Dozens of Sailboats will arrive in Limón in November

• 36 boats set out from France in the Transat trip 

Transat, the famed international sailing competition, will arrive in Limon, in the Costa Rican Caribbean. 

This year, the organizers have announced the participation of 36 boats, more than in 2009, when the competition came to this Caribbean province for the first time. Every year, this trip is followed by thousands of viewers worldwide. 

 The race departed on October 30 from the port of Le Havre, France and the ships are expected to arrive in the country from November 14 on. Some 72 crew members are fighting for the crown. With two members per boat, there will be participants from European countries such as England, Italy, Spain, Norway, Germany, France, and Switzerland.

 America will be represented by United States. There will be three categories in Transat’s 2011 edition: the Imoca (18.26-meter monohulls), the Multi-50 (15.24-meter multihull) and Class-40 (12.18-meter monohulls). The Imoca category is the elite class of this activity, the most competitive group, with the most sophisticated high-ended ships, which are valued at about $5 million each. Jacques Lanusse, organizer of Transat in Costa Rica, said that this year’s participation shows how successful this activity is. According to Lanusse, there will be lots of surprises.

For example, one of the sailboats will be manned by two women and another one by a young mother with her 25 year-old son, who has competed since he was six months old. 

The journey for the monohulls will be more than 8 000 km long. The multihulls, which are faster, will have to cover more than 9 000 miles to Limon. 

The forecasts made by the organizers reveal adverse weather during the trip. However, that’s what makes the activity even more exciting. The organizers expect all the boats to have arrived by November 18. 

The awards ceremony will be held in Limón and they have prepared a Wa'apin Fest, a proposal that enhances the multiculturalism of the Caribbean.