It’s Departure Day!
Press Release 1 – Sunday, June 15, Afternoon
The New Caledonia Groupama Race 2025 is underway!
The start of the New Caledonia Groupama Race 2025 was given this Sunday in Nouméa, right on time, with no delays from the official schedule. From the very first moments, crews revealed very different approaches, showcasing a variety of strategies—some of them quite risky—for this 654-nautical-mile loop around Grande Terre.
Strong starts for Poulpito and Motorboat II, Boudicea plays it safe
The race began with a downwind start, meaning the wind was coming from behind the boats. This type of start is common in the area and caused no particular issues. Poulpito pulled off a spectacular start—one of the best in the fleet—which could give them a crucial edge in the corrected-time rankings.
Close behind, the duo aboard Motorboat II also had an excellent start. However, they encountered some difficulties when sailing back upwind.
Boudicea, for its part, made the strategic decision not to hoist its spinnaker at the start, likely due to the weather conditions. This cautious strategy may pay off in the long run.
Collision, breakage, and course error
BCI Brer Fox and Team Groupama collided shortly after the start. As a result, BCI Brer Fox lost its Starlink system—a satellite connection tool that provides access to real-time weather data. Without it, the crew will need to sail closer to the coast to connect to regular internet networks and update their weather models, which could disrupt their tactical decisions. Is the loss of Starlink a serious handicap? That depends on how central the tool was to BCI Brer Fox’s strategy. On the Team Groupama side, no damage was reported.
The Australian crew of Rushour made a course error by forgetting to round the second mark, heading offshore too early. They corrected the mistake by doubling back to round the buoy—an extra detour that cost them between 45 minutes and an hour. While this delay may be recoverable, it will likely impact their final ranking.
In the opening minutes of the race, Arearea suffered a failure: the jib halyard (the rope used to hoist the front sail) gave way. The crew reacted quickly, raising the sail again using a spare halyard (likely the spinnaker’s). One crewmember even climbed the mast for a quick repair.
V5 in the lead… for now
The yacht V5 is currently leading the fleet in real time—that is, physically ahead of the others—but in a race that lasts several days, this advantage can change quickly depending on wind conditions, navigation choices, and technical incidents.
What’s next?
Weather-wise, instability reigns. Forecasts had predicted strengthening winds during the day, but instead the wind eased, making conditions more uncertain for the next 24 hours. In this context, real-time observations on the water are more reliable than model forecasts.
In summary, the start of this 8th edition of the Groupama Race went smoothly overall. Different strategies, technical issues, course mistakes, and unstable weather—all factors that make the rest of the race highly unpredictable.