Catherine Roux, the Director of Marketing for Kraft Foods France gave her impressions on the event side of the race, which has attracted their sponsorship since the very beginning : "It is the human facet that gives the event a unique spirit - all these men and women are here working for your pleasure. Amongst them is Gérard Petipas, President of the race organsiation Pen Duick, whose passion for sailing and the people in this sport gave him the inspiration. "The skippers participating in this 10th anniversary edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre Transat Jacques Vabre #TJV2015 are the best in offshore racing," he declared, before sending out the general invitation to all to watch the start and enjoy the festivities this week. Nothing becomes official in a race which ends up in Salvador without the presentation of the race’s ’mascot’, Brazilian Dayse Vieira, who was adorned in her full Bahian dress. She introduced the President of the Centro Nautico Da Bahia (CENAB), José Raimondo Zacarias, who announced : "Everything is ready to welcome you all to Brazil, with music, dancing, happiness and caipirinhas !"

All the boats entered in the 4,340m double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre Transat Jacques Vabre #TJV2015 race from outside France made it to the Paul Vatine basin before Friday midday deadline. There are now confirmed a record Record #sailingrecord 39 boats taking the start line : 17 multihulls and 22 monohulls. A total of 38 skippers are competing in this race for the first time, including British skippers Sam Davies on ’Team Cowes’ and Conrad Humphries on ’Hellomoto’, Portugese skipper Ricardo Diniz on Open 50 ’Labesfal’. There are British entries fielded in each class, from Alex Thomson as co-skipper on board 2001 winning Open 60 ’Sill’ with French World Champion Roland Jourdain, to Mark Taylor on board ’Labesfal’ in the monohull classes, as well as Ellen MacArthur on Open 60 multihull ’Foncia’ to British pairing Ross Hobson and Andi Newman on the smaller multihull ’Mollymawk’. The only other all-British campaign is skippered by Mike Golding with Brian Thompson on the newly launched ’Ecover’ Open 60.

Out of the 9 women in the race 2 are racing on board Open 60 multihulls, Ellen MacArthur and Karine Fauconnier on ’Sergio Tacchini’. Britain’s Emma Richards on ’Pindar’ is the only female skipper in the Open 60 monohull class, however legendary Frenchwoman Isabelle Autissier is co-skipper with Sebastien Josse on ’VMI’.

There are 10 nationalities represented in this race from Irish to Australian, and in fact three skippers are from the Southern Hemisphere : Aussie Nick Moloney, who won the Route Du Rhum Route du Rhum #RouteDuRhum in Class 2, now on board Open 60 ’Team Cowes’ and fellow countryman Paul Larsen, the defending Class 2 monohull champion, this time round on ’Hellomoto’, joined by Kiwi Mike Sanderson, record Record #sailingrecord -breaking racing skipper of Mari Cha IV, on ’Pindar’. The only North American entry comes from Canada, Georges Le Blanc and Marc Nadeau on board Open 60 ’Ciments S^t Laurent’.

• The Route

 Exiting the English Channel (48 28 N 5 06 W) - Westerly gales blowing up the channel make for upwind tacking battles out of the world’s busiest shipping waters and notorious tidal vaguaries. There could be a North Easterly wind if a high pressure system sits over England, giving the fleet a quicker run out into the Atlantic.

 Bay of Biscay - In November, the Bay lives up to its reputation with active low pressure systems whipping up strong westerlies and a rough sea - probably the harshest part of the race.

 Cape Finisterre at 42 54 N 9 16 W - The course rhumb line passes off this notorious headland, which can trap any boat that comes too close and has not calculated his route properly. Only a losing tack to the Northwest will get you out and round this promontory. The sailors call the seas in this area ’boat-breaking’ as the distance between waves shortens nearer the coastline.

 The N Hemisphere Trades - Racing down the coast of Portugal is the fun part, with high speeds maintained by the steady following winds.

 The Islands - The rhumb line takes the fleet past the Canaries and Cape Verde Islands, which can either create wind funnels to accelerate the boats or indeed great parking lots to halt their progress too. The tactics come in to play here in order to choose the right route through these obstacles.

 The Doldrums & Equator - The toughest part of the race tactically and mentally, weaving through the unpredictable light and squally conditions in the transition zone before the Equator. The sailors attest to the fact that each time is never the same ! These days, the high tech and ultra lightweight carbon racing machines never completely come to a stop here, even the lightest breeze can be exploited.

 The S Hemisphere Trades - The fleet change hemispheres and season, as they enter spring time and benefit from South Easterly winds to propel them to their destination.

 The Ascension Island waypoint (multihulls) - After the Equator the fleet splits in two, and the multihulls must head towards the Ascension Islands directly into the SE Trades, so another tacking battle ensues. However, once round, the multis fly directly into Salvador, skirting above the S Atlantic anticyclonic system called the Saint Helena High.

 Arrival into Salvador da Bahia - the fleet have to decide whether to play the local winds off the Brazilian coastline or stay offshore for a more regular flux, but the conditions are favourable for the last run into the finish line.   The Course mileages :
 Multihull Open 60 - 5,190m course : 2001 winner was Groupama, at an average boat speed of 15.04 knots
 Multihull Open 50 - 4,400m course
 Monohull Open 60 & 50 - 4,340m course : 2001 winners were Open 60 Sill (av. Boatspeed 10.92 knots) and Open 50 One Dream, One Mission.