The Artemis Transat

Independent media evaluation reveals targets exceeded06.10.08

The first of two important studies looking back at the 13th edition of the famous single-handed transatlantic race, confirms expectations exceeded - media coverage of over 10 million Euros in value, SMS confirming a total of 6.5 million Euros in UK and France - see full story in Features below

Next stop… The Artemis Transat 2012!02.06.08

Already looking forward to The Artemis Transat 2012? In the meantime, to enjoy the complete story of The Artemis Transat 2008 go to Features and read the day by day race summary. Plus go to Video Gallery to see the final video update to experience the highs and lows of this classic solo transatlantic race that saw Loick Peyron set a new monohull record, and achieve a moment in history as the only sailor to win this race three times...

Live Skipper, the podium!29.05.08

Live Skipper Game Podium 1st Olesa : arrived on 25 May 2008 at 22:40:18s (GMT) 2nd Lekeye: arrived on 26 May 2008 at 01:00:19s (GMT) 3rd Andressr: arrived on 26 May 2008 at 01:00:19s (GMT)

New video - highlights of the race29.05.08

Watch the highlights of The Artemis Transat 2008 in video! Don't miss that great footage… in the video section.

Steve White, 9th in The Artemis Transat 200828.05.08

Steve White onboard Spirit of Weymouth crossed the finish line of The Artemis Transat at 04:04:54 GMT (midnight local time) today (28th May) to take 9th place. White’s finish completes the IMOCA results table which has seen 9 of 13 starters complete the solo transatlantic course... Spirit of Weymouth's elapsed time: 16j 15h 04min 54s, 4J 03H 19MN 19S behind first boat.

Dee Caffari takes 8th place...27.05.08

Dee Caffari onboard Aviva crossed the finish line of The Artemis Transat at 15:05:34 GMT (11:05 local time) in a time of 16 days, 2 hours and 5 mins - reactions from Dee at the dockside in Boston coming soon...

Not long now for Dee onboard Aviva...27.05.08

The strong SW wind overnight has accelerated Dee Caffari's arrival in Boston and Aviva is expected in an hour's time or less (1430 GMT): "From being miserable and at the end of my tether by being becalmed for days, I had the best days sailing of the whole race today. Once I found the breeze, it swung to the south and gave us great reaching conditions. Fast wet and wild straight to Boston. At last I saw the miles get eaten away and know that soon I will set foot on land..." (see Dee's full email in Boat Logs in the Race Console). For Steve White on Spirit of Weymouth it will be another 12 hours until he sees the city lights of Boston.

Akena Verandas ( Arnaud Boissières) 7th of The Artemis Transat27.05.08

Arnaud Boissières, onboard Akena Vérandas, crossed the finish line in Boston, at 05h00 GMT, just a few minutes after his competitor Cervin EnR.

Cervin EnR (Yannick Bestaven) 6th of The Artemis Transat27.05.08

Yannick Bestaven, onboard Cervin EnR, finishes 6th of The Artemis Transat as he crossed the finish line at 03.31 GMT. He completes the race only a few miles ahead of Akena Verandas.

Samantha Davies (Roxy) takes 5th position26.05.08

Samantha Davies (Roxy) finishes The Artemis Transat 2008 in 5th position. She crossed the finish line at 23h 00m 51s (GMT) and in doing so is the first Briton and the first woman to complete the 2008 edition. See full story below...

Samantha Davies on track for Boston ETA midnight26.05.08

Sam Davies onboard Roxy will almost certainly be the first British entry to finish The Artemis Transat at around midnight tonight. Dee Caffari on Aviva, the second British female entry, is due to finish tomorrow afternoon at approx 1400 GMT. Sam has regained control of her two closest rivals (Yannick Bestaven and Arnaud Boissieres) and builds a comfortable lead but its not over until its over (see Sam’s quotes below in Day 16 update). Behind Roxy a match race to the finish for best friends Bestaven (Cervin ENR) and Boissieres (Akena Vérandas)...

Marc Guillemot finishes 4th26.05.08

Marc Guillemot finishes 4th in The Artemis Transat 2008 onboard Safran. He was forced to put a final couple of tacks in to enter the harbour and finally crossed the finish line at 10h 18m 47s GMT in Boston recording a time of 14d 21h 18m 47s. Blue skies, cold wind from the shore, as Safran sped in to the finish line at 10 knots. Despite a broken rib, it was big smiles onboard as the slick looking latest generation 60 took a well deserved 4th place in to Boston!

Safran close to finish...26.05.08

Marc Guillemot on Safran is close to Boston - just 40 miles to go until he crosses the finish line at around 1030GMT to secure a well earned 4th place. Roxy in 5th place managed to sail 100 miles overnight and has less than 200 miles to go but, more importantly, has extended her lead over her closest rival to a more comfortable distance of 70 miles - Sam is expected to arrive at midnight tonight. Whilst Arnaud Boissieres (Akena Vérandas) and Yannick Bestaven (Cervin ENR) sailed within sight out of each and only 10 miles separates the two boats this morning - an epic battle between two great friends.

Akena Verandas and Cervin EnR within sight of each other25.05.08

As Arnaud Boissieres reported over sat phone, Akena Verandas and Cervin EnR skippered by Yannick Bestaven are within sight of each other, racing 4 miles apart. It's worth noting that the two old friends had finished first (Bestaven) and third (Boissieres) of the 2001 Mini Transat, after having carried out a common campaign, notably building 2 new prototypes together.

Thunderstorms and lightening - a hair raising time for Steve White25.05.08

"We had done a good job avoiding the worst flashes, but inevitably,all around there was one with my name on it - I couldn't get out of the way. There was sheet and then forked lightening very, very close to the boat, and you could smell it..." Go to the Race Console, click on Boat Logs and read Steve White's full account from onboard Spirit of Weymouth.

Battle for 5th, 6th and 7th place is intense...25.05.08

There is a humdinger of a battle going on behind Safran... Sam Davies (Roxy) had a 47 mile lead at the final positions tonight has a nail biting finish ahead: "Well, hopefully this will be my last full day of the race. Although, at this pace I am beginning to have doubts!!!! The last 24 hours have been SO SLOW, in little or no wind all the time. It is really tiring as the wind is changing all the time and I have to spend all my time trimming and changing everything to match the wind. It is SO frustrating to be so near yet so far, and also knowing that if you get stuck a little worse off than the others you could loose 3 places in no time! So that is why I am at 200 % to try and keep this 5th place. And keep my nerves!" (See Sam's full email in Boat Logs in the Race Console). Behind Yannick Bestaven on Cervin ENR holds a slender lead ahead of his great friend and foe Arnaud Boissieres on Akena Vérandas. This battle will prevail right through to the finish.

Little sleep, freezing cold and no let up for the remaining IMOCA boats...25.05.08

The remaining IMOCA fleet are struggling in light airs but stronger winds are forecast... Marc Guillemot on Safran "the sea is like a lake with no mountains! I am getting low on fuel so not using my heater and is it freezing. I hope to arrive in Boston in the night". Dee Caffari on Aviva (see Dee's latest email in Boat Logs in the Race Console) "I just had 24hrs of hell - in no wind and freezing fog, I feel like if I touch anything my hand will stick to it! I don't want to use my heater because if I get too warm and cosy I will fall asleep. No wind now but forecast for 30 knots SW on approach to Boston..." Click on Video Gallery to see latest Video Conference with Dee. Onboard Roxy, Sam Davies has a bit more boat speed "we're doing 7 knots which is better than before, we will probably have another calm patch tonight, then I'm anticipating 30 knots upwind for the finish..." Sam is mentally very tired as she battles to stay ahead of the chasing Cervin ENR - there will be no let up in the final phase of this race. See the Video Conference with Sam in the Video Gallery.

Yann Elies takes third place25.05.08

Generali crossed the finish line of The Artemis Transat at 4:00:22" GMT, taking third place. For now, Yann holds the best 24-hour run of 376 miles and if it holds will win the Omega Seamaster prize for the best 24-hour run...

Generali damage to top spreader...24.05.08

Yann Elies has discovered damage to the top spreader of Generali's mast. The discovery was made during a routine inspection of the mast. Elies is not overly concerned but has taken the precaution of throttling back on his route to Boston which will inevitably push back his ETA, but its unlikely his third place will be put under threat.

Meanwhile BT arrives in Lorient and PRB soon to be under tow24.05.08

Seb Josse (BT) arrived back safely in Lorient (France) at 0700 this morning and the PRB salvage operation is going to plan so far, and are just a couple of hours away from the boat according to Vincent this morning.

Watch Loick's arrival in Boston24.05.08

Click on the Latest Video to see Gitana Eighty arriving in Boston and Loick's G.H. Mumm champagne celebration!

Brit Air (Armel Le Cléac'h) official time24.05.08

Armel Le Cleac'h took second place in The Artemis Transat, crossing the finish line just outside Boston at 08:28:40 GMT in an elapsed time of 12d 19h 28m 40s finishing 7h 43m 05s behing Gitana Eighty (taking into account Loick's 2.5 time allowance). Distance on water 3171 miles. Average speed 9.67 knots (on direct route). Speed on water 10.31 knots. See photos of Armel's arrival in photo gallery...

Yann Elies looking forward to third place...24.05.08

I have a good feeling for sure to be able to be on the podium. I am really happy about this boat and it will be the second Finot Conq boat to be on the podium. I am happy for that and for the designer to have two boats in the top three. I have some wind NW 15 knots with boat speed of 12 knots - it is very cold, I have put my heater on! I should reach Boston in about 10 hours time.

The game is still on for the rest of the fleet...24.05.08

Gitany Eighty and Brit Air in Boston, here is a quick look at the remainder of the IMOCA 60 fleet still battling it out on the North Atlantic... The second group of IMOCA boats had a slow night - Marc Guillemot on Safran climbed far north before tacking back south in the night. Sam Davies on Roxy also headed north putting in a few tiring tacks but she too has now tacked south and her tactics have paid off, pulling ahead of Cervin ENR and Akena Verandas in distance to finish. Dee Caffari on Aviva also had a difficult night (click on boat logs to see Dee's log). Generali's ETA 1930 GMT which will see Yann Elies take the final place on the podium in third.

Armel Le Cléac'h claims second place24.05.08

Crossing the line at 4:28 local time in Boston, Armel Le Cléac'h aboard Britair claims a very creditable second place in The Artemis Transat.

