Alberto Bona towards the Transat Québec Saint-Malo

The tough test of the Transat CIC has been filed away, and for Alberto Bona it’s already time to look to the next regatta. The bow of the Class40 IBSA and the skipper’s gaze are now turned even further North, towards Canada, from where the Transat Québec Saint-Malo will depart, on June 30.

This is a crewed regatta, starting from Quebec City and finishing – 2,897 nautical miles later – in Saint-Malo, the Breton town from which the Route du Rhum (the first regatta of the project Sailing into the Future. Together) had started.

This year, the race celebrates its 40 years of history,and a record number of participants is expected, also considering the 20^th anniversary of the Class40. In addition to the competition at sea, ten days of celebrations have been planned, upon both the departure in Quebec and the arrival in Saint-Malo, coinciding with two national holidays: the Canadian Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24) and Bastille Day (July 14).

The Transat Québec Saint-Malo is famous for bringing together sailing legends and new promises of ocean racing. At the starting line there will be:

• the Class40s;
• the large multihulls MOD70, ORMA