Saturday 24 October 2009

TJV: Yves Parlier to join Pachi Rivero for the Transat Jacques Vabre


Pachi Rivero and Yves Parlier announce their joint participation in the 2009 TJV, as part of the preparation for the Barcelona World Race. Image copyright Yvann Zedda.

The esteemed French offshore sailor will be sailing on board the Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing Racing Team entry 1876

Rivero: "Yves Parlier is a legend in the sailing world"


by Daniel Ferrando

Renowned French offshore sailor Yves Parlier is set to join Pachi Rivero for the Transat Jaques Vabre on board 1876 (the IMOCA Open 60 Estrella Damm in the Barcelona World Race), one of the Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing (FNOB) entries. Parlier is joining the project solely for this transoceanic race, the most important in this year's IMOCA calendar, with 14 monohull entries registered.

With just over two weeks until the start of the Transat Jaques Vabre the team is working on the final preparations to get everything into optimum shape for the Le Havre start on November 8th: "The shore team has done a fantastic job in Lorient over the past few weeks," explained Rivero. "The boat has undergone a great refit and now we have two weeks ahead to get to one hundred percent for the start".

Parlier's presence on board 1876 for the Transat Jaques Vabre will also play a big role in the development and preparation of the boat and the team with a view to the Barcelona World Race 2010. With Pachi Rivero and Yves Parlier on board, the FNOB team entry boasts two experts in offshore racing technology.

The name Parlier is synonymous with innovative technology and sporting spirit and Pachi Rivero has revealed that he is thrilled to welcome the Frenchman as fellow team member for the Transat Jaques Vabre: "Yves is a legend in the sailing world and a great person, as well as an amazing skipper". Parlier's extensive CV features not only two victories in the Transat Jaques Vabre, but also victories such as the Mini Transat, the Solitaire du Figaro, the Fastnet, The Transat, the Route du Café, the Route du Rhum and the record for a solitary 24 hour run, set in 2006.

Yves Parlier is delighted with the project and is not at all concerned by the relatively limited amount of time left to get to know the boat, and has full confidence in Pachi Rivero: "Pachi knows the boat inside out. He is a great sailor and skipper, we get on very well and I'm sure we'll have a very good race together".

The 1876 Sailing Team

Pachi Rivero and Yves Parlier will be sailing together in the Transat Jacques Vabre. Their main objective is to continue the process of preparation and development for the Barcelona World Race 2010. Estrella Damm will be competing as 1876 in the Transat Jaques Vabre. Both skippers are taking on this great challenge filled with a wealth of experience and sailing technical knowledge behind them.

The Transat Jacques Vabre 2009

The Transat Jacques Vabre, a double-handed race, is one of the most important dates in the IMOCA Open 60 class calendar. Since it was created in 1993, the race has followed the historical coffee routes between the French port of Le Havre and different American ports such as Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) and Salvador de Bahia (Brazil), flying the flag for sustainable development. In the ninth edition of the race, the regatta will set course for a new extraordinary destination with a rich coffee tradition, Puerto Limon in Costa Rica.

The Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing (FNOB) Racing Team

The Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB) aims to foster knowledge in the area of maritime culture, helping to position offshore top-level competitive sailing in Spain at the level that corresponds to a country with a rich sailing history. In order to achieve its mission, the Foundation links the business world with offshore sailing competition projects, offering sponsors a 'finished package'. The 'turn-key' projects offered by the Foundation include a boat with the latest technical features, a top-level professional crew and a full technical and sporting programme.

The Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing (FNOB) Racing Team
Transat Jacques Vabre
Barcelona World Race

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