Brit Air next on the line24.05.08

Armel Le Cléac'h is expected on the finish line in less than an hour. Great achievement for the 31 year old skipper.

Peyron wins24.05.08

Loick Peyron abord Gitana Eighty crossed the finish line of The Artemis Transat in Boston at 3h 15’ 35’’ GMT.

Thunderstorms on the way - what about the ETA?23.05.08

Loick Peyron called race direction to report having to cope with thunderstorms, winds dropping from 25 to 5 knots in a matter of seconds... or the other way around. A very tricky finish is on the cards, and it's not a good time to get stuck under a cloud with no breeze while your pursuer storms along at 20 knots. This added variable of uncertain weather obviously might have an influence on the ETA.

Follow the action...positions available till the finish!23.05.08

Positions of the IMOCA fleet will continue to be available every 2 hours eg 1800, 2000, 2200 GMT and at midnight. Then for the two front runners of Gitana Eighty and Brit Air positions will be available every 15 mins from midnight through to the finish of the first boat so you can follow all the action till the end!

A tack each23.05.08

Both Loick Peyron and Armel Le Cléac'h tacked between the last two position reports, Brit Air being somehow slowed down at the moment of the polling. This was probably only momentary (was he "caught" during a manoeuvre?), as the wind is stable on the zone. The gap between the 2 boats is now 39 miles, with Loick Peyron 67 miles away from the finish.

Marc Guillemot 48 hours from the finish23.05.08

"I looked at several weather charts, which were updated every six hours as we went through the Ice Gate. Each time, the northerly route seemed to be the right one" explained Marc Guillemot this morning, astonished to see those coming along behind cut right across towards the finish. It should be said that since the start, the wind appears to have been determined to slow down the ocean racers. << Light winds under spinnaker at the beginning. These aren't the ocean conditions you usually associate with the North Atlantic. At one point, as I was approaching Newfoundland, I started asking myself whether we weren't sailing on a lake! It's like Lake Geneva, it's so calm with just a few ripples.."

Watch Loick's arrival in Boston23.05.08

Click on the Latest Video to see the arrival of Gitana Eighty in Boston, USA and Loick's G.H. Mumm celebration, plus more images in Photo Gallery.

82 miles to go...23.05.08

"We're going to Boston, right ahead, and right behind us is the young Jackal"says a visibly relaxed Loick Peyron in the video he just sent from Gitana Eighty (watch it in the video gallery). Brit Air is 35 miles behind, and is for the moment slightly slower (1 knot) than Peyron.

Less than 100 miles to go!23.05.08

The 16:00 GMT positions update revealed Loick Peyron has now less than 100 miles to sail before reaching the finish line in Boston... A finish line he'll be able to reach in one tack, at more 10 knots of speed. The NW breeze is likely to pick up this afternoon, and Gitana Eighty's speed should increase accordingly.

Wind still favouring Gitana Eighty...23.05.08

The weather gods are still favouring Loick Peyron as he extends his lead slightly over Brit Air. The north-west breeze has stayed in place allowing Gitana Eighty to stay on the same favoured tack towards the finish line in Boston. Latest ETA 0100 GMT tomorrow.

Race record could tumble...23.05.08

To break Mike Golding's 2004 IMOCA Open 60 record of 12 days, 15 hours, 18 minutes and 08 seconds, the winning boat must cross the Boston finish line by 04:17:08 GMT on Saturday morning (24th May) but Loick also has a time allowance of 2 hours 30 minutes awarded by the jury for his rescue of Vincent Riou, so this means with this in hand, Loick would have until 06:47:08 GMT to finish [ahead of Armel, of course!]. Current ETA for the leading boats is midnight to 0400 GMT tomorrow morning.

One critical tack could change face of race...23.05.08

From Loick Peyron: "On Gitany Eighty it is our last day of this transat - always sad on last day at sea and the sea here on the East coast of America is grey, humid and cold. We only have a lead of 20 miles - there is not enough wind so it is not easy. We might have to tack and if I have to tack the race is not finished yet! [Will you make a safety tack?] Maybe, the next position might show he has already tacked so depends on his position. Wind is a little bit more right [NW] and increasing but not easy to know what will happen - if it goes more right and increases its okay - if not, we might have to make 2 tacks, one now and one later. The tack I am now is perfect to make the finish line so we don't know now and that is what makes it complicated. [About a possible 3rd victory?] I know a race has to be finished first before it can be won!

No change...ETA for leaders early hours of tomorrow23.05.08

The gap between Gitana Eighty and Brit Air has remained between 20 to 24 miles as the solo skippers fight towards the finish line. 200 miles to go to Boston and tonight, to all intents and purposes, will be their last night at sea with Gitana Eighty expected to cross the finish line between midnight and 0400 GMT and only 2-3 hours later for Brit Air if predictions stay the same. But the fight is not over yet as the leaders close on the US coast where other factors come into play. The second group is still led by Safran although Cervin ENR was the fastest boat overnight as Marc Guillemot moved North in less pressure, but it is a tactical move to avoid the area of light winds positioned ahead. Akena Verandas is on Cervin ENR’s tail but Roxy has slowed suffering with a damaged daggerboard after a collision with a whale yesterday. This group can expect stronger SW winds again this afternoon.

Night of suspense...22.05.08

Into the blackout phase for the night until 0600 GMT tomorrow as Gitany Eighty skipper Loick Peyron stays in control at the front - will Brit Air skipper Armel get his chance for attack in the final phase of this race? Sam Davies onboard Roxy drops back to 7th place but only 12 miles in distance to finish separates her from Cervin ENR in 5th, this race is far from over for the chasing group.

Tow boat on its way to PRB...22.05.08

A tug boat left Halifax, Nova Scotia this morning with Eric Carret, PRB boat captain and shore manager Pierre-Louis Pillot onboard to begin their journey to salvage PRB - it could take up to two days to reach PRB, dependent on conditions. Vincent Riou abandoned PRB two days ago (20.5.08), after a collision with a shark that put his keel at risk. Riou was rescued by fellow competitor Loick Peyron and is now onboard Gitana Eighty.

Check out all the skipper logs22.05.08

Open the Race Console and click on Boat Logs to read the latest skipper logs. News in from Sam Davies about her collision with a whale, Dee Caffari and Steve White...

The jury gives its decision22.05.08

The time allowance granted to Loick Peyron by the jury for having diverted and rescued Vincent Riou is 2h30, which takes into account the time spent but also the position change induced. Gitana Eighty's skipper does not face any penalty regarding the use of his engine during the manoeuvre. Peyron received the jury's congratulations for his swift operation.

From Sam onboard Roxy "I sailed into a whale"22.05.08

"I sailed into a whale - my starboard daggerboard took the shock and now I can only use half my daggerboard. Bit scarey! I was sittong at back of boat fixing my mainsheed padeye and doing about 13 knots. We had 36-37 knots of wind last night but was expecting more so had put 3 reefs in the main - unfortunately, the big wind didn't come so I was a bit down on speed. I am knackered from reefing then back to full main, plus a tack as well. Attach on Safran is quite hard and she is faster boat than me and its pretty impossible to defend on the 3 boats behind - if I defend on one another one could get passed. I will just sail my own race..."

Dee Caffari, up to speed22.05.08

"The ice gate was the longest thing in the world to pass, but now I have around 24 knots of wind, doing 13 to 14 knots of boat speed. Too much wind is easier for me to cope with than the frustration of no wind."

Cervin EnR at her full potential22.05.08

"It's blowing 28 to 30 knots from the North, boat speed oscillates between 17 to 19 knots, she's perfectly in her element. Seas are a bit rough, but it's full speed ahead."

Loick Peyron "the storm was quite heavy last night"22.05.08

"What a pressure on my little shoulders, 2 days before arriving in good place (I hope) in Boston! The storm was quite heavy last night but now the sun is shining, the sea is flat... I chose to tack last night, maybe I went too much south but I think I'm ok now. I think Armel wants to be sure to finish, he needs to finish, he's not going to take any risks. Maybe at the end of the day, off the South of Nova Scotia, in the lighter winds, there will be some tactical game."

SABLE Island, read about it in the Features section22.05.08

The two race leaders have passed the longitude of Sable Island yesterday. Be sure to read about that peculiar sand bank, often dubbed "graveyard of the Atlantic", in our features section.

45 KNOTS OF WIND FOR ARMEL, BUT...22.05.08

Brit Air now moving out of the overnight storm, in which he saw gusts of up to 45 knots (83km/h), and the temperature take a dive in to the cold - but since Gitana tacked south west, Brit Air is now just 25 miles from the leader on distance to go!

News from Aviva22.05.08

The Ice Gate finally cleared and some great sailing reaching along in 15 knots of breeze as the sun sets almost sounds quite romantic, yet I have had a frustrating day escaping the high pressure ridge as we floated around the ice gate for most of the day. The good news is I saw a turtle swimming by the boat. I almost asked for a tow as he was making much better progress than I was at the time. The other good news is the guys up ahead were equally blocked by the ridge so have not disappeared ioff into the diatnace just yet. We have a windy day ahead of us so I need to ready to change the gears at the appropriate time which is tricky when the boat is so new to you, still if I can keep the guys ahead looking over their shoulders I will be happy. Dee and Aviva

First morning update - 450 miles to go22.05.08

Speeds increased logically yesterday as the wind picked up, and Generali proved the fastest in these conditions - both boat and skipper being at ease when the going gets tough. The gap between Gitana Eighty and Brit Air is down to 30 miles, so much for being careful and forgetting about the race, Mr Le Cléac'h! As the front arrived sooner than expected, the boats did not go as North as the routing suggested, and it's now upwind for the leaders. After crossing the ridge installed around the ice gate, the second pack benefited from the strong southerly breeze and the speeds rose consequently, reaching 15 knots. Within that group the gaps have reduced, and Safran was first to make his escape, and now Aviva is being menacing...

Final position update - Peyron holds on21.05.08

Maintaining a steady lead over his rivals - even slightly increasing it over Brit Air - Gitana Eighty sails at 11 knots tonight. The seas are getting rough, the wind blows at 30 knots, but the tough weather should have passed before the end of the night. The system will then reach the second pack led by Safran - in this peloton, Roxy is now closely followed by Akena Verandas and Cervin EnR. They have still a little less than 1000 miles to race...

