2004 edition
No fewer than eleven Orma multihulls all made the transatlantic crossing, tying up at the port of Saint-Malo as anticipated. 1 day, 9 hours 18 minutes and 52 seconds separated the times of the winning crew of Sergio Tacchini from that of Mediatis Région Aquitaine, the last team across the finish line. Regardless of their place, all crews shared in the pleasure and excitement of competing in this unique race.
For the yachtsmen and -women setting foot upon terra firma, this sixth edition of the Transat Québec Saint-Malo stood out in their minds on account of the generally easy sea-faring conditions and an all-out scramble to the finish line worthy of a Grand Prix regatta.
This Transat is likely to prove a hard act to follow, boasting as it did the magnificent landscapes of the St. Lawrence shores, the presence of marine wildlife everywhere, the dream-like approach into fog-shrouded Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the dim threat of ice floes off of the banks of Newfoundland, the high seas encountered in the Atlantic and the snares inherent to the Channel. Everyone had to do their best to keep their eyes peeled for, as they say, there was never a dull moment in this race.
And think about it: more than 3000 miles were travelled - in full, or nearly so - under gennaker and upper mainsail in winds varying between 10 and 25 knots. The big tris didn't reef even once during this edition of the Transat (well, maybe Sergio Tacchini's boat had a small reef at one point). The crews did not experience a single hour of survival sailing, nor did they have to do battle against inclement weather. The only wrinkle on these otherwise smooth waters was, naturally enough, the other competitors! From the early stages running down the St. Lawrence until the dash to the finish line in Saint-Malo, the race was a free-for-all to determine who would take the lead. The hallmark of this Transat did not consist in speed alone (even if all the conditions were assembled to magnify the legendary potential of Sergio Tacchini to excel in this department). This was also a race of navigators and tacticians, who ventured some very clever gambits while skirting an anticyclone in the vicinity of the Azores. On this score, Groupama, the only team to opt for a very southerly route, proved to be a masterly coup.
A succession of teams took the lead at one point or another during the race, including Groupama, Géant, Tim Progetto Italia, Sergio Tacchini. Moreover, most of the crews enjoyed the opportunity of competing fiercely for top position. The last 48 hours practically bathed in adrenaline and unexpected twists and turns. On Monday, July 19, at only a few dozen miles from Saint-Malo, the first six contenders all stood a solid chance of coming in first - and that is how the race remained until Karine Fauconnier and her crew burst brilliantly across the finish line, off of the city's famous ramparts. The following day, the same scenario was played out among the five remaining multihulls, with the sole catamaran making it into port after nightfall.
2004 results
MULTI-HULLS ORMA :
| Total race time | Av. speed | Dist. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergio Taccchini | Karine Fauconnier | 7 j 21 h 00' 54" | 15,36 N | 3 191 |
| 2 | Groupama | Franck Cammas | 7 j 21 h 59' 02" | 15,29 N | 3 177 |
| 3 | Géant | Michel Desjoyeaux | 7 j 22 h 01' 49" | 15,28 N | 3 248 |
| 4 | Sodebo | Thomas Coville | 7 j 22 h 10' 42" | 15,27 N | 3 154 |
| 5 | TIM Progetto Italia | Giovanni Soldini | 7 j 23 h 15' 35" | 15,18 N | 3 198 |
| 6 | Foncia | Alain Gautier | 8 j 01h 29' 57" | 15,00 N | 3 193 |
| 7 | Banque Populaire | Lalou Roucayrol | 8 j 22 h 53' 47'' | 13,51 N | 3 186 |
| 8 | Sopra Group | Philippe Monnet | 9 j 00 h 06' 35'' | 13,44 N | 3 148 |
| 9 | Banque Covéfi | Stève Ravussin | 9 j 00 h 33' 02'' | 13,41 N | 3 176 |
| 10 | Gitana X | Marc Guillemot | 9 j 02 h 30' 28'' | 13,29 N | 3 221 |
| 11 | Médiatis Région Aquitaine | Yves Parlier | 9 j 06 h 19' 46'' | 13,06 N | 3 044 |
| - | Gitana XI | Frédéric Le Peutrec | - | - | - |
MULTI-HULLS CLASS 2 :
| Total race time | Av. speed | Dist. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crèpes Whaou! | Franck-Yves Escoffier | 11j 17h 11' 34'' | 10,21 N | 3 160 |
| 2 | Bonjour Québec | Mike Birch | 13j 20h 24' 03'' | 8,64 N | 3 217 |
| 3 | Jean Stalaven | Pascal Quintin | 14j 15h 36' 05'' | 8,17 N | 3 079 |
| 4 | Gifi | Dominique Demachy | 18j 02h 51' 30" | 6,60 N | 3 269 |
SINGLE-HULLS CLASS 2 :
| Total race time | Av. speed | Dist. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marina Fort Louis Ile St-Martin | Luc Coquelin | 18j 17h 30' 08" | 6,39 N | 3 159 |
| 2 | Branec III | Roger Langevin | 19j 23h 41' 07" | 5,98 N | 3 397 |
| 3 | Ciment St-Laurent | Georges Leblanc | 21j 12h 25' 00" | 5,56 N | 3 153 |
