 4 races. 9 teams are at the start, including Francesca Clapcich ITA's women's team with Elodie-Jane Mettraux SUI among others. Fabrice Cahierc FRA and his team took the lead with two race wins. The report.

The Mini-en-Mai came to a close this morning. Marie Gendron FRA beat her closest rival Romain Van Enis FRA by just 7 minutes. Felix Oberle SUI followed in 5th place, 3 hours behind. The race tracker and the Facebook page.

After around two-thirds of the 500-mile race, the fleet's top is rounding the southern course mark in front of La Rochelle this morning. Another 180 miles direction north are left to Lorient. The leading trio is sailing close together. This morning, Romain Van Ennis FRA was one mile ahead of Marie Gendron FRA, and Caroline Boule FRA a further mile behind. Felix Oberle SUI remains in 5th place, 18 miles back, while Mathis Bourgnon SUI seems to have abandoned the race. ----- The race tracker and the Facebook page.

The fleet passed the northern course mark this morning. The race so far has been characterised by light winds, around a third of the race distance has been covered. A leading quartet has managed to pull away somewhat: Caroline Boule FRA leads ahead of Marie Gendron FRA and Romain Van Ennis FRA. Felix Oberle SUI is the first of the chasing group in 6th place, 6 miles behind. The race tracker and the Facebook page with the pictures.

Today sees the start of the Mini-en-Mai, a three-day 500-mile race off the coast of Brittany, in La Trinité-sur-Mer. At the start are 88 solo skippers, including Mathis Bourgnon SUI and Felix Oberle SUI. ----- The event website and the race tracker.