Watch the latest video update...21.05.08

See today's video race update including dramatic footage of the rescue taken by Loick Peyron from onboard Gitana Eighty and a preview of what could be coming up for the top two competitors over the next 48 hours.

Loick Peyron wins the Musto Trophy21.05.08

Having crossed the Musto race gate (Cape Race longitude) yesterday at 22:42 GMT, Loick Peyron, captures the Musto Newfoundland Trophy, an evocative work in stainless steel by sculptor John Mellows.

Armel Le Cléac'h braces himself21.05.08

I have 28 knots of wind, increasing from the West - rather tough today, I'll put the racing aside for the next 20 hours, to concentrate on the preservation of the gear. I took two reefs in when the wind was blowing 23 kts, usually you'd wait more but I anticipated. There will be more sail reductions to come, maybe we'll go as far as sailing under mainsail alone to let the worst of the gale pass."

Sam prepares for 50 knot storm...21.05.08

From Roxy, Sam reports: "O knots of wind and 0 knots of boat speed. There's a light wind ridge to cross but low pressure system coming - gusts up to 50 knots! I might be complaining of no wind now but in the back of my mind in 24hrs I might be complaining about too much wind! So I'm checking everything on the boat - preparing her for a lot of wind so we manage to get through in one piece then after ice gate focus on getting to Boston. [On news of Vincent Riou] It sends a shiver down your spine - its something that could happen to any of us. Keel problems are impossible to predict - can't even consider losing your boat with the Vendée Globe coming up. Losing your lead and the possibility of losing your boat brings tears to your eyes - I just hope his team get his boat back."

Steve White tells of collision...21.05.08

From Steve White onboard Spirit of Weymouth: "It's a real shame for Vincent. We have a keel designed to hit ground at 12 knots [Spirit of Weymouth has a fixed keel] and not worry about it! We have 4 times more carbon in this keel than Delta Dore's keel/daggerboards. I ran into something a couple of days ago - don't know what - but impact big enough to throw me from companionway step that I was sitting on to the cockpit floor. There was a big scrape mark on the rudder... 9-10 knots NE and lumpy see so difficult as keeps stopping boat. I've managed to come down (south) quite nicely - just need to examine position reports to see what happens to Dee. We need to get more south but keep going west! We have a wind hole ahead of us. "

Yann Elies: "It's nice, but it won't last!"21.05.08

"Conditions are nice, reaching at 14 knots, but it won't last because we're going to be hit by a nice gale... Seas are already getting rough"

The race goes on for Gitana Eighty, leading21.05.08

Now leading the race, Loick Peyron has to cope with the new "lifestyle" imposed by the presence of Vincent Riou, whom of course cannot take part in any manoeuvre. The jury of The Artemis Transat is currently working to determine Loick's time allowance. The wind is now south for the leading boats which are sailing a direct route to Boston at around 13 knots, and could reach the finish line Friday night (710 miles to go). Gitana Eighty was the first boat to cross the Musto Newfoundland gate yesterday, and thus wins the trophy. Further back, the light airs zone situated around the ice gate makes it difficult for the second pack. Cervin Enr and Safran are particularly disadvantaged by their NE positioning - the wind is only blowing at 5 knots from the North, and becomes increasingly variable. Marc Guillemot will have to tack to cross the gate, probably at the same time as Roxy. Spirit of Weymouth is now on the right track in terms of latitude, and has a 200-mile deficit on Safran. Back in Europe, yesterday saw the arrival of Foncia in South Brittany.

Vincent Riou safe aboard Gitana Eighty20.05.08

PRB's skipper is now safe aboard Gitana Eighty, and Loick Peyron is back in full racing mode - his "passenger" prevented from participating in the manoeuvres. PRB has been left with the ballasts full and the sails stacked at the lowest point of the hull in order to stabilise it.

Loick Peyron 5 miles away from PRB20.05.08

At 16:30 GMT, Loick Peyron was 5,5 miles away from PRB, forced to progress upwind towards the stricken yacht.PRB drifts towards the West at 2 knots.

Vincent Riou to abandon ship20.05.08

Vincent Riou reported hitting a large sea mammal at 3:00 AM this morning, but his initial assessment was that the damage remained superficial... The skipper realised this afternoon that one of his keel pins was missing, and that the appendage was only held by the ram used to cant it. With an approaching storm, Vincent Riou has decided to abandon ship and has requested assistance. Loick Peyron onboard Gitana Eighty has been directed towards PRB by the Race Direction team, and should arrive in the vicinity around 17:00 GMT. PRB has dropped her sails, filled her ballast tanks to increase her stability even if the keel was to drop out from the hull. PRB is in 2.5 metres of swell, in 10 knots of NW wind, in light fog and is 530 miles from Halifax (Nova Scotia).

PRB under attack20.05.08

More than 15 knots of boat speed for Loick Peyron, who is just 12 miles behind race leader PRB... himself 3 knots slower? The pressure is on, but Riou's skin sure is tough. Yet if Gitana Eighty remains that faster than PRB, Riou's leadership will be threatened in four hours.

Today's history and geography lesson...20.05.08

Check out the features section to read about Newfoundland and the Grand Banks, as the leaders are battling it out south of that landmark.

Sam Davies looks at the battle in front20.05.08

"I'm still hanging in there, my goal is to try and keep up with Marc Guillemot... In my opinion Safran is the best boat in the IMOCA fleet, so catching Marc will be hard. I'm kind of hoping Vincent hangs in there, if he wins it he'll be ecstatic. Four years ago he dismasted with the boat which is now mine, I know he really wants to finish this one.As far as Loick Peyron is concerned, he's been up there for the whole of the race, I'm not surprised to see him in this position."

Dee Caffari "the boat is wet and violent"20.05.08

I have a reef in the mainsail, I've had a very windy night but it's now more settled than before - it was wet and wild! Now plodding south to the ice gate. We'll be working pretty hard [over next 24-48hrs] - wind will increase for a while then at the ice gate it is light and variable so lot of sail changes in next 48 hours. This morning feeling wiped out - motion of boat exhausts you - you keep eating the food whether you like it or not, you have to eat so you can do next sail change! Last night, not too much rest, the radar would sound or a sail change would wake me up. But worth the effort as this morning poll showed we gained a few miles so worth it."

Yann still in the hunt...20.05.08

From onboard Generali, Yann sees opportunity to catch leaders: "There are 2 or 3 possibilities to catch the 3 leaders - after the low pressure we have to cross with strong wind then 2 or 3 transitions with light winds to cross, so its probably 3 times I can hope to catch the leaders. The arrival on American coast the weather forecasts are not so easy to see and when you arrive just in front of the coast a lot of things can happen . For me, my objective is not first or second place but perhaps third and to be on the podium."

Dee Caffario feeling lonely?20.05.08

Now there is no Unai to keep me company, I have told Aviva that she needs to speed up to join the others. As we had the conversation the wind dropped and we were back into trying to keep the boat moving until we met the new southerly breeze. I knew this was coming but laughed at the timing, it was almost as a reminder from Aviva that she can be only as good as I allow her to be. I had best get my finger out! The Ice gate is the looming and marks the final section of the race to me. So much to do in such little time! Dee and Aviva

Vincent Riou about being above the direct route20.05.08

"I chose an option which is only 10 to 15º away from the ideal route, so it's not extreme but it allows me to anticipate on the weather evolution."

In their own words - Boat Logs for your reading pleasure20.05.08

Be sure to check the Boat Logs section in the race console to read all the messages sent from the boats - because nothing replaces firsthand experience and inside stories!

Musto Newfoundland Trophy20.05.08

The first boat is expected to cross the Musto race gate off Newfoundland tonight and will win the beautiful Musto Trophy. Loick Peyron (Gitana Eighty) has so far picked up all the race gate prizes including an Omega watch at Eddystone and his height in G.H. Mumm champagne at the Lizard – can he get ahead of Vincent Riou to claim the Musto Trophy as well?

DAY 10 - First morning update 20.05.08

The wind finally came for the first four boats yesterday evening, while as we wrote in our last update the second pack was plagued with the light airs zone which had slowed the leaders in the afternoon. PRB crossed the ice gate at 20:00 GMT in its eastern section (47º41W), and tacked immediately after that to gain North, at the risk of seeing some ice... Gitana Eighty arrived 2h45 later and crossed further to the west (48ºW) while Brit Air followed at 23h15 (30 minutes difference) on 47º21W - these two boats headed North too as the routing suggested yesterday, given a good SW breeze. The speed of the leading boats has been around 13 knots since 4:00 AM, but Generali has not crossed the ice gate yet - being further North, aiming at the western extremity makes more sense and that leaves Yann a bit more than 70 miles to go. There is now 930 miles left to get to Boston, but many tacks pave the way as well as variable winds in terms of speed... The gap between PRB and her pursuers may well increase.

Final positions update - Vincent soon at the gate19.05.08

PRB should cross the ice gate earlier than we expected this morning, since Vincent Riou found a new steady breeze and is now doing 15 knots, recreating a gap between himself and the menacing Loick Peyron. This concertina effect should be at play on a few occasions in the coming days, since alternating light airs and strong winds are expected on the way to Boston - which should be reached Friday evening. With the return of the soutehrlies, Yann Elies can hope to cross the gate without having to tack, a manoeuvre which would be penalising. As predicted, the windless zone that stopped the leaders early in the afternoon is now sticking the second group! Dee Caffari will reduce the gap...

Back up to speed... Riou looking over his shoulder19.05.08

With Loick Peyron only 15 miles behind and 0,7 knots faster, even Vendée Globe winner Vincent Riou cannot feel totally comfortable. Gitana Eighty is on the hunt, and the duel promises to be captivating.

BATTLE OF THE TITANS: Peyron grinds down the miles19.05.08

20, 18, and now 16 miles only separates leading boat PRB and the hunter, Gitana Eighty...Peyron the two times winner of this race is fighting in light and variable winds to catch Vendee Globe winner Vincent Riou...

