Brest Atlantiques Trimaran Race passes Tristan Islands
To France and back via Rio, Tristan and Cape Town
The four competitors in the Brest Atlantiques Trimaran Race passed Tristan da Cunha on their port side on Sunday 17th November and Gough island on their starboard side during the following night.
The race covers 14,000 nautical miles (16,111 statute miles or 25,928 kilometres) and is a vast figure of eight, forming a basic triangular course from Brest in France, turning at the Cagarras Islands off Rio de Janeiro, and at Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, before returning to France.
There are four competing vessels, each with a crew of two and a photo-reporter. The trimarans are Ultim Class with a maximum length of 32 meters and a maximum width of 23 meters. Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was in the lead passing Tristan, with the other maxi trimarans MACIF, Sodebo Ultim 3, and Actual Leader behind.
The vessels reach speeds of over 30 knots and a crucial part of the race is passing Gough Island which is regarded as the 'ice-gate' as being the northerly limit of icebergs. Icebergs would be fatal to these fragile craft and so the ocean south of Gough Island is always avoided by these fast trimarans.
It is expected that the four trimarans will turn at Robben Island on 20th-21st November.
The race's progress and more information (in French) can be found on their website:
https://www.brestatlantiques.com/
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