The Imoca D’ieteren Group bound for New York
In the middle of the fleet of 33 IMOCAs, the Belgian skipper took the start of The Transat CIC race aboard his IMOCA D’Ieteren Group this Sunday 28 April 2024 at 13:30 hours local time in Brittany. A sprint of 3,500 nautical miles across the North Atlantic awaits the sailors as they race from Lorient to New York.The Belgian skipper’s objective for this race: to validate his qualification for the Vendée Globe 2024.
The 33 IMOCAs took the start of the first race of the 2024 season in favourable weather conditions punctuated by 8 to 12 knots of breeze. It was the ideal way for the skippers to head out to sea in complete safety and get their sea legs before what promises to be an estimated sea passage of around twelve days.
During this race across the North Atlantic, the sailors will be pitted against headwinds and difficult weather systems. “It’s undoubtedly the toughest transatlantic passage there is in IMOCA,” admits Denis.
A single waypoint (compulsory passage mark) is on the programme, some 6 miles to the south of the Ile de Groix. As a result, once he’s clear of the start zone, Denis is free to choose his own trajectory for making landfall in New York.
The main difficulty lies in locating the ideal route, avoiding the areas too far north, where he’s likely to cross tacks with ice drifting down from the Arctic, whilst trying to stay on a course that is as direct as possible.
Denis shares the details with us: “The breeze will gradually pick up and fairly early on there will be some strategic choices to be made. We’ll see how that plays out. Not all the weather models agree, but the first decisions will need to be made this evening, followed by further choices the following Tuesday or Wednesday. I’ll have to try to gauge whether I need to tackle the passage via the north face, or if it’s better to drop midway down .”
During this legendary transatlantic race, the Belgian skipper will attempt to secure his ticket to compete in the Vendée Globe 2024.
It is worth noting that Denis Van Weynbergh has to complete a transatlantic race this year within 1.5 times the winner’s finish time, either in The Transat CIC or in the New York – Vendée race.
Cycling, swimming and weight training… during the winter break, Denis has been focused on his physical and mental preparation, determined to satisfy the objectives he has set himself.
As a result, the skipper of the IMOCA D’Ieteren Group is able to approach this transatlantic race with confidence: “I’ve gone off to look for some chocolate, which is often the last thing on my list, which proves that we’re ready to go. I’m prepared and very excited to be at the start of this race and to be setting sail for New York.”