Sam "it's not over yet!"19.05.08

From Sam onboard Roxy in today's audio conference: "Just recovering from night of not much sleep. I'm really pleased with the first part of my race as I felt like I sailed really well and went the right way. I sailed under spinnaker in difficult conditions and then in the middle got stuck in the high pressure and guys behind caught up and guys ahead went away so disappointed but not much I could have done, that's the luck of the draw. Sailing properly now tacking on the right shifts, not over yet though! In the next 24hrs there is a little ridge of high pressure so wind already decreasing and around lunchtime I'll be tacking again on to port then wind will increase, expect around 30 knots in next system. I'm quite lucky because my track is going to take me outside the ice zone and I've been studying closely the charts of all the known ice so not too worried although I would be happier with a working radar obviously but really glad organisation put gate where it is because for someone with a technical problem like me it's a relief!"

NEW VIDEO FEATURE - MONDAY 19TH MAY 1200 BST – NORTH ATLANTIC ICE! 19.05.08

Check back - The leaders are approaching the ice gate... The threat of ice adds a new dimension to the race, and in 2008 the ice has traveled further south than normal.Check the video gallery today!

First morning update - Basurko retires19.05.08

Stuck in light airs and gradually losing contact with the fleet, Unai Basurko has decided to pull out of the race and announced his decision yesterday evening to the race direction team. There is still 200 miles to go to the ice gate while the finish line in 1120 miles away, and PRB is still leading, progressing upwind at around 10 knots of speed... Vincent tacked yesterday at 22:00 and gained south. Gitana Eighty managed to reduce the gap by 3 miles, and Brit Air gained 6 miles on the leader. Diving as expected to join the leading pack, Generali is now 95 miles away from PRB in terms of distance to the finish.

Last position update18.05.08

This Sunday evening, PRB confirms its leadership and slightly increases the lead over Gitana Eighty (31 miles), both boats haveing hit stronger winds and doing more than 13 knots of speed. Yann Elies's north position still makes him lose miles to Brit Air, 3rd. In the following pack, Marc Guillemot slides away gradually while Sam Davies struggles against Arnaud Boissieres and Yannick Bestaven, more south and faster. And it's not an easy moment for Unai Basurko, coping with light airs - in the meantime, Steve White is slowly gaining south, but is still 3 degrees higher than the leaders in terms of latitude.

PRB picks up speed, Gitana Eighty holds on tight18.05.08

The 14:00 GMT position update shows that Vincent Riou has - if slightly - increased his speed. Yet Gitana Eighty, now just subtly lower in latitude, doesn't concede any miles to the leader. Up in the north, Yann Elies has tacked again, applying a step-by-step approach to his descent towards the leading pack.

Get in line...18.05.08

The leading trio is almost perfectly aligned, all boats on the same course and Gitana Eighty right in PRB's wake. In 4t position, Yann Elies is making his way towards the South and has picked up speed since this morning (almost 8 knots against 5.5 this morning)

Loick Peyron's secret tack18.05.08

"I had planned to tack, but of course I waited for the blackout - I think it saved me some manoeuvring in the long run, even though the gain is not obvious just right now. My position is good, and I'll try and get some rest since from now on it's upwind until the ice gate."

Armel Le Cléac'h about moving into 3rd18.05.08

"It's a good outcome for me. I tried to make the most of the boat's potential, and I'm happy with my position. In a few hours we'll be back on port tack, and we'll encounter a front so it might be a bit rough."

Seb Josse, "not wasting my time"18.05.08

"Of course pulling out at that stage is a big disappointment, but you know these things can happen. We've seen the boat was capable of being ahead of the best of the IMOCA fleet, that means our optimisation process was based on the right choices. I'm going back towards Brittany under sails, and those miles will count for my Vendée qualifier - I'm not wasting my time!"

PRB NEW LEADER, STILL A TIGHT PACK FIGHTING HARD18.05.08

It's been a hard, intense and tiring blackout period - not to mention very cruel for race leader Sébastien Josse, forced to retire from the race due to mainsail problems (see our article in the daily updates section). The first 4 boats (PRB being the new leader) are now within 61 miles in terms of distance to the finish, and the battle of the tacks is on the cards - Vincent Riou and Yann Elies (Generali, 4th) are now on a SSW heading, while Loick Peyron (Gitana Eighty) and Armel Le Cléac'h (Brit Air), 2nd and 3rd, remain on port tack. The latter made a good move and finds himself well placed thanks to his south option. In the second group, Marc Guillemot aboard Safran "overtook" Sam Davies's Roxy at 3 AM, and here again the south positioning paid off - one must note that pounding upwind is certainly very painful for Guillemot who suffers from a probably broken rib. Finally, it looks like Akena Verandas and Cervin EnR are in better place than Roxy in terms of making way towards the ice gate, which the leader is 425 miles from and could reach tomorrow night.

News from Roxy...17.05.08

"Today it is grey! You can tell that we are closing on on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Outside, the conditions go from thick fog to not so thick fog to drizzle, or a combination of the above" For full stories, please read the Boat logs!

GREAT, BUT GREY photos in from the boats17.05.08

Check out the photo gallery below to the right on the home page to see the latest images just in from the boats. Grey, cold, foggy and wet! Where would you rather be today?!

From Dee onboard Aviva...17.05.08

In this morning's video conference, Dee appeared back in control and enjoying the black-out: "The positions are like compulsive viewing, you can't help but look every two hours, so its weird not having the distraction! You just have to sail your own race. It has turned wet, grey and miserable - it's still quite light but definitely on the wind now. One tack takes you north of where you want to go and one tack takes you south of where you want to go! It would be really nice if it was possible [to move up the leaderboard during black-out], it would be pleasant surprise but upwind sailing on these boats I'm not sure... My solo round the world race was in a bullet-proof tank - these boats are certainly not that- they are a lot more faster and a lot more fun. Hopefully power problems are all sorted out now and I can concentrate on sailing. I'm doing much better with sleep now - the first few days were a disaster and I struggled - now I probably have around 4 hours in 20-40 mins chunks and feeling really good for it."

BT pounds through the waves...17.05.08

Onboard BT, seeing Seb on the video conference revealed he is in typical North Atlantic strong upwind conditions. BT was visibly pounding through the waves and Seb struggled to keep on his feet [check the video gallery later]: "My feeling is not too bad we're in the storm all the time but good speed and arrive to go in the good spot. Boat looks strong but need stronger conditions to be sure she's 100 per cent strong [Ed note: this is Seb's first solo race onboard BT and is the final race opportunity to test and set up boat before the solo Vendee Globe]. It will be a little bit stronger this afternoon but the really hard part is next two days. For me it's my first race with the boat and when I have report of other boats I can compare speed, etc, but during next 36 hrs I just look at my boat and speed with no reference to compare to the others. We have 20 knots of wind and this type of boat is so quick after 10 knots of boat speed to go on fordeck you need wet suit! You get really, really wet!"

BLACK-OUT, BUT GREY AND WET OUTSIDE17.05.08

"The night is grey, just like the black-out" commented Loick Peyron on Gitana Eighty this morning. "Everything is grey! We can see nothing despite a small moon which is trying to show through. This blackout is like the principle of the Apollo spacecraft when she passed behind the moon". Seb Josse on BT was on good form this morning when he spoke with race HQ, "upwind in a moderate breeze, flat see, and a bit wet outside" - one assumes he's maintained his position in the lead, he certainly feels confident and is very happy with his new boat so far. Although the blackout doesn't look like it will hide any major strategic choices this time, there is nonetheless the timing of a tack to the south to make towards the icegate at some point later today as the wind builds from the south west.

JOSSE HAPPY WITH HIS NEW BOAT, BUT NEW TEST COMING17.05.08

Talking this morning about his feelings on his new boat BT, Josse confirmed his contentment so far with her performance, but noted that he has not actually sailed her upwind yet - and these will be the dominant conditions now until the finish in Boston. "I've had confirmation in this race that the boat really meets my expectations. Its a very young boat, we put her in the water just 5 weeks ago and this race is in the programme to see how she goes. I have two objectives, firstly to test the potential of the boat and on this point I'm really assured. And of course at the same time, I won't be upset with a good result. We'll see! With the conditions that are on their way, its going to be a big test for BT"

"IT WILL BE TOUGH, THE BOAT WILL BE POUNDING"17.05.08

Speaking early this morning with Race HQ, Marc Guillemot onboard Safran, spoke of the tougher conditions that the fleet are sailing towards, and his nervousness considering his broken rib. "When you are on form you can be happy to see strong winds coming, you adapt according to the strength of the depression, but when you are injured like you would prefer to avoid it...but I have no choice on this one". After days of light winds however, Marc concluded "It is The Transat after all, not just a passage of Lake Geneva!"

Final positions update... the blackout is now in place16.05.08

The positions you can visualise on the 2D chart tonight are the last ones to be published before Sunday, 6:00 GMT. Sailing upwind, the three leading boats (BT, PRB, Gitana Eighty) are averaging 9.5 knots of speed while behind Brit Air (5th) is still around a knot slower. Generali, still 4th, seems to have less pressure in the north where Yann Eliès is now lonely since Foncia pulled out yesterday. Back in 6th place, Roxy is now 200 miles behind the leader but benefits from good winds, like Akena Verandas - both boats are displaying speeds equivalent to those of the leaders, who are now gaining west. Stay tuned as we'll be talking to the boats as usual tomorrow morning... without knowing where they are!

Almost 10 knots of speed for BT16.05.08

The 14:00 GMT reveals a slight speed increase for the leader, doing almost 10 knots. PRB is still following Josse like a shadow.

8 to 10 knots of wind for Unai Basurko16.05.08

"I have some wind, around 8 to 10 knots, I'm sailing with the full main and the gennaker up, doing 8 knots of boat speed, everything is good aboard and I managed to get some rest. It's very nice, I've just seen two whales a minute ago. I receive a lot of support from people in Spain, among them the President of the Basque region."

Armel Le Cleac'h looking forward to the black-out16.05.08

"The night before was quite difficult, because I was just behind Vincent and Jojo, but I was stuck in a hole. There is a little more wind now, not much but at least we can rest. As for the black-out, I think it's great, it's very exciting to have these 36h, it's going to add a little stress for everybody, at sea and on shore. We're going to sail upwind soon, we'll have to tack, so it will be fun to discover how the others are doing."

Sam loses her advantage in no wind zone...16.05.08

"I'm sad because I sailed into the no wind zone so the lead I had on the other boats behind has completely vanished so looks like we're going to have a restart - but its better if one boat doesn't get away on its own as the fun is racing against everyone."

