The Estriens Alain Lefebvre, Olivier Lacombe and Nicolas Sylvestre took the lead in the race from the first hours following the start of the Transat Québec Saint-Malo, Sunday afternoon.
They are part of a crew of 16 people who will cross the Atlantic aboard the The monstera 70-foot sailboat. For the purposes of the competition, the team is called Atlas Ocean Racing.
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The crew sets sail on Sunday afternoon.
Photo : Guy Lacombe
At the port of Quebec, Guy Lacombe, Olivier Lacombe’s father, attended the departure of the sailboats on Sunday afternoon.
When the boat left the dock, we had a lot of butterflies. I must admit that it is moving.
On Sunday evening, the crew had already passed Baie-Saint-Paul and ranked first in the race.
In total, nearly thirty ships hoisted their sails and set sail for the city of Saint-Malo, in France.
The sailors will have to cover a distance of 5,400 kilometers. The duration of the journey may vary depending in particular on the strength and direction of the winds and tides.
A long workout
The 10-12 day journey follows extensive training for the crew. The 16 sailors prepared for different climates by going out to sea in the North Atlantic during the winter, in Spain and the Canary Islands.
The North Atlantic is a big adventure, it’s not at all relaxing. There are huge waves, there are periods of cold, there are periods of encounters with whales, with boats, it’s very impressive and it requires a long preparation.
relate Guy Lacombe.
They took part in sea survival and scuba diving training sessions to learn how to repair their boats.
Guy Lacombe affirms that Olivier was introduced to sailing from a very young age as the whole family practices this water sport. Mr. Lacombe says he very admires his son’s journey and intends to closely follow the journey of the Estrie team until their arrival in Saint-Malo.
