Transat bakerly docks into Britain's Ocean City
On Sunday 24 April, The Transat bakerly fleet arrived at Britain’s Ocean City, ready for the big race start from Plymouth Sound on Bank Holiday Monday.
Known as Britain’s Ocean City, every man and his dog (quite literally) turned out along Plymouth Waterfront on Sunday to welcome the skippers to Sutton Harbour and Plymouth Yacht Haven. The fleet will remain locked to the pontoons until the start of the 2016 edition on Monday 2 May.
The fastest boats, the Ultimes, arrived in Plymouth at 4am on Sunday, making short work of the 130nm warm-up sprint from Saint-Malo.
The slowest boats, the timeless Pen Duick fleet, arrived after 8pm, gliding in through the lock and docking behind the famous Captain Jaspers.
French skipper Thomas Coville’s 90ft Ultime ‘Sodebo’ is docked along Commercial Wharf in front of The Boat House Café. The pontoon will remain open for the next week, giving members of the public a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the giant flying ocean-racing machine.
The rest of the Multihull fleet is docked at Plymouth Yacht Haven, just across the water. From Queen Anne’s Battery and Plymouth Hoe, you can see the vibrantly branded MACIF trimaran – the largest boat to take part in the race.
From Plymouth Waterfront, the majority of the Class40 fleet is on display in Sutton Harbour. Colourful 40ft one-design keelboats, the Class40s are the smallest boats taking part in the race.
Docked among the Class40s are the high tech IMOCA 60s. A mixture of new generation foiling and old generation designs, the IMOCA 60s are the chosen boat of the Vendée Globe - with many of The Transat competitors taking part in this year’s event starting in November.
Now safely docked in the city, The Transat bakerly fleet remains in Plymouth between 24 April and 2 May.
To coincide with the arrival of The Transat bakerly, the local partners to the event - Plymouth City Council, The Devon Chamber of Commerce, Plymouth University and City College Plymouth - have rolled out a plethora of entertainment for the public to enjoy.
Jamie Yabsley, Visitor, Marketing and Events Manager at Plymouth City Council, said: “The Transat bakerly is one of the biggest solo sailing events in the world and we are honoured to be the start city for this amazing event. For those that haven’t seen the boats yet, pop down to Sutton Harbour or Plymouth Yacht Haven where they are standing impressively along the waterfront.
“The main celebrations start this Friday and last across the whole Bank Holiday weekend with an array of activities and entertainment ahead of their departure on Monday. It’s a great start to 2016’s impressive events calendar and one not to be missed!”
The Transat bakerly Race Village officially opens its doors to the public on Friday 29 April, with a range of food, drink and interactive stands for visitors to enjoy.
The Ocean City Jazz n Blues festival will run the course of the week, with a host of live acts playing along the Barbican and Plymouth Hoe.
On Saturday 30 April, The Transat bakerly skippers will be introduced to the public at the main stage on the Barbican. Later that night an impressive fireworks display will light up the sky over the harbour – starting at 9.15pm for approximately 10 - 15 minutes.
On Sunday 1 May, the Brietling Wingwalking Team and the Red Devils Parachute Regiment display team will take to the skies above Plymouth Waterfront, putting on a dare devil display over the city.
Best viewing spots for both displays will be from Maderia Road and Hoe Road.
Monday 2 May marks the start of the 14th Transat race.
At 12.30pm, the Class40s and IMOCA 60s moored in Sutton Harbour will leave the lock. Loick Peyron and Pen Duick II will be the last boat to leave Sutton Harbour at 12pm.
At 2.30pm, all 25 solo skippers and boats will cross the start line in Plymouth Sound and embark on their 3,000nm adventure to New York!
Find out more here: http://www.thetransat.com
