The former Chairman of the Green Dragon Irish Volvo Ocean Race entry is taking the helm of an ocean racer himself.
Galway Bay's Enda O'Coineen is one of eight IMOCA 60s due to compete in the IMOCA Ocean Masters Transat St Barth-Port la Foret. This eastbound transatlantic race sets sail from the French Caribbean island of St Barth this Sunday, 6th December, bound for the Breton short-handed sailing capital, Port la Foret in France, 3,400 miles away.
Afloat.ie readers will recall O'Coineen (60), who acquired the 60–foot monohull earlier this season and berthed her in Dun Laoghaire was due to compete in this June's Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race but did not start. He raced the IMOCA 60 in Cork Harbour and the Solent this Summer with Marine Minister Simon Coveney onboard for some of the races. O'Coineen is currently ranked 41st in the IMOCA 2015/16 season ranking list here.
Previously known as the Transat B to B, this Sunday's race is traditionally held the year before the Vendee Globe. Previous editions were won by Loick Peyron on Gitana 80 in 2007 and, in 2011, by Francois Gabart's MACIF, the subsequent Vendee Globe winner.
This singlehanded race is important in the calendar, providing IMOCA 60 skippers with valuable solo racing experience, but also qualification miles for the Vendee Globe.
This year for the first time, the Transat St Barth-Port la Foret is being organised by Open Sports Management and forms part of the IMOCA Ocean Masters Championship that runs over 2015-6, culminating in the Vendee Globe. The event follows on from OSM's inaugural IMOCA Ocean Masters New York-Barcelona race last summer and will be followed in 2016 by the Transat New York-Vendee (Les Sables d'Olonne).
The skippers competing include a mix of old hands and talented newcomers. Among the former group is Sebastien Josse, who finished fifth in the 2004 Vendee Globe and is entered in the 2016 race with Edmond De Rothschild. Among the line-up of hardware entered, this is the only latest generation VPLP-Verdier design, featuring the latest foil technology that causes the boat to fly partially. Having retired from the Transat Jacques Vabre, Josse will be looking to complete this race in his new speedster.
Another experienced IMOCA skipper, also a three time La Solitaire du Figaro winner, is Yann Elies, skipper of Queguiner - Leucemie Espoir, who returns to the IMOCA class aboard the much developed 2008 generation ex-Safran.
Two other noteworthy former Figaro sailors are competing: Paul Meilhat (SMA) and the Safran team's latest skipper, Morgan Lagraviere.
Entries
Fabrice Amedeo, Newrest-Matmut
Yann Elies, Queguiner - Leucemie Espoir
Eric Holden, O Canada
Sebastien Josse, Edmond de Rothschild
Paul Meilhat, SMA
Enda O'Coineen, Kilcullen Voyager
Thomas Ruyant, Le Souffle du Nord
Morgan Lagraviere, Safran
