Marie Tabarly’s 73-foot ketch Pen Duick VI (FRA) finished the RORC Transatlantic Race on Sunday, January 22, in an elapsed time of 13 days 19 hours 33 mins 53 secs. Proudly displaying the flag of the Yacht Club de France, the Pen Duick crew of 12 is the youngest in the race, and 50 percent of the crew are women sailors.
“The Pen Duick crew has been selected for the 2023 Ocean Globe Race and this is our first race together. There is no better way to cross the Atlantic than to race,” said Tabarly. “For me, as long as I am at sea, I am happy, but these were not perfect conditions for Pen Duick. This boat likes to go upwind in heavy weather rather than downwind in light conditions, which we had for this race. However, it was very interesting for us to have the sensation and to work on the sail plan that we would like for the Ocean Globe Race.
“Pen Duick has a young crew, and there are not many boats like her, so there is no school to race such a boat. To gybe we need 11 people; we need to work together, stick together and have the vision of what is going on. Pen Duick is a heavy, powerful boat and you have to sail her in a very classical way, which requires focus as well as spirit from the team. Having a team that can work together is much more important than technical experience.”
Pen Duick VI competed in the new RORC-organised Nelson’s Cup Series in Antigua in February.
