Strong gales forces Transat Jacques Vabre postponement

5,460-mile race will now start on Monday after weather condition force organisers to delay start

Gales approaching the Channel persuaded the Transat Jacques Vabre organisers to postpone for 24 hours the start of the doublehanded race from Le Havre to Itajai, Brazil.

The 26 Class 40 boats, 10 Imoca 60s, and six 50-foot multihulls will now start at 14.00 on Monday while the two MOD70 trimarans will wait until Wednesday before starting their private duel over the 5,460-mile course.

Past half way, the 14-strong crew of the 131-foot trimaran Spindrift 2, led by Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard, has dipped slightly south in search of flatter seas as they chase the record for the Route of Discovery from Cadiz to San Salvador. They are about seven hours ahead of schedule averaging just over 30 knots.

The remains of the 84-strong fleet in the Mini-Transat are hoping to assemble in Sada, north-east Spain for a restart on Tuesday of the first leg to Lanzarote. No times for the abandoned first couple of days from Douarnenez will count. The times to what will be a shortened stopover at Puerto Calero will before the fleet continues to Pointe à Pitre, Guedeloupe.