Newer Class40 designs like Marc Lombard’s Carac (left) and Sam Manuard’s Aina (above) offer more interior volume for a trip around the world than earlier boats did, though no Class40 has ever been slim… even if Aina’s Imoca-style rope tunnels intrude more than on a bigger boat. Of much greater interest to potential competitors is the performance of the fuller new designs (and the scows that will appear shortly) which especially offwind will consistently deliver higher averages than older designs in all but light conditions. This will prove a major decider in the final entry for the Globe40 – it’s a long time to spend at sea dropping further and further astern
In his preview Manfred wrote that if there are fewer than
15 entries the race will be cancelled. Looking at the big number of enquiries already received from all over the world, it looks pretty certain that the baseline of 15 will be reached. Asked if there is an upper limit of entries, he answered: ‘We will see how it goes, but my intention is not to have 50 Class40 racing around the world (laughs)!’ But 50 boats is actually possible because there are presently
160 Class40 registered. To qualify a Class40 for OSR Cat 0 require- ments only needs some additional bulkheads (⇔5,000-10,000) and to verify that the boat’s stability is good. ‘Which should be the case even for the newer boats,’ said Halvard Mabire who raced with Miranda Merron in a previous Class40 round-the-world race onboard a Pogo40 S2. Manfred says that to race in the Globe 40 will not need a huge
amount of money: ‘⇔50,000 looks like the minimum to prepare an existing boat and cover the insurance. The race fee is ⇔15,000 ex-VAT so ⇔100,000 is a realistic budget for an amateur crew.’ The amount of money you spend will of course depend a lot on the number of sails that can be used – sail limits along with other key details will appear in the Notice of Race, to be published this autumn. Manfred said he is working hard to lower the financial demands:
‘Some of the logistics are already drawn up and many items will be included in the entry fee, with the collective transport of gear and a team of technicians appointed by the organisation. ‘Brainstorming is already underway with the V1D2 yard in Caen
and Marc LeFebvre, a Class40 support expert, who has also provided technical support for previous round-the-world races. For each leg the organisation will offer teams a logistics pack including favourable prices negotiated for air transport, accommodation and catering.’
On the media side Manfred insists: ‘The storyline of the voyage
and the race will be an intrinsic part of the project, to ensure it’s not just a sporting challenge but also a grand cultural and educa- tional adventure.’ There will be images and film production for each leg, a campaign
aimed not only at the traditional press but also media dedicated to travel and adventure. ‘The whole thing will have an international dimension that matches the competitive line-up. The course offers fantastic potential for images, where the adventure experienced by the crew has great scope for expressing emotion,’ adds the enthusiastic organiser. Manfred aims for half the participants to come from outside
France and has set his race budget between ⇔1.5 and ⇔2million, to be raised from the host cities, entries and commercial partners. Bon voyage!
Patrice Carpentier
NEW ZEALAND The fate of New Zealander Brian Petersen’s Elliott-designed Ran Tan IImight serve as a cautionary tale for owners of early-generation canting-keel yachts. The well-maintained yacht lost its keel in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on its way to compete in the Transpac race and the designer believes metal fatigue is the only credible explanation. Ran Tan II’s problems occurred about as far from land as it could
get: 1,200 miles from Hiva Oa, 1,500 miles from Mexico and 2,000 miles from Honolulu. Disabled in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the delivery crew spent an anxious night in the cockpit, ready to abandon ship at a moment’s notice. Then, just after dawn, Nic Finlayson went over the side to inspect
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