News from Samantha Davis

Whilst six of the IMOCA fleet are fighting out the Istanbul Europa Race, Sidney, I and the Artemis team have been moving base!

Artemis Ocean Racing is now happily tied up in the IMOCA 60 pool in Port La Foret, and Gringo, Gareth, Erwan and Zac are attacking the never-ending job-list and weight-loss plan!

Sidney and I set off from Ocean Village over a week ago, double-handed on AOR to deliver her down to France – our base for the next two months. Our delivery trip was a training run, and the qualifier for the Transat Jacques Vabre. We went over to Le Havre to use the first part of the trip as a practice for the start of the TJV - heading out of the channel and into the Bay of Biscay as we will do in November. We timed that part well – just as the remnants of Hurricane Bill came pounding up the Channel! So we literally “crash tested” AOR off huge waves upwind in 35 knot winds which was a good test for us and the boat! The last part of the trip was a little calmer and enabled us to test some downwind sails, notably spinnakers (our weak point being VMG running, we are working very hard to improve every aspect of performance here!)

We arrived (qualified!) in Port La Foret on Thursday evening, in time for a nice Pizza in La Yole! Then after a big clean and rinse on Friday, a well-earned weekend off!

This week we have done one sail to test out more changes, then the rest of the week is dedicated to JOBS!! Sidney and I have got some good physical training in (I got to test out my new road bike! Running this morning, weight training on Friday morning….) and Sidney is managing to do some more physio on his damaged leg.

More news and photos soon – sorry about the lack of news from on-board but we had a little hiccup with our sat-phone during our qualifier (it’s on the job-list now!!)

S x