Pindar 40 first Pogo 40 in TJV Prologue Race
October 29, 2007 0 comments
Pindar 40, the Class 40 skippered by Jo Royle and Alexia Barrier was today the first ‘Pogo 40’ Class 40 and 11th overall to cross the finish line in the Transat Jacques Vabre Prologue Race. The race, which began at 1400 CET, saw 31 Class 40 yachts race around a short 10 mile course just of the town of Le Havre, in north-western France. The only all-girl crew taking part in this class in the TJV beginning in a week’s time, Jo and Alexia were joined onboard by Pindar’s top British match racer, Ian Williams, who was calling tactics.
Pindar 40, the Class 40 skippered by Jo Royle and Alexia Barrier was today the first ‘Pogo 40’ Class 40 and 11th overall to cross the finish line in the Transat Jacques Vabre Prologue Race. The race, which began at 1400 CET, saw 31 Class 40 yachts race around a short 10 mile course just of the town of Le Havre, in north-western France. The only all-girl crew taking part in this class in the TJV beginning in a week’s time, Jo and Alexia were joined onboard by Pindar’s top British match racer, Ian Williams, who was calling tactics.
The Prologue Race was a chance for all of the competitors taking part in the double-handed transatlantic race, the Transat Jacques Vabre, to warm up round a short course and line up against their competitors before the big race begins next Saturday.
Jo Royle and Alexia Barrier now turn their attention to the final week of preparations in Le Havre, before embarking on their first transatlantic race together. After extensive training in the Solent in recent months, the girls are well prepared for the race ahead. Following the dismasting of Pindar’s Open 60, the girls now have a large team behind them, with mentors Brian Thompson and Will Oxley (the Open 60 skippers) working closely with the girls in the run up to the start.
Jo Royle, skipper of Pindar 40 commented: “It was great today to have lots of different people onboard Pindar 40 with Alexia and I. Ian, with his great match race sailing background, Nick Black, Pindar’s Open 60 boat captain who knows so much about good boat preparation, Stan Maslard, a boat designer, and others, were all helping us to make final tweaks to the boat before the start of the TJV next week. Today’s race has given us confidence in the performance of our boat, it was great to finish first Pogo 40 by quite a margin, and to also be one of the first British boats home! Overall, we’re very pleased with Pindar 40,, and can’t wait for the TJV start.”
The 2007 Transat Jacques Vabre Race starts on the 3rd November from Le Havre, France, and the Class 40 fleet will finish in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, approximately two and a half weeks later. Pindar 40 will be the fourth yacht sponsored by Pindar to enter the TJV, having previously raced boats in the 1999, 2001 and 2003 editions of the race.
