Short-handed sailing has long been a French particularity in the likes of the ORMA multihulls designed for the Route du Rhum and the English Transat. IMOCA monohulls then adapted to the Vendée Globe and the Barcelona World Race. More recently, the English-speaking, Scandinavian and Latin yacht racing communities have been focusing their attention on crewed round the world races and offshore races such as the Fastnet Race and the Sydney-Hobart race. No doubt a matter of culture and a problem of format. Solo events are not really their thing, without a solo circuit as in France with its Solitaire du Figaro, the Mini Transat, the Transquadra… In response to a wish to offer a series of modern, fast, simple and financially accessible boats which are never the less pure technical racing machines, the Class 40 was created in 2005. A success from the start with 25 boats lined up on the start of the Route du Rhum in 2006 !

Worldwide
What is great about this new series is their accessibility to enlightened and experienced amateurs as well as professionals who have boats with very similar potential. Never the less, architects and builders can express themselves as the measurement rule is described as a « box rule », defining certain parameters but leaving the designer the possibility to play around with hull form, sail plan and appendage profiles. In the short length of time the Class 40 has been around, a dozen or so firms have looked into the form problem. There are already two generations of boat and ninety units are afloat! 

In Saint Nazaire, that translates into nine Brits, three Italians, two Americans, two Spaniards, two Chileans, two Fins, one Mexican, one Swiss and one Australian forming a representative panel little known for taking part in international yacht races. South American countries certainly enter international dinghy competitions. But here they are not only present but present a lively image along the lines of the Chilean team comprising Felipe Cubillos and Daniel Bravo Silva, second in the Class 40 round the world event last winter. As for the first edition of the Solidaire du Chocolat, the French will have to keep an eye on the Finish team of Jouni Romppanen and Sam Ohman, who appeared to be on top form on Friday afternoon in the prologue. Other teams to watch out for are the Italian pair Giovanni Soldini and Pietro d’Ali, the British line-up of Mike West and Paul Worswick or Peter Harding and Miranda Merron, not to mention the Spanish duo of Gonzalo Botin and Javier de la Plaza… to name but a few.

Another interesting point about this race is that it has attracted sailors from overseas who are not known in the series but who have a fine background in their own country. The Americains MacKenzie Davis and Brian Harris are sued to sailing off the east coast of the USA, Swiss Bernard Stamm has a yacht racing CV as long as his arm, Brit Stephen Card is the World Melges 24 Champion. The French teams will have to pay attention on all sides as they are going to be surrounded by boats overflowing with skill and experience. The race over to Mexico will be long and arduous. No letting up over the 5 000 miles which will take almost a month to sail. 

 Softly does it
Pleasant prologue this afternoon. As soon as the starting shot had fired, Bruno Jourdren-Bernard Stamm bolted out of the starting block. Tanguy de Lamotte and Adrien Hardy came back up the rear, overtaking the mat the Elluer buoy only to find themselves pipped at the post by the Swiss pair just before the finishing line. In an easterly breeze of about 8 knots, the shortened course was covered in no time at all, two hours or so.

Rankings - Solidaire du Chocolat Prologue :
1- Bruno Jourdren-Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat)
2- Tanguy de Lamotte-Adrien Hardy (Initiatives-Novedia) ;
3- Marc Lepesqueux-Jean Charles Monnet (Les Conquérants de Normandie)