Nov 13 TJV Daily Report plus Onboard With Cremer, Davies, Greck, Roura, Martinez, Ruyant

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The biennial, double handed classic ‘Coffee Route’ Race – which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary – started from Le Havre, France on Sunday 29th October and took the five strong ULTIM class on a 7,500 miles course south to round Ascension Island before turning back northwards to skirt the South American coast and finish in Martinique. The elapsed time for the Banque Populaire XI duo is 14d 10h 14m 50s. They sailed the theoretical course at an average speed of 21.66 knots. They actually sailed 9263 nautical miles on the water at an average speed of 26.75 knots.

Whilst SVR Lazartigue (François Gabart and Tom Laperche) lead out of the Channel and on to the Bay of Biscay, Banque Populaire XI made their winning move at Madeira, has led since just after Ascension Island and was never overtaken since emerging the most southerly mark of the course. When Le Cléac’h and Josse finished, their nearest rivals, second placed SVR Lazartigue were just over 160 nautical miles behind.

On his seventh challenge it is the first time the 2016-17 Vendée Globe winner Le Cléach has triumphed on the Coffee Route race whilst Josse won the 2013 Multihull race as skipper of the MOD 70 Edmond de Rothschild, sailing with Charles Caudrélier.