New York New York !!!
With sailing (as with life really) it is rare that things go as planned. We were supposed to arrive in Newport, spend a week there to prepare, then go to New York to spend a few days there and make the final adjustments before heading out solo once more across the Atlantic.
What really happened? Conrad arrived from his solo Transat on wednesday the 25th in Newport with a race departure for Sunday the 29th in New York City (140 miles in between both marinas). The great news is that he is now qualified for the mighty Vendée Globe having completed his 1500 miles solo on 100% Natural Energy . After working on the boat for 2 days, Conrad set sail for New York with a small crew on friday evening to arrive only saturday night, just few hours before the official start.
These conditions being far from ideal, Conrad made the decision to participate in the parade with the fleet and then to take an extra 24 hours to complete the preparation: « Having come so far in the last couple of months it would have been a shame to put at risk our preparation with a last minute rush for a warm up race. I will still race the transat as if I had competitors next to me and I will learn lots about myself and the boat that will make us stronger for the Vendee start in 159 days »
The start line remains open 48 hours after the official start so it gives our small team time to make the last adjustments and go. Thanks to Maitre Coq and Initiative K-Line teams who helped us with material… nice solidarity and greatly appreciated.
The boat will leave this afternoon to head for French town Les Sables d’Olonne. To follow the race, go to http://www.ny-vendee.com