Steve White english16.05.08

Steve White onboard Spirit of Weymouth: "I am long way north - not much I can do about it - just panned out that way, might still work out. Hoping others will park up whilst I trundle along! Everything's fine onboard, not really testing conditions and boat is really simple - no canting keel, etc - so really easy to maintain. I do enjoy it [solo sailing] - I've done a little bit before - I feel much better out here then I have done ashore for weeks. Much less stress, now we've pulled it off, another step towards the Vendée Globe and another process that has been removed. I should be able to get a reasonable way down [south] as the wind is clocking round to the south then westerlies, then building again from the south so will make it more difficult to get south. My family just want to know I'm eating properly and keep chivying me along.

Vincent Riou waiting for the wind to kick in16.05.08

" We have to work, the last 3 days have been very hard... Not much wind, not easy to sleep. We're going a bit more South, but I don't really have a choice but follow Seb now... The difficulty is not to worry too much... anyway, we can't do anything, and the damage is done..."

Loick Peyron for a 15-day blackout16.05.08

"The blackout will start on Friday night: I think it's a very good thing, an excellent idea on the part of the organisers. I'd even be in favour of a 15-day blackout to be honest! The last data we will get (note: tonight) will be crucial, because they will be our last link with our little friends. I really like the notion that everything will be possible."

BT still ahead16.05.08

It's been another painstakingly slow night for the leading pack, and the boats had to deal with the ridge of the Azores high, bloated and well installed in the middle of the Atlantic. As a consequence, the lows are installed off the Canadian and USA coasts and remain very static... The light airs area's surface equals to roughly 500 square miles - the speeds are desperately low, with distances in 24 hours around the 150-mile barrier, a figure that even a Mini sailor wouldn't be very happy with. Generali, positioned North (and alone up there since Michel Desjoyeaux's "U Turn" yesterday), has had to deal with the lightest winds, whil the south packed has made contact with a fluky NW breeze. BT still managed to remain in the lead, keeping a 25-mile advantage over the PRB and Gitana Eighty threats... Logically, Sébastien Josse should hit the SW winds - first low pressure system since the start! - in first place, probably late this afternoon right before the blackout. According to the wind charts, it could reach 25 knots. But in the meantime, as Loick Peyron puts it, it's the "calm before the storm"... and Sam Davies had the leisure of photographing whales swimming in oily seas. Beautiful, but not reassuring.

Last position update15.05.08

While the big news this afternoon is naturally Michel Desjoyeaux's retirement, the race goes on and the situation is once again looking tricky... If Sébastien Josse, still leading, was parked this afternoon with less than 2 knots of speed while the rest of the fleet was catching up, he's back at 10 knots tonight while PRB is now completely stopped... 0,7 knots, how painful can it get? The first 4 boats are back within 18 miles of each other, but if Sébastien Josse manages to keep some pressure, he might recreate a bigger gap, depending on how long it takes his pursuers to get back into the game. Wind charts seem to indicate that the leader might be out of trouble, but the situation is rather unstable. Further north, Gitana Eighty in second place did not completely stop, but who can tell what is really going on now that the night blackout is in place?

Live with Michel Desjoyeaux15.05.08

"About two hours ago, I was upwind doing 10 to 11 knots, I was in the boat and I heard a crack. I felt the starboard daggerboard hit something - it's probably broken. I can't get it up more than 1.5 meters. I hope there won't be a big leak. I don't see any interest in pursuing the race with a boat which is not competitive anymore, it makes more sense to head home to Brittany, which should take me about 4 days. It's a big disappointment, because it has been a very interesting race. It's the first time I have to retire from an offshore race, that's how bad it is"

Foncia retires15.05.08

Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper of the Foncia IMOCA monohull, is forced to retire following a collision with a whale. Thursday May 15 2008, while in 5th place of The Artemis Transat, the Foncia monohull hit a whale. The boat was hit in her front section, and around the starboard daggerboard area, and Michel Desjoyeaux is concerned about the state of the lower part of the daggerboard casing. The skipper is unhurt, the boat is still safe and seaworthy. In order not to take any risks neither for the skipper nor for the boat, in agreement with the sponsor Foncia, decision has been taken to retire from the race. Return to his Brittany base should be reasonably fast (a little mote than 1000 miles to go)

BT already slowing down15.05.08

Gitana Eighty managed to keep her second place. Loick Peyron, still faster than 3rd placed Vincent Riou (right in BT's wake), is gradually working his way towards the South, probably anticipating a general park up. In fact, as we write, leader Sébastien Josse has already started to hit the wall and is slowing down, losing 17 miles to Gitana Eighty between 12:00 and 14:00 GMT... Is a second start on the menu?

Marc Guillemot (Safran) : still suffering 15.05.08

"I'm not going too fast, but it's good, because it hurts when I manoeuvre. This morning I transferred sails, and now I'm feeling quite bad. I've put a band around my breast. I have not been very careful last night, my rib hurts almost as much as the first day..."

Shipping and ice become a bigger threat for Sam...15.05.08

"Well, the weather's been quite kind so the challenges haven't been too tricky. Biggest challenge was climbing the mast to fix the radar. Sadly discovered it was completely full of water and corroded so my hopes were dashed. Last night we had tricky conditions and changing a lot... Tiredness hit me and my body decided it needed to sleep, although my head wanted me to change the sails. There were a few more people on board last night helping me to change sails so all good! [Ed note: its not unusual for the skippers to experience hallucinations due to extreme fatigue]. The broken radar is a concern - I'm quite worried about shipping. They can see me but I can't see them so I can't get out of their way and so I might not always be able to take the optimum route as I need to keep Roxy and me safe."

Yannick Bestaven happy in the south...15.05.08

Cervin ENR skipper: "The south route for me is a good position I hope because the weather is not simple with the ridge of the high pressure. I think its better to be in the south and I have the sun not the cold! In 2 days the wind return upwind and think its better to be in the south the conditions are very good, very easy, very light."

Message for Portsmouth FC from Dee15.05.08

Dee sends good luck message to Portsmouth FC for this weekend's FA Cup final: "I can't believe Portsmouth get the chance to go to Wembley and here I am in the middle of the Atlantic. My shore team have assured me they will keep me posted and will let me know when Portsmouth score!

Vincent Riou frustrated15.05.08

"Last night, I was really close to BT, and I had to stop to take off some seaweed, and when I started again, I had lost just a few hundred metres. But I saw Seb going faster and faster, and disappear behind the horizon. I was in a hole, and here we are. This morning, there is a huge gap ! C'est la vie ! After the next ridge, it should get a little clearer. At least something more normal for The Transat !"

Dee, tired, frustrated but still optimistic...15.05.08

Dee feeling tired and frustrated by electrical problems but also as optimistic as ever: "It has been an experience so far but getting better and learning every day. [About her electrical problems] What was happening was that things are getting tripped and everything was turning off, so I had nothing - no auto pilot, no instruments. So I was having to use the emergency iridium to find out how to rewire stuff and sort out problems. But I had to turn all the power off whilst I sorted things out so its very difficult as you have no auto pilot. I'm confident we have a short-term fix to get us to Boston and my confidence is growing that the power will not just shut down suddenly. I was really crushed at the beginning - I knew I had a good boat when I started the race and just fell away. I was pretty demoralised and I was struggling - tired not eating enought, just concentrating on getting the boat moving. My main aim is to get to Boston and if I can pull back some places that would be great. When I first lost all the power my first reaction was to steer but then I couldn't do anything else - make calls, solve problems - and I thought what on earth am I going to do now. So dropped all the sails and bobbed around whilst I sorted things out then I had the horrible job of hoisting all the sails again and I had to do that three times.

From Seb onboard BT...15.05.08

BT skipper Seb Josse reports this morning: "I expected to see where I am because I know I'm not in a bad place because I pass the ridge yesterday and I made a gap between me and PRB and in the fleet I see only Loick in the right place. For the next 24hrs we have another ridge to pass and little wind. We can see sometimes you might be lucky - to pass the ridge [last night] that's the first one I win one but maybe I don't win the second one. The blackout is interesting for the race and for us. Normally we check where the fleet are and our strategy is about knowing where they are - for the 36hrs we have nothing just the weather forecast so I am sure to make my decisions alone and not to look where the others are. I'm not too tired, I sleep a lot, my feet are near the engine who is my best friend because it's warm and I stay next to him - outside not so good, shitty rain, more rain and start to be cold too."

First morning update - Sébastien Josse pulls away15.05.08

When we talked to him yesterday morning, Sébastien Josse was convinced he had made the good choice in the South, and the first position update indicates he was right - taking over the lead from Gitana Eighty just 30 minutes after the last position update. This morning the gaps in terms of distance to the finish have never been so important - the leading pack crossed the ridge last night, and Sébastien Josse on BT was the only one to still make good progress with 10 knots of speed when his rivals were stuck at 3 or 4. Yesterday evening, Seb managed to pull away from PRB and Brit Air (Riou and Seb were at some point in sight of each other), and revealed it has been a tiring battle in fluky airs against the Vendée Globe winner. BT seems to be very efficient in light airs, and Seb certainly knows how to make the most of every weak puff - some might remember his astonishing Figaro leg victory in 2001, when he literally drifted across the line to the amazement of Beyou and Elies, who had been anchored for hours in opposing current and no wind (but that's another story really). The 5 other leaders are still tightly packed in terms of distance to the finish, and the back of the fleet has slowed down too, losing yet more miles.

Last position update - Peyron moves into the lead14.05.08

As we wrote earlier today "Positioned right in the middle, Loick Peyron's Gitana Eighty is this afternoon the fastest boat (having gained a place between 12:00 and 14:00) and everyone is keeping an eye on the tactically inspired, wise and amazingly intuitive double winner of the event." Well, it's only half a surprise to see him in first place tonight... The middle road paid off, yet the situation is still so tight that we should take this with caution, as things are bound to evolve during the night.

Arnaud Boissières has mixed feelings...14.05.08

Difficult to say how Arnaud Boissières felt this morning : " I slept a little this morning, and now I'm tidying up. The leaders have managed to get away with the wind, but for Sam and I, it's not easy. We'll see how it goes in the next hours, the wind should be weaker at the front of the fleet, but we should keep a little more, so we may be able to catch up. But we are already 140 miles behind. It's hard to keep the boat going fast all the time..."

