Clarisse & Alan crossed the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre!
Today, at 11:20 UTC, Clarisse Crémer & Alan Roberts crossed the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre, onboard the IMOCA L’Occitane en Provence after 13 days and 50 minutes of racing in 9th position out of 40 IMOCA’s initially racing. An outstanding performance, considering the pair had only a few weeks of experience on this boat, before the start.
This entire race has been a difficult balance between being competitive and looking after the boat due to the importance of completing the Retour à La Base race in only ten days which counts towards the qualification for the Vendée Globe 2024.
The pair faced several difficulties over the past 2 weeks. First, the start of the race was far from smooth sailing, with the initial weather conditions being very challenging. Strong gusts and rough seas in the opening days made navigation exceptionally demanding. Despite encountering setbacks, including a torn sail and engine issues, Clarisse and Alan displayed unwavering determination. With help from their technical team, they conducted repairs at sea, ensuring their vessel remained competitive throughout the race.
To round out a great race the final days were a fierce neck-and-neck competition with the IMOCA V&B skippered by Maxime Sorel until the finish line. The shore team welcomed the duo in Martinique this morning, after crossing the finish line at 11:20 local time.
"We're pleased to be here. We've achieved our goals: to make the finish, finish in the top 10 and sail the way we wanted to. Alan and I got on really well and we make a great team. Even though we had a few problems, on the whole, we were able to sail as we wanted. We chose a nice route and did a lot of downwind sailing. It worked well for both of us. We didn't know each other very well before July, we'd only met on the pontoons, but we have complementary experiences, we're the same age and we're similar in certain aspects of the race. Obviously, we're a bit tired. It's difficult to rest on this boat, it wears you out, and that's something we're going to have to optimise.” Added Clarisse.
Overall the pair were pleased about their performance: "We got on well. The boat was launched just a few months ago and we've learnt a lot. Our competitive side wanted us to take the northern option, but we decided to stay south and we were happy to see that so many other skippers would make that decision also. It's a great boat, ideal for Clarisse's Vendée Globe. The aim was also to learn and that's been the case in terms of trimming and systems.” Explained Alan Roberts, the co-skipper on this race.
Now the next few days will be very intense, as the shore team will ensure the boat is ready and safe to go back to sea while Clarisse will rest and get prepared to start the Retour à La Base on the 30th of November. Crossing the Atlantic solo will be a good challenge and training for the Vendée Globe next year.