Regata Transat 6.50, 30 years of advances.

2007

Transat 650:30 years of advances

Days ago it divided the new edition of Transat 650, with nothing less than 89 participant boats of 16 countries, among which we counted on Alex Pellet, Valencian regatista with a great future. From La Rochelle to Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, 4,200 nautical miles with a single Stop in Madeira. Thus it is the new edition of important regata transoceanic.

One regata as mythical as beautiful in that small boats but of enormous benefits compete and with technical advances that in many cases are ended up later imposing years in the categories superiors of IMOCA and OPENs 60 and OPEN70. Transat 650 is an authentic quarry which they come to the light the best regatistas the world: Ellen Mc Arthur, Isabelle Autissier, Catherine Chabaud, Yves Parlier, Jean-Light Van Den Heede, Michel Desjoyaux, Loïck and Dark brown Peyron, Yvan and Laurent Bourgnon, Roland Jourdain, Sébastien Josse, Thomas Coville, Lionel Lemonchois, Halvard Mabire ..... All ran the first then Mini call.

First regata was organized by skipper British Bob Salmon and took place 30 years ago being celebrated the race of biennial form, until this its edition nº16. The limitation to 6.5 meters of length guarantees very reasonable budgets to anyone of the participant equipment. To cross the Atlantic in a so small boat and alone entails many efforts and deprivations. One does not become by money, he is something that is only made by the beauty sail and by the love towards the ocean.

The first stage crosses the Bay of Biscay where favorable winds can occur or on the contrary to appear a typical depression characteristic of this zone that forces to sail to the northeast to more take advantage of the rotation winds. The arrival to Madeira usually is quite technical since the wind changes are frequent.

The second stage leaves 6 from October leading for the participants for the South hemisphere. To the latitude of the Canary Islands the classic thing is to take course the West or to go towards Green Cabo for next going towards the Doll-Drums or intertropical convergence zones where so soon a strong shower with 50 wind knots can be taken, like being encalmados during interminable hours. After the passage of the Equator the destiny is Bay

Michel Desjoyeaux Mini 1991: “These boats are truly laboratories of naval experimentation.”

The Boats of Transat 650

Two categories between customs or prototypes and boats of series settle down. In her they appeared the first masts of carbon, the first sailboats of double rudder, the first tilted keels. But always limited the 6.50 meters of length and 3 meters of sleeve. The openwork in prototypes is at the most of 2 meters or 1.6 for those of series.

The common denominator is to especially reduce weight as he is, in the heights. By each kilo of weight that is managed to reduce in the mast, it is possible to reduce up to 3 kilos in the keel and therefore so much in the development of carbon light fiber masts is investigated.

Life on board

Most significant it is the necessity to rest per periods of 20 minutes during the night. It is necessary to verify the presence of ships and freighters in commercial routes, to change candles, to consider the rotation of the wind or to fit the autopilot, very frequently. To sleep per periods of dream of less than half an hour is one of the keys of the success. The meals are little but very nutritious, since to embark food for more than 30 days it supposes an important overweight. For that reason much is taken care of on board the type of taken food and the facility whereupon can be prepared.

The first stage

The fleet of 89 solitary participants among which 6 women count themselves has initiated in La Rochelle the first stage of 1,100 miles until Madeira, After remaining 48 hours immobilized due to the delay of the exit.

With wind of the N-NE of about 15 knots of intensity, without hardly surge and a radiating sun, the participants have sailed short (a 1.5 miles) fitted section of distancing in. The youngest regatistas, of agreed to their greater anxiety, turned the beacon in head, putting course to the southwest. The nerves and the inexperience sometimes pass invoice, and the provisional leader - Adrien Ardy- in the distancing is broken the espí, moments after the distancing.

In this beginning of regata, Alex Pellet has maintained the habitual tonic in him: not to hurry, to avoid collisions and failures in the “Valencian Catalan Autonomous Government” in a so numerous exit, sailing of less to more after turning the distancing beacon and envergar its greater espí. Said and done, because without being in head in the distancing it has not yielded many meters to begin his constant but consistent course to Finisterre, with the very clear objective: “I will try to avoid breakage and failures thinking about assuring a prudent result in this first stage. Nonfodder in a position when arriving at Funchal, if not to diminish the time that can remove to me. Sometimes, to want to go by note you can lose much, and then already he is complicated to fix it in the second stage. I am motivated and I feel very comfortable with the boat. My new warlike plane perhaps gives an pleasant surprise us”.

The waited for slope of the wind has caused that the “ministas” loosen the curl of the majors and to take advantage of the smooth conditions to sail the rag yet, in its eagerness to arrive at Finisterre end and to leave the dangers of the Bay of Biscay as soon as possible. Passage by the Bay of Biscay, a direction that would stay throughout the Portuguese coast, and practically until the arrival to Funchal, the beautiful capital of the Madeira Islands. The first estimations spoke of 7-9 days to cross the 1,100 miles of this first stage.

Information on “Transat 650”

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