Does the Transat Jacques Vabre sound familiar to you? Well, if you’re curious about the regatta/sailing world, this amazing race should be on your radar. With its roots back in the early 90’s, the Transat Jacques Vabre has made its name in the sector. Today, we want to tell you about the race’s history, its upcoming edition, and how TIMEZERO is part of it.

Back in the day, the so-called coffee route made it from Colombia in South America to the port of Le Havre in France. This commercial route created a special bond between both ports and its people, reason enough to inspire the founders of the Transat to take it to the sports level. After long and careful planning, the first edition sailed off in October of 1993, with 26 teams parting from Cartagena in Colombia with direction to Le Havre.

Over time, the race faced several strategic changes, including its route, moving from Cartagena to Salvador Bahia and now to Martinique in the Caribbean. Some things might have changed since its early days; however, the adventurous spirit remains intact, keeping its everlasting invitation to travel and explore the world at its core.

The 2021 edition, after a delay due to the pandemic, brings back all the excitement. The starting point remains Le Havre, where all the teams will sail off this coming month of November with direction to Martinique. The race is organized into 4 different categories: Class 40, Ocean Fifty, IMOCA, and Ultim. All the classes will share the first part of the course and the destination. However, off the coast of Africa, the route splits into 3 paths. The shorter one for the Class 40, 4600 miles, to be completed in 17 to 22 days. Then, the Ultim class with the fastest boats will handle the longest course, 7500 miles, to be completed in 16 to 17 days.

In the TIMEZERO team, we are especially excited about the race’s return, not just by the fact that it’s an incredible sports event to follow but also because 2 of our TIMEZERO Ambassadors will be participating in this edition:

As you can probably imagine, our software plays a crucial role in a race of this type. Finding the best route and keeping track of all the conditions in one place is key to a good performance. Moreover, in addition to all essentials sailing data and features, our Ambassadors will be equipped with:

Weather Routing Module: this module provides a route that will optimize the time to travel on a sailboat using the weather forecast information and the boat’s polars as inputs. With its roots back in the racing world, as a pioneer in using an algorithm to trace the best route, TIMEZERO’s technology is well-known in the sector. Moreover, the module has evolved over time, adding features like Avoidance of the Coastline, Dual Route Calculation, Route Wind Display, and Advanced Routing.

Premium weather: high-resolution weather forecasts to receive the most accurate data. Whether you are a professional seafarer or a knowledgeable sailor, this service will make your navigation safer and more comfortable than ever. In addition to having more accurate data, TIMEZERO premium weather service provides access to different weather models such as ARPEGE, AROME, NAM Conus, DWD Icon, DFS, COPERNICUS, and WW3.

Now, it’s your turn to equip yourself with the best Marine Navigation Software. Find more information here and get ready for your next adventure at sea!