Iker Martínez represents the Club Nàutic S'Arenal in the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Coffee Route

Sailor Iker Martínez, a member of Club Nàutic S'Arenal (CNA) and a sailor with an enviable track record in ocean racing, embarked this Sunday on what is already his next adventure: the Transat Jacques Vabre.

Martínez is taking part for the first time in this crossing between the ports of Le Havre (France) and Itajaí (Brazil), following the so-called Coffee Route, which merchant ships sailed in the 17th century in search of this prized product, connecting this traditionally coffee-growing port in French Normandy with the producing countries of America. 

From a strictly sporting point of view, it is a demanding 5,400 mile course in pairs, for monohulls and multihulls in the Class 40, Ocean Fifty, Imoca and Ultim classes. The weather conditions have marked the start of this regatta, which was held for the first time in 1993, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The worsening of the situation in the Atlantic has meant that the Imoca have not been able to start from the port of Le Havre and, in addition, the Ocean Fifty and Class 40 have had to take refuge in Lorient. For their part, the Ultim have not been affected by this situation and are continuing their voyage to Itajaí, Brazil.

"It's a race for tough sailors and very sharp boats. It is very intense and risky, with a very demanding course and a very high level among the competitors. The first week in particular will be difficult, as it involves crossing the English Channel, the whole of Brittany in France and the Spanish Finisterre at a particularly difficult time of year, due to low pressure and heavy traffic. Then, going down the coast of Portugal to the Canary Islands and, from there, crossing the Atlantic, will be somewhat more relaxed, with more stable winds and better temperatures. Whatever the case, we won't be able to let our guard down and we'll have to be at 100%, especially bearing in mind that we'll be competing against the 40 best offshore sailing boats in the world, most of them much better trained than us," Martínez points out.

The Groupe Dubreuil team, which Martínez forms with skipper Sébastien Simon, has had just three months to prepare for the regatta, since the acquisition and collection of the Imoca in which they will be competing, a boat that was moored in Italy after taking part in the Ocean Race. "We took it from Italy, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, to its base in Les Sables d'Olonne, where we have made the most of the short time we have had to get it ready and prepare for the regatta", Martínez acknowledged, indicating that the team has a total of 8 people, including technical staff on land and sailors.

"Although we started the project two years ago, we were not able to get the boat until three months ago due to a series of setbacks. The truth is that we don't know what level we are at with respect to our rivals, so we can't have any expectations. What we do know is that our opponents are very good and some of them have been preparing for this race for 2, 3, 4 or even 8 years. As soon as we set sail, it won't take us long to realize how we are doing and, of course, we will give 100% to get the best possible result", Martínez analyzes.