Latest News
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6 days to the start… 02 - 11 - 09 at 08:55:37
Update from Sam Davies: “Hello from a rainy Le Havre! Whilst the Artemis boys are staying on top of the last preparations, I have had a really relaxing day today (the first one for ages!). Some work this morning on the weather forecasting and general comms systems on board, which was slightly longer than planned due to a huge hail storm that trapped me at the chart table for a while! In the afternoon I tried my luck and scrambled up the cliffs in Etretat for a breath of fresh air and exercise…the view from the top of the cliffs out to the stormy ocean just made me even more impatient to get out there racing - I can’t wait!” Read more from Sam in the Team Blog section.
News from Le Havre - the prologue! 31 - 10 - 09 at 09:54:43
The prologue for the Transat Jacques Vabre took place this weekend in Le Havre. Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet raced against the other skippers onboard Beneteau 750 boats, in a series of heats of little windward-leeward races in the docks in front of the public. After the first day they were in third place, but on the second day as Sam had predicted the weather was very windy and the Artemis Ocean Racing duo, with Sidney steering this time, were knocked out of the Prologue after the first race after getting caught in a pre-start snarl up that scuppered their chances. However, it might have been clever tactics on their part as there is a superstition in the racing world that if you win the Prologue, you never win the actual race! Read Sam’s latest update on the prologue, and how their preparations are going for the race start this weekend, in the Team Blog section.
Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60 arrives in Le Havre - 10 days to go until start of two-handed TJV 29 - 10 - 09 at 10:57:51
Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet, co-skippers on board Artemis Ocean Racing’s 60-foot IMOCA monohull arrived in Le Havre (France) last night with ten days to go until the start of their 4,720-mile transatlantic race from Le Havre to Costa Rica. The duo reached the port at 6.30pm and went through the tidal lock at 8.30pm into the Paul Vatine basin where the IMOCA 60s competing in the TJV will remain until the start on Sunday, 8th November.
Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60 heading for Le Havre… 28 - 10 - 09 at 13:08:52
Sam and Sidney are now on their way to Le Havre onboard Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60, for the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre in less than two weeks time. Update from Sam : “Hello everyone from just off Barfleur! We left Port La Foret yesterday afternoon - the conditions were great and we set off under spinnaker hooning along at 20+knots of boatspeed, which is pretty unusual for a delivery trip! We sailed the channel under gennaker, and are still with the gennaker now. There are three of us on board - Erwan, Sidney and I - so we have also done a lot of “bunk testing” and the competition is hot for the golden blanket award! It is wonderful to get great sleep as Artemis is zooming along, and Sidney and I are making the most of it as we will not have that luxury for the first few days (or more) of the race!” Read Sam’s full update in the Team Blog section of the website.
Artemis finishes the Mini Transat in 10th place 25 - 10 - 09 at 13:09:29
After a 13th place in Bahia at the end of the second leg, Ollie Bond finishes 10th overall in the Production Boats category - a very good result in a 49-strong fleet at the start of the race! Artemis has covered a total of 4593 miles at 6,58 knots of average speed since leaving La Rochelle more than a month ago, and stepped ashore in Brazil this morning at 07:24 UK time. read the full inside story in the News section, and view the latest photos of Ollie at the finish in Brazil in the Image Gallery.
Back on track 23 - 10 - 09 at 09:14:36
Following yesterday’s update, those who had bet that Ollie Bond who
bear away when crossing the latitude of Recife were right. Artemis
gained two places since yesterday and is now lying 13th, but the
speeds displayed by his rivals closer to the shore are still higher:
it will be difficult for Ollie to climb back into the top 10 before
the finish line, some 350 miles away, unless the wind drops in All
Saints Bay and generates a massive slowdown for the front of the fleet
- which has not really happened so far. Today it looks like whatever
Ollie was looking for in the East wasn’t there, and he now has to
throw his last forces into the final sprint to try and make up for the
miles he lost. Expected overall Production Boats category winner
Francisco Lobato was tempted by the same option 48 hours ago, which
proves the route was worth considering, but he has not shown the same
perseverance and only lost 30 miles in the process.
Still on the (eastern) edge! 22 - 10 - 09 at 09:48:38
Thomas Ruyant is expected in Bahia this morning around 10 UK time, and
after only 18 days at sea, he will be the first skipper to cross the
finish line of the 2009 Mini Transat. Further back, Charlie Dalin is
still leading in the Production Boats category, sailing close to the
shore South of Recife, anticipating a lift that will allow him to
hoist the spinnaker - if that hasn’t happened yet! The frontrunners,
sticking to the direct route, certainly haven’t suffered from the
predicted lighter winds that were supposed to slow them down, yet it’s
interesting to notice that this morning, Francisco Lobato (in third
place) decided to head offshore momentarily, crossing in front of 4th-placed
Giancarlo Pedote. He nevertheless did not remain on that tack for long, so Ollie Bond (now
15th) is still quite lonely on the left edge of the race course,
holding on to his original trajectory: where will he decide to bear
away, just off Recife or even further South? Place your bets!
Artemis The Profit Hunter 2009 RORC Super Zero class champion 21 - 10 - 09 at 18:07:01
Artemis the Profit Hunter, the older generation IMOCA 60 in the Artemis Ocean Racing stable, has won the RORC IRC SZCK class for 2009. Skippered by Simon Clay, Artemis the Profit Hunter, competed in a number of RORC races in the Super Zero Canting Keel class including the Rolex Fastnet and the Channel Race. Clay was delighted with the result: “I guess this is the icing on the cake for Artemis the Profit Hunter in 2009. We have had a busy year on the water with the corporate calendar being a full and enjoyable one, and coupled with that we have had some notable results in the races that we have entered, both in the RORC Championship and in the IMOCA class races. With respect to winning the RORC Championship ahead of such competition as ICAP Leopard, in the small but growing class of IRC Super Zero Canting Keel, the real thanks and recognition this year must go to those that crewed on the boat. In particular, the full time crew of Mikey Ferguson and Ollie Young, and guest appearances by Andy Tourell. A big thank you also to the support of Artemis for enabling us to compete and achieve this fantastic result!”
