Last weekend Mirabaud returned safely to its home port in La Rochelle. This now opens a new chapter for Mirabaud with the main focus and preparations on the Vendée Globe start in November next year.
Dominique Wavre and Michèle Paret, completed the Transat Jacques Vabre last month. The race started from Le Havre, France and finished in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. The crossing was particularly tricky, it was plagued by extreme weather conditions which made sailing very challenging. Mirabaud, who took line honours in the race finished eight out of the thirteen IMOCA class competitors who took part in the event.
Shortly after arriving in Costa Rica, Dominique Wavre, this time with two crew set sail for their home port of La Rochelle, a journey which saw them arrive last weekend safe and sound. « It was an intense journey again », said Dominique shortly after his arrival in La Rochelle. « Initially, we crossed the Caribbean Sea with very little wind. Then the weather forced us to go due north towards the United States to bypass the Bermuda High. There, we finally hit some big downwind conditions, sometimes the conditions were quite violent with as much as 48 knots of wind. «
Dominique sailed with Arnaud De Marignac and Pierre-Marie Bazin, in what he calls a « conveyor mode. » « We had no pressure in terms of racing the boat, and therefore we were able to preserve the boat as much as possible as there was no need to push so hard. Are main goal was to make the crossing as safe and comfortable as possible. «
“Mirabaud has now been put to bed for the festive period and I will also take this opportunity to take a short break in the South of France with Michèle which will give us the opportunity to work on our physical condition including ATVs. The new year will see the start of our preparations for the upcoming Vendée Globe, we have established an initial list of changes already but with time on our side we can sit down with our engineers and define all the work that needs completing. We are all looking forward to the exciting year that lays ahead of us”.
