updated 0810utc
It was a delighted Kojiro Shiraishi who crossed the finish line of the Transat CIC this Thursday morning at 04:23:22 (UTC) (00:23:22hrs local NYC) to take 16th place. The only minor disappointment for the Japanese solo skipper was missing out on finishing on his 58th birthday which was on Tuesday. But for being slowed for nearly 36 hours in the light winds of a high pressure Koji might have made it. His 16th matches his finish on the Vendée Globe in 2021 and in fact is his best result on an IMOCA ocean race since then. But the key for Koji is the finish qualifies him for the Vendee Globe and that was his main goal on this race
KOJI’S RACE IN NUMBERS
Arrival time: (UTC) 09/05/2024 04:23:22 hrs UTC
Race time: 10d 16h 53m 22s
Distance sailed: 3351,74
Gap to the first: 2d 9h 59m 40s
Average speed (on the Great Circle): 11,48kts
Actual average speed: 13.05h
I’m really glad I was able to finish this race. We were able to test many things. The new J3 and the new J4 tack worked well. All the small improvement we did during this winter worked well and that was positive. I made a few mistakes. There was a low that Lazare managed super well by staying north of it. I didn't have the courage to be there, it was audacious of him. Well done to him. And overall I wasn't able to get good routes in the two lows I went through and so I still need to learn more.
The seasickness was bad this time. When I'm in that state, I don't have motivation, it can get dangerous. I took some medicine but it did not really do anything
Everytime I start I am in the near last position, ( this time as well) . And slowly as I get better, I start sailing well. But by that time the first guys are well ahead because I only was able to manage to have the boat going in the right direction while I was seasick and not really able to push hard. These races are too short for me.
Overall I made a few mistakes, and I'm a little disappointed of my position because I felt I could have done better. When you ask me when I felt the boat the best, there were a few moments where it went well. But globally, I was able to test many things. For the Vendée Globe, a good thing was that I finished this race to get the qualification miles, but also I felt the boat in her entirety and I got more confident that the boat will be able to endure the harsh conditions of the Vendée Globe.
I didn't have any big problems like the few previous races when for example (on the Retour a La Base) I had a ballast tank empty all its water in the cabin. This time I Just had the usual small problem every day that happens as a single handed sailor. That was a positive thing.....
