La Rochelle welcomes the Transat 6.50

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The seventeenth edition of the Transat 6.50 boat race starts today in La Rochelle, with 85 competitors trying to complete the 4200 nautical mile journey from Charente Maritime to Salvador de Bahia in Brasil.

Skippers will single-handedly take their 6.5m single-hull boats on a two stage journey that will test their skills and determination to the limit.  The boats will leave La Rochelle this afternoon, heading across the Bay of Biscay and south towards Madeira, where the skippers will take time out to recuperate before setting off on 3 October for the 3100 nautical mile journey past the Canary Islands and Cape Verde and onwards to Brasil.

The concept of the race, which is expected to finish around 20 October, was originally dreamt up by British sailor Bob Salmon in 1977.  This year there are 49 standard (series) boats taking part, with a further 36 prototypes (custom built) versions, and skippers coming from 12 different countries.

You can see full details of the race by visiting the official website, and if you know anything at all about sailing, you might want to take part in the virtual regatta.

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