Live from the fleet : Michel Desjoyeaux is positive14.05.08

"I slept really well last night and this morning, so I feel good today. The fleet is quite homogeneous, there is a nice battle, it's great ! As for the weather, we have a complicated system. To avoid it, we'd have to go down to the Azores, but it's not really our goal !"

Live from the fleet : Armel Le Cleac'h (Brit Air)14.05.08

"It's great to be racing with some of the best skippers. Not easy all the time, they sail their boat 100% all the time, but it's a good training for the Vendée Globe ! "

Live from the fleet : Yann Eliès's enthusiasm14.05.08

"I'm learning every day, especially in conditions like yesterday, when we had the spinnaker on with 30 knots of wind. I'm becoming very confident in my boat."

Sébastien Josse on not resting enough14.05.08

As Seb explained this morning, "I managed to get some good rest, which hadn't been the case until now. I know I'm suffering from a big sleep deficit when I have trouble falling asleep. It's nice to stay in contact with the fleet, it's a Figaro style race, very compact, very interesting, because you pay for every decision you make."

LiveSkipper is thriving - Join the race14.05.08

With 2500 registered players and 500 people "helming" their virtual boat like their life depended on it, LiveSkipper is the place to be if you're not on the North Atlantic - so join the race, click on Live Skipper Game in the Follow the Race Quick Links

First morning update - Foncia back in the lead14.05.08

Last night's question now has its answer - Generali crossed behind Foncia at 4:00 this morning and dropped back into second place when Yan Elies gybed. The two skippers probably came in sight of each other at that moment... Speeds have been consistent (11 to 12 knots) while the fleet progressed downwind, and the gap in latitude reaches 78 miles now, Generali being still North while BT and Brit Air are holding their South position. Safran moved back into the game in terms of velocity, which seems to indicate that Marc Guillemot can cope with his pain. Now the question is where to cross the high pressure ridge - for the moment the northeasterlies are still blowing moderately, but tomorrow looks very very quiet.

Last update before the blackout - Elies still in front, but with movement in his wake!13.05.08

As we wrote earlier today, Yann Elies is probably enjoying his first place while wondering what The Professor Desjoyeaux is up to... Back in second, Foncia seems to have moved back a bit this afternoon just long enough for Michel Desjoyeaux to take some rest whilst remaining in the position of the hunter - that might seem like pure speculation, yet a careful observer will remember that he pulled this trick more than once on the Figaro! All the boats at the front now have similar speeds (roughly 13.5 knots), and nothing is set in stone - the leaderboard has changed yet once more since 16:00 GMT (BT and PRB losing a place each), Brit Air and Gitana Eighty are very dangerous also and there is now a big North - South gap - around 70 miles - between Elies (North) and BT (South). Will Yann manage to keep his rank? See you tomorrow morning!

Six different leaders in 48 hours13.05.08

Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty), Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air), Vincent Riou (PRB), Sébastien Josse (BT), Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) and now Yann Eliès (Generali): no less than 6 different leaders in the first 48 hours of The Artemis Transat! And it's not surprising to see these 6 boats still fighting hard, and gradually leaving the rest of the fleet in their wake.

Steve White's northern option pays off13.05.08

Spirit of Weymouth moved into 11th place, benefiting from more wind than Aviva and Pakea Bizkaia 2009. Northernmost skipper in the fleet, Steve White sails in stronger breeze (15 knots against 10 further South).

Generali moves into the lead13.05.08

Michel Desjoyeaux's Foncia just crossed behind Yann Elies's Generali, new leader. But the group of three boats further South (PRB, BT, Gitana Eighty) is slightly faster - so stay tuned.

Live from the fleet : Sam Davies sails carefully13.05.08

"Last night I did a little wipe out, big waves, gusts at 27 knots, I took this as a warning. I've put the gennaker on. It's actually quite nice now, but still 22 knots of speed this morning, I'm being really careful, I make sure i'm clipped on when I manoeuvre. These boats are dangerous, everything happens so quickly. And I really hope Marco [Guillemot] is alright now."

Michel Desjoyeaux joins the fleet again13.05.08

Riou, on PRB, was asked about Foncia's situation. He answered he was expecting Desjoyeaux to join the rest of the fleet very soon. Here is Desjoyeaux' answer : " Last night, the wind increased up to 30 knots. I took a North route but I think it's changed now, so I'm trying to go back with all the others..."

Vincent Riou rests today13.05.08

Riou told us this morning about the weather conditions : "It seems pretty quiet after last night, but the sea is chaotic. I think we could go faster, but we have to be careful." The boat is sailing well, and Riou uses his time to rest now, and recover from from the 2 first days at sea.

Live from the fleet : All is ok in Cervin EnR13.05.08

Yannick Bestaven explained this morning : "I had problems with the pilot, but it's almost solved now, the boat is going great, everything's alright. We have consistent winds, 20-25 knots. I have not slept much but I'm ok. It's really nice to begin the race running. I have chosen a South route, we'll see how it goes...

Dee Caffari is struggling with power problems13.05.08

Dee explained today during the video conference how she is still struggling with power problems. She had to reduce the speed of her boat during the night : "I had very little sleep. This morning the sea is quite flat but it's grey, cold and pretty miserable."

Marc Guillemot really wants to go to Boston but...13.05.08

"During the night, I decided to take the spinnaker down, the boat went faster and faster, down the wave, the boat gybed, at 25 knots of speed, mast down in the water, tryed to tidy up, clear everything, for about 25 minutes, and I realized I had a painful rib, maybe broken. Now I'll go slowly, and I want to stay in the race. I have to decide tonight, but I do want to go Boston ! "

Rough night aboard PRB13.05.08

A very laconic message from Vincent Riou: "Tough night aboard PRB, hanging on to the tiller under spinnaker. Talk later, Vincent" - It says it all, doesn't it?

Life from the Plymouth - Boston Brit Air flight13.05.08

"After 24 rather quiet hours, we have entered a more hairy phase, with gusts up to 30 knots and some interesting manoeuvres to reduce the 600 square metres of sails we had up yesterday. In brief, no time to get bored and it's not yet time for breakfast served by the crew. The captain would like you to remain seated until the sign is switched off. Enjoy your flight."

Broken rib for Marc Guillemot?13.05.08

Having fell during a wipeout in the middle of the night, Marc Guillemot thinks he might have broken a rib... He bore away to take some pressure off and is now trying to determine if he can still manoeuvre efficiently.

Message from Dee Caffari13.05.08

Finally I have seen some stars. No fog, haze, or clouds with rain in them. The wind has strengthened and made getting the downwind miles easier. Aviva is well despite us loosing some miles to the fleet today. I stuck with the wrong sail plan and have paid for it. I had an interesting gybe where the mainsheet slipped on the winch and saw it run through my hands until I could close the clutch. No damage just some shiny skin! I have had some fast sailing tonight and I hope we will keep it up during the day. Cheers Dee and Aviva

New race update video online12.05.08

Don't forget to watch the first race update in the video section summarising the first two days of the race.

Michel Desjoyeaux: "not doing too badly"12.05.08

“... In fact I’m not doing too badly as the distances between the top six are very slim and there’s already a slight separation in terms of latitude, which is interesting… I am the furthest south together with Sébastien Josse: that means that I haven’t come off too badly. Last night we all sailed under solent jib, and for the past few hours we have been under gennaker with some puffs of air for acceleration. The N’ly wind of around a dozen knots last night is beginning to give way to a NE’ly breeze of around fifteen knots and I’m going to hoist the spinnaker prior to midday. The night went well in the end with a little radar scanning and a few manoeuvres…”.

Steve White's message12.05.08

It's amazing what a difference 24 hours can make, I have gone from being ecstatic and relieved (and really tired) at getting both to and across the start line yesterday, only to be fairly fed up at being caught too close inshore around the Lizard and Lands End - I know them well enough, I shouldn't have been there and it cost me dear in terms of miles lost to the there boats - to complete despair when I couldn't get my e-mails, my Sat C lost it's marbles and I STILL couldn't get any weather! (Which explained why I probably went a different way to everyone else!). Sitting in the fog with no wind as everyone else disappears is pretty gutting. Still, the despondency was only short-lived (...) I know where I'm going now, we have some breeze - what more could you ask for! I also need to thank everyone who has helped to get me here, this race is pretty important to us. Firstly I'd like to thank Kim who holds everything together and without whose support non of this would be possible, but I also want to thank Simon from bluQube, Dave from Mako, Casper from Damen, my son Jason for three weeks of boat prep, Josh Hall and Mark Wylie, Peter for his tireless work and support keeping me and White Ocean Racing on the straight and narrow, Shally, Martin for getting me some meths for the stove at 1000 yesterday, and to countless friends and people I hardly know who have helped or just wished us well - it's only now when I sit down to write a list that I realise just how much help we've had. I could go on for ages, if I've not mentioned you, you know who you are, thanks.

Live from the fleet - Dee Caffari12.05.08

"I probably had 20 minutes of sleep, and had to change course twice to avoid collision routes with ships (...) We're all going to gybe as the wind shifts to the East, which may be an opportunity for me to gain miles"

Live from the fleet - Loick Peyron "A lot of work on deck"12.05.08

"There are 20º wind shifts, it's a lot of work on deck and the fishing traffic is quite intense.The wind will increase in the next 12 hours, and we'll soon be on the cargo ships' route!"

Seb Josse leads the fleet12.05.08

With a slightly better speed than PRB, BT took over the lead an hour ago and is positioned in the south, leeward of Michel Desjoyeaux's Foncia. The professor just told us "if the visibility was better, I'd definitely see Seb"

Live from the fleet - Fog and a radar short circuit for Sam Davies12.05.08

We spoke to Sam Davies aboard Roxy, and the young British sailor revealed she was experiencing radar issues... not the most comfortable situation when sailing in thick fog, surrounded by commercial and fishing traffic. "I've had some Figaro-style sleep, it's full on"

News from Dee Caffari12.05.08

Monday 12th May It’s Monday morning and the good news is that I am now on my way to Boston on my first solo race, sailing a boat I have only known for five months. My start was okay yesterday, not where I should have been on the line in an ideal world, but I am always nervous manoeuvring these boats in the final minutes. The light conditions plagued us as we reached the Eddystone and I had to concentrate hard to keep the boat moving. Just after the final hour of favourable tide had gone I reached the Lizard gate, I still had a few boats in sight but visibility was closing in fast. At one stage last night I could not see the top of my mast. Fog is spooky and I watched my radar well as there was still a lot of shipping close by. This morning it is now about a boat length’s visibility and already I have had my first test. Once again I have had trouble with my power onboard, my fingers are crossed that this does not plague me all the way across, especially as now is not the time to be without a radar! Dee and Aviva

PRB first, BT moves into second place12.05.08

The 8:00 GMT position report shows that the southern group have taken advantage of their position. PRB is now leading, while Sébastien Josse aboard BT, southernmost boat of the fleet, moved into second place, displaying slightly better speed than the leader. The race is extremely close, and we can expect a lot of leaderboard changes during the day...

