An impressive first race – and victory – for Thomas Ruyant and co-skipper Morgan Lagraviere onboard TR Racing’s new IMOCA 60 FOR PEOPLE in the Guyader – Bermudes 1000 race. After battling all race long with Jeremie Beyou and Franck Cammas on Charal 2, the two new-generation IMOCAs clearly established themselves as the class of the fleet in a complex and challenging race that saw the 13-strong IMOCA fleet chewing up miles on virtually all points of sail and in a variety of different wind strengths.
With 40% of The Ocean Race fleet dismasting in the most recent leg from Brazil to Newport, the race organizers wisely chose to alter the course mid-race and avoid sending the fleet bashing upwind in breeze that built into the 30s. Reaching in the breeze, the newer boats were pinging their trackers at up to an incredible 29 knots sustained.
Rounding out the podium in his IMOCA debut as a skipper on FOR THE PLANET, Briton Sam Goodchild has continued to impress at every level in which he’s sailed. Sailing two-up with an OBR on each boat, the IMOCA class seems to have found a winner as the media coverage of the Guyader-Bermudes race had fantastic coverage and stunning images. Next up for the IMOCA fleet is the iconic Rolex Fastnet race which currently has more than two dozen IMOCAs signed up. – Ronnie Simpson.
