The Open 40 boat, Baronessa V, straight to the Pacific Ocean

On Tuesday , July 10, 2001, Baronesa V arrives at Honolulu after a beautiful Transpacific race : Los Angeles - Honolulu, (2 225 nautic miles).

After a working winter, Baronesa was launched on May 30, in Marc Lefèbvre's shipyard (V1D2, caen , France).
She was embarked on a cargo boat from Zeebruges (Belgium) to Santa Barbara (California) where she arrived on June 22.
8 days olnly to make the boat quite ready for the race which start on june 30. Jean Marie Finot, Marc Lefebvre and Jean Sébastien assisted the Japanese crew.

During the race, average wind was about 20 knots and points until 40 knots.
With 35 knots, during half an hour Baronesa ran until 28 knots speed (27,5 knots, stabilized GPS).
She made a beautiful average speed in 24 hours : 277 nautical miles towards the aim and 320 nautical miles on the ground.
In the last 24 hours, Baronesa ran up 25 miles on Rocquet - Science (55 ') by doubling her.

Baronesa arrived 20 hours before the 2-nd 40'. She was classified among the 50-55 ' ( 3-rd division). She arrived 2-nd, real time. The compensated time classification - 4th - depends on the rating the race committee decided for her.

The crew who had quite no time to test the boat before the start, gradually took possession of Baronesa and got used to her. The boat showed she is fast, easy to handle. She had not any problem on rigging or hull.

This kind of open boat is really a new generation of boat who offers to the navigator sensations met on the 60 ' Open.
The architects, the builder, the crew, have to become used to a new way to use the boat.
The race committees have also a certain difficulty to attribute a really adapted compensated time.

Jean Marie's impressions after sailing some hours in Los Angeles.
At first sight, the boat seemed very stable, light to handle ; not enough preparation showed her solidity and her reliability.
By going aboard, one is amazed by the important volume inside.
This volume allows her to be also a fast, sports and comfortable cruiser.

After some days spent in Honolulu, the boat sails back to Japan.
These two courses (Los Angeles - Honolulu and Honolulu-Tokyo) join in the program foreseen for this boat : great fast transoceanic crossings.
The construction of the 2-nd boat begins on September 2001 to be delivered at the beginning of 2002.

Four other boats will be built to be delivered until July, 2002.

You shall find the participants in the high tech construction on the 40'Open file.

Transpacific Website : www.transpacificyc.org