A brutal start across the Bay of Biscay
When Conrad Colman checked in from his IMOCA yacht late this week, his voice carried a mix of fatigue and determination. “It’s been relentless,” he said, speaking from a pitching deck south of Lisbon. “We’ve had things break on this boat I never thought could fail.”
Formerly know as the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Transat Café L’Or is one of ocean racing’s toughest tests: a 7,500 km double-handed sprint from Le Havre, France, to Fort-de-France, Martinique. For Colman, it’s a race he knows well. For his co-skipper, Mathieu Blanchard, it’s a leap into the unknown.
The pair’s campaign got off to a chaotic start when both autopilots failed within hours of leaving Le Havre. Colman hand-steered through 50-knot gusts and towering seas while Blanchard — a world-class ultra-trail runner but novice sailor — watched, learned, and tried to help. Then the radar dome tore free from the mast, forcing Colman to climb the rig in freezing spray to cut it down.
The duo diverted to Roscoff, carrying out emergency repairs before re-joining the race under a mandatory four-hour stop.
Two worlds collide
Colman’s partner in this extraordinary crossing is no ordinary athlete. Mathieu Blanchard, 37, is one of the world’s leading endurance runners; a French-Canadian who swapped engineering for adventure. A two-time podium finisher at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) and the first person to complete the 600 km Yukon Arctic Ultra on foot, he’s as comfortable in sub-zero blizzards as he is on a mountainside.
Now, he’s applying that endurance to a new frontier: the ocean. “Mathieu’s a bit of a nutter,” laughs Colman. “But that’s exactly why we get along. He’s unbreakable, and he’s learning fast.”
For Blanchard, this collaboration is as much mental as physical. “I’ve faced storms in the Arctic and mountains at night, but the sea is different,” he told Boating New Zealand before departure. “Here, the challenge is teamwork, trust, and constant motion.”
Grinding south for the trades
After clearing the Bay of Biscay and two violent cold fronts, Colman and Blanchard are finally into downwind sailing, averaging around 11 knots and chasing the leaders toward the Canary Islands.
The race map at transatcafelor.org/cartographie shows Colman’s IMOCA lying mid-fleet, about 20 percent of the distance covered and holding a steady west-south-westerly course. The next hurdle will be the Canary wind shadows, notorious calm zones that can trap boats for hours — before they burst into the Atlantic trade winds for the fast run toward Martinique.
Endurance on every level
The boat carries just 18 days of food, matching Colman’s predicted crossing time. His Starlink connection allows short calls and weather updates, but sleep remains rare and repairs constant. Still, he remains upbeat. “We’ve taken our hits, but the worst is behind us. Now it’s about finding the rhythm again — and enjoying it.”
Their IMOCA is fitted with kick-up rudders, a smart choice in a race where orca interactions off the Iberian coast have damaged several competitors. The New Zealand-flagged boat carries a hybrid A2.5 sail branded with the Fern Mark, symbolising Colman’s Kiwi roots and international campaign.
A Kiwi sailor’s spirit
Colman, who made history as the first New Zealander to complete the Vendée Globe, has built a reputation for refusing to quit. His mix of pragmatism, innovation, and optimism has carried him through fire, dismastings, and now another brutal Atlantic crossing.
“The difference between surviving and thriving out here is mindset,” he said. “You can’t just endure it — you have to find joy in the fight.”
What’s next
I am writing this article about Conrad, after our chat last night, today we are 7 days into a race which will last about 20. As the fleet charges toward the tropics, Boating New Zealand will check in with Colman again Monday NZ time for an update on repairs, routing, and life on board. With 6,000 kilometres still to run, and trade winds promising faster sailing ahead, expect more drama — and more stories of endurance — before the finish line in Martinique.