Brit Air in the lead12.05.08

Armel Le Cléac'h, who yesterday evening passed the Lizard Point gate in second position 9 minutes after Loick Peyron, is this morning in first position, engaged in a close combat with Gitana Eighty only two miles behind right in his wake. But Vincent Riou and PRB, further south, are in second position with only a one mile gap separating them from Brit Air in terms of distance to the finish! Vincent Riou sent the following email last night: "Quiet night aboard PRB, 12 knots of wind from the North and some fog. I'm keeping an attentive watch because there are a lot of commercial ships around." Needless to say nobody really slept for that first night at see... As expected, the race is very close with the boats sailing this morning in around 12 to 15 knots of northeasterly wind, the fastest on the water being BT, fourth in the fleet, doing 14 knots. The gap between the leader and the last boat - Steve White's Spirit of Weymouth, who left the Scillies to port probably to avoid the opposing tide current - is already 76 miles, while the first 6 boats (Foncia being 5th and Generali 6th) are all within 8 miles...

New video of the start 11.05.08

Check out the latest video of the start in the video gallery

First boat at Lizard11.05.08

Gitana Eighty, skippered by Loick Peyron was the first boat to pass the famous landmark of The Lizard (1800 GMT)

Roland Jourdain: "Have fun, guys"11.05.08

Roland Jourdain was on the startline this afternoon and enjoyed the show: "They really did it nicely, didn't they? It was great to watch... But I wish I could have gone with them, their holiday plan sounds great!"

Wind shifts, current kicks in11.05.08

A expected, the wind has shifted to the North, while the opposing current is already significant one mile off Lizard Point. Loick Peyron and Gitana Eighty are 14 miles away from the point, second race gate of the course, which he should pass in a little more than an hour (currently sailing at 12.5 knots)

All the boats have rounded Eddystone11.05.08

Steve White aboard Spirit of Weymouth passed the Eddystone Omega race gate at 16:40'25", 1 hour 24 minutes and 8 seconds after Gitana Eighty.

The pace is set11.05.08

53 minutes between the first boat (Gitana Eighty) and the 10th (Aviva) at the Eddystone lighthouse: the pace is clearly set and gaps have been created quickly within the fleet.

All boats at Eddystone11.05.08

1- Gitana Eighty at 15:16:17 BST 2- Safran at 15:19:23 3- Brit Air at 15:19:46 4- BT at 15:21:01 5- Foncia at 15:21:44 6- Generali at 15:26:58 7-PRB 15:28:59 8- Roxy at 15:51:21 9-Cervin EnR at 15:51:21 10- Aviva at 16:09:58 11- Pakea Bizkaia 2009 at 16:14:22 12-Akena at 16:18:52 13-Spirit of Weymouth at 16:40:25

Dee Caffari expects action!11.05.08

‘One thing is for certain, it’s going to be an action packed race and something will happen to someone!’

Incredible start11.05.08

Mike Golding fired the starting canon onboard the Royal Navy's HMS Argyll and Seb Josse's BT hit the start line spot on with half a boat length to spare. 8-9 knots of boat speed as fleet head upwind under mainsail and genoa. Royal Navy spokesperson estimate there are close to 1,000 spectator craft out on the water! Incredible start for the fleet now heading towards first race gate at Eddystone Lighthouse (10 miles) - first skipper there wins an Omega Seamaster watch!

Starting order...11.05.08

BT, Gitana, Safran, Brit Air, Generali, Foncia, PRB, Akena Vérandas, Pakea Bizkaia, Aviva, Cervin ENR, Spirit of Weymouth, Roxy.

They're off11.05.08

IMOCA 60 fleet are away... PRB was positioned further down east of start line with Foncia, Generali, BT, Safran and Brit Air on the western end near bouy. Beautiful start, very close (waiting for confirmation of starting order).

Shore crew are off11.05.08

4 mins to go and the shore teams disembark boats. Slight increase in SW breeze 5-7 knots...

Start sequence11.05.08

Now into the start sequence for the 1400 BST start of The Artemis Transat. Wind conditions still 3-5 knots SW. Looks like fleet will favour west end of line so could get crowded! Race Director Sylvie Viant onboard Royal Navy's HMS Argyll and Mike Golding getting ready to fire starting cannon...

Light Winds11.05.08

Just under 60 mins from the start and latest from out on the water is that the wind is light, no more than 5 knots of wind from south-west, could be sea breeze building but very weak. Most of fleet now have mainsails up and mostly west of the Plymouth breakwater in their starting area. Spectator boats now over 300...

See BBC News Channel 2411.05.08

Catch BBC News Channel 24 to watch coverage updates live from the start. BBC cameras out on the water and at Penlee Point headland...

200 spectator boats!11.05.08

An estimated 200 spectator boats are currently out in Plymouth Sound accompanying the fleet out towards the starting area. Two hours to the start!

What's in store for the skippers11.05.08

As the boats left the dock this morning, weather analysis and predictions were getting more precise for the 3000-mile long course towards Boston. With 10 knots of easterly breeze, the descent towards the Eddystone Omega race gate should take less than an hour. The singlehanders, flying their big kites (400 square metres), will later have to cope with decreasing winds (2 to 7 knots) shifting to the North - moreover, the tide will complicate their progression tonight. The breeze should then kick in again, and finally stabilise Monday morning West of Ireland (E-NE, approximately 10 knots), implying that the skippers will have to make the most of the conditions they will encounter right after the starting gun. A lot of manoeuvring is to be expected!

A serene Marc Guillemot11.05.08

"The advantage is that it will be fast, and not too wet at least in the first days of the race. We'll probably be under spinnaker until the longitude of the Azores. The drawback is that we'll have to helm a lot, because in that type of conditions the skipper is more efficient than the autopilot. After a shift on Monday, the weather situation becomes a bit more tricky. Two to three days after the start, we'll have to deal with a rather complicated zone of light airs, which might force us to go a bit further South than what the direct route would suggest.'"

PRB first to leave dock11.05.08

PRB has just left the dock and is the first boat to makes its way to the lock, heading out to the starting area.

Vincent Riou on icebergs11.05.08

"With the ice gate in place, certain routes simply disappear. We'll make progress between the Azores high and the North Atlantic westerly flow, and when we'll start going upwind, it will be for a while. The ice blocks that have been spotted can still move before we get to the zone. It can slide down along the Labrador current, and upon making contact with the Gulf Stream, the ice might start to melt - there's a risk of growlers, and that's what's really dangerous, because we can barely see them. In 2004, the ice gate was further North, 42 or 44º I can't remember precisely. But I know that Seb Josse had tacked close to Newfoundland, and this time it just won't be an option. "

Stress? What stress?10.05.08

As Marc Guillemot, skipper of Safran, puts it: "The weather will be very easy at the start, the boat is very ready, so the little knots you can get in the stomach before a big start are clearly not part of the picture this time"

Be ready for the start10.05.08

Check out our main story about What not to miss in Plymouth for the start, and be where the action is!

(Another) special birthday for Armel Le Cléac'h10.05.08

Brit Air skipper Armel Le Cléac'h will celebrate his birthday on his own this year... on the startline of The Artemis Transat! Born on the 11th of May in 1977, this very gifted competitor (winner of the 2003 Solitaire du Figaro) had, 4 years ago, turned 27 the day he captured victory in the Transat AG2R alongside his childhood friend Nicolas Troussel. The latter won the Solitaire himself in 2006, and Armel says he'll "definitely have a thought for him tomorrow".

Sébastien Josse aboard an optimised BT10.05.08

We have a new mast, boom and rigging as well as a new set of sails. I have added strakes (spray deflectors) on the hull and we’ll wait for the end of The Artemis Transat to decide what works and what needs improving for the next big challenge – the solo round the world race, the Vendée Globe.”

Pulled over in mid-Atlantic!09.05.08

Aboard Safran, Marc Guillemot returns to Plymouth for his third participation. He recalls the 2000 edition, and a rather funny anecdote: "The going started to get rough after the Azores, and the final part looked fantastic with a big fight between Joyon, Cammas, Gautier and myself. Just before the Grand Banks, I was repairing a reef line, sitting on the boom in 35 to 40 knots of wind, when suddenly a projector illuminated the whole boat: it was the Coast Guards, asking me for the trimaran's registration certificate! They wouldn't let me go even when I told them that there were 60 boats chasing after me!"

Dee Caffari, building up confidence09.05.08

"As far as I’m concerned, I've got to finish the race to build my confidence before the Vendée Globe. I have to be competitive in this boat, allow her to perform and make the right decisions. This relatively short sprint across the Atlantic is the last off-shore race before we all line up in Les Sables d’Olonne in November.I’ve really connected with Aviva over the last few months but miles under the belt are key to our campaign so we’re going to be sailing strategically. Boston is our number one target and I’m aiming to get there as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Who will win?09.05.08

Read the Artemis Transat form guide put together by James Boyd, www.thedailysail.com Available in the news section...

Ice detector aboard Safran08.05.08

Developped by Sagem (part of the Safran Group), a unidentified object detector is currently being set up aboard Marc Guillemot's IMOCA 60. The prototype, which will be tested during The Artemis Transat, consists of a miniature thermo-sensitive camera fitted on the masthead. The camera detects all objects which show a significant temperature difference with their environment - the system is essentially developed to spot icebergs and growlers, and has its origins in the special binoculars used by sea rescuers to catch a "thermal signal", ie the emerged head of a man who has fallen overboard.

Kito de Pavant's Groupe Bel in Sutton Harbour08.05.08

Kito de Pavant's Open 60 is moored in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth. And if her skipper, who broke his leg, won't be able to take part in the race, he still wished to take part in the pre-race festivities. "My plans have changed after that accident, but the boat's schedule remained the same, and we really wanted to be here." After the start of the race, Groupe Bel will head towards the Netherlands. "I sail now but with a crew, and will deliver the boat in solo mode from the Netherlands back to the Mediterranean."

Jonny Malbon in Plymouth08.05.08

Having ran out of time during the final preparation phase, Jonny Malbon's Artemis II will unfortunately not be on the start line of The Artemis Transat. Obviously very disappointed, the British skipper still manages to enjoy the atmosphere around Sutton Harbour. "It's very hard to be here without the boat, but we had no option and we have to live with it - we've tried until the last minute, but we had to be realistic. I'll be going around the pontoons checking out the interesting boats, and it's good to meet the teams - and if I had to chose a race favourite, I'd put my money on Safran. Her hull shapes certainly make for great performance upwind, I think she'll prove very fast."

Michel Desjoyeaux's view08.05.08

“The Artemis Transat is a more difficult event than the Route du Rhum: I haven’t raced the Rhum in a monohull but I'm well aware of what it represents, as I've done it twice in a trimaran, and The Transat is a race I've sailed on both a monohull and a multihull… It’s an important race in terms of the outcome on a sporting level, the severity and the difficulty. It contains all the ingredients of a concentrated round the world: we go directly from the Bay of Biscay (English Channel) to the Indian Ocean (Newfoundland)! The water around the Labrador current is between just 2° and 5°C… These are the same conditions as in the Southern Ocean! The transition is more brutal too than on an Atlantic descent.”

Local Notice to Mariners - Start of The Artemis Transat07.05.08

Please find here the Local Notice to Mariners regarding the Start of The Artemis Transat: http://theartemistransat.com/60/article.asp?sid=14398

Steve White officially entered07.05.08

The skipper of Spirit of Weymouth becomes the 13th entrant in the IMOCA Class.

Armel Le Cléac'h's view on the race06.05.08

Brit Air skipper declares: "It's a tough race with demanding conditions, rough weather and a route we don't know very well. It's a rather bumpy ride. I'll take advantage of the event to validate the technical evolutions, and to make progress in all domains. In terms of navigation, it will be the first race aboard an Open 60 without any outside weather routing for me. I'll be responsible for all my strategic choices."

Express delivery for Generali04.05.08

Coming in the Plymouth Bay this morning very early, Yann Eliès, helming Generali, put an end to a very fast delivery from Brittany (170 miles). 11 hours have been enough for the Finot-designed monohull, benefiting from 20 knos of breeze, to reach Plymouth, where the start of The Artemis Transat will be given.

A prologue in delivery mode04.05.08

While the kitesurfers entered in the Grand Prix Petit Navire were still racing, the Class40s taking part in The Artemis Transat set off in front of the Treboul harbour (Douarnenez) last night at 18:00 local time for a prologue taking them all the way to Plymouth. Appart’City (Yvan Noblet), Beluga Shipping (Boris Hermann) and Prévoir Vie (Benoît Parneaudeau) took the start in 10 to 12 knots of wind, that was expected to decrease. For the IMOCA Class, PRB was the only boat on site and met Brit Air outside the Douarnenez Bay, and Foncia in the Raz de Sein. PRB was first in Plymouth this morning, after a prologue in delivery mode. The Artemis Transat organisers wish to thank the team of the Grand Prix Petit Navire for having organised the start of the prologue.

Dee Caffari announces Celebrity Godparents for her Open 60 yacht Aviva03.05.08

Inspirational British solo yachtswoman, Dee Caffari, has announced that her new generation Open 60 Aviva will have two celebrity ‘Godparents’ to watch over her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign. Briton Lady Pippa Blake and French newsreader Patrick Poivre d’Arvor will be supporting Caffari as she aims to become the first woman to sail solo non-stop around the world in both directions by completing the Vendée Globe 2008/09. Appointing Godparents to support racing yachts is a French maritime tradition but Caffari and her sponsors, Aviva, are delighted to have a representative from both sides of the Channel. Aviva’s Godparents were selected for their enthusiasm and support for Dee’s unique attempt at a double world first.

Kito de Pavant en route to Plymouth02.05.08

Even though a broken leg prevents French skipper Kito de Pavant from taking the start of The Artemis Transat, he will dock his Groupe Bel Open 60 in Plymouth Sutton Harbour to be among his fellow competitors and meet some of his sponsor's English employees.

The Artemis Transat Prologue starts tomorrow at 18h00 (local)02.05.08

Six boats will leave Douarnenez (Finistère) tomorrow afternoon at 18:00 local time (17:00 BST), heading for Plymouth in race mode.Entrants: Brit Air (Armel Le Cléac’h), Foncia (Michel Desjoyeaux) and PRB (Vincent Riou). Class40 Appart’ City (Yvan Noblet), Beluga Shipping (Boris Herrmann) andPrévoir VIE (Benoit Parneaudeau). The weather forecast indicate light winds - 10 knots decreasing - progressively shifting from the south to the SW.

To find out what's going on in Plymouth click on What's On button further down on home page01.05.08

Countdown begins for Sam Davies and her Roxy Open 6001.05.08

Leaving France yesterday for her delivery trip to Plymouth, Sam Davies and the Roxy Sailing Team arrived in Plymouth this afternoon, docking in Sutton Harbour where the boat will stay until the race start on 11th May. For the 33 year old British skipper, the countdown has begun. In ten days, Hampshire-born Sam will set sail from the south west coast of England with 12 other Open 60s, tracing Francis Chichester’s footsteps, in a 2800 mile voyage across the Atlantic. From Sam: “It is going to be my sixth transatlantic crossing on the boat and the third one racing, so I know Roxy like the back of my hand. I have felt a real improvement in terms of my own performance in the last two weeks. Now I just can’t wait to go racing. I don’t feel nervous yet but I am sure it will come. We are just too busy at the moment to think about it. It is part of the game and I can’t wait to start playing “.

Last minutes entries in The Artemis Transat29.04.08

Steve White is leaving Weymouth today aboard his IMOCA Open 60 Spirit of Weymouth (Finot-designed ex-Gartmore) for a 1000 miles qualifier, and will be in Plymouth by the 4th of May where he'll be able to finalize the details of his official entry process. In the Class40, Vendée Globe and Whitbread veteran Patrice Carpentier (who took part in the 1984 OSTAR) is also in the final stages of his preparation, and should arrive in Plymouth shortly after having completed his qualifying passage. The Artemis Transat organisers team looks forward to welcoming these two last minute entries, whose background and talent will doubtlessly add excitement to an already world-class lineup.

Pindar to withdraw from The Artemis Transat20.04.08

Team Pindar today announced its withdrawal from the Artemis Transat.Skippered by leading British yachtsman, Brian Thompson, the team’s preparations have been severely hampered following delays in the design and build of the new mast. Based in Gosport, the team has been working around the clock to get the Juan Kouyoumdjian designed, Open 60 ready in time. With the mast installation set back until next week, it leaves only a matter of days for Thompson to undertake the 1,000-mile qualifier and make it to Plymouth for the race start.

PRB qualified for The Artemis Transat 200818.04.08

Vincent Riou came back last night to Port La Foret after approximately 36 hours of navigation. PRB’s skipper had completed this 300-mile journey in order to definitely validate his participation in the Artemis Transat 2008. In fact, this short journey was mandatory for Vincent due to PRB’s new mast. « We sailed through South Britanny. We left on Monday in 20 knots of wind. I’m still impressed by the speed of these boats. Monday, in 20 knots, we sail with an average of 17/18 knots ! » explained Vincent. This qualification was as well a way to test some novelties on board, such as the new removable screen ! « That’s really good and much more confortable ». For the strakes, the journey was too short and the conditions too light, we will probably need to wait until the arrival in The Artemis Transat 2008 to learn more about these –already popular- strakes.

Aviva sets sail from Portugal for Plymouth in preparation for The Artemis Transat16.04.08

British record-breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari, today bid farewell to Cascais Marina in Portugal to set sail for Plymouth, in preparation for the Artemis Transat.

The SAFRAN monohull in great shape...16.04.08

In one month, on 11th May, The Artemis Transat, the single-handed transatlantic race, will begin from Plymouth (GB). It looks like being a fascinating race according to the yachtsman from La Trinité, Marc Guillemot, whose monohull SAFRAN already one of the fastest in the fleet, has been the object of some more fine-tuning this winter.

Kito De Pavant and Groupe Bel withdraw from The Artemis Transat 10.04.08

The skipper of the monohull bearing the effigy of the famous Vache qui rit® (Laughing Cow) has been injured during a preparatory sail. A fracture of the fibula (left leg) will immobilize him for at least five weeks.

ARTEMIS OCEAN RACING II HITS THE WATER09.04.08

Artemis Ocean Racing II, the new all-British designed, built and sponsored hi-spec IMOCA Open 60 racing yacht, was officially unveiled at Ocean Village in Southampton. The boat has been two years in the planning, design and build and incorporates features which have, until now, been unavailable in this exciting class of mono hull ocean racing.

THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT RACE CHOOSES MUSTO02.04.08

Musto, the brand of choice for extreme ocean racing, has been appointed Official Clothing Partner to The Artemis Transat 2008, the oldest solo race across the Atlantic, which starts from Sutton Harbour, Plymouth on 11 May, bound for Boston, Massachusetts.

SAFRAN OPEN 60 MONOHULL RELAUNCHED FOR NEW SEASON!26.03.08

After a three-month winter refit and upgrade, the SAFRAN Open 60 monohull racing boat has been relaunched today, Wednesday, March 26 at La Trinité-sur-Mer in Brittany. Several races are on the agenda this season, with the main target being the Vendée Globe 2008 round-the-world solo race.

ROYAL NAVY GIVES JONNY MALBON A LIFT...19.03.08

The treacherous storm force conditions that have raged across Britain last week have served as a poignant reminder to Artemis Ocean Racing skipper, Jonny Malbon, of the unpredictability and ferociousness of the weather. The British skipper’s training programme last Tuesday incorporated a routine Royal Navy exercise over Portland Harbour, Weymouth (Dorset), part of Malbon’s preparations for his inaugural solo race in May in the Artemis Transat.