Photo: DR

Tommorrow, the Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50 sets off from La Rochelle, France bound for Salvador de Bahia, Brazil via Funchal, Madeira.  Roughly eighty sailors from sixteen countries will sail the Open/Mini 6.5, a 21 foot long ocean racer, across the Atlantic.

One experienced competitor, Jean-Marc Allaire, will not be sailing. Last week, his boat, Karantez VI, was found under full sail off Cap Ferret with no one aboard.  A short time later a body was found on Lège-Cap-Ferret’s beach, which was identified as Allaire.  Allaire was on his way to the start of the race when he apparently fell overboard.  The  Charente-Maritime race began 34 years ago in 1977, which was also the year of  Jean-Marc Allaire’s birth.  Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Thanks to Michael Kingdom-Hockings for pointing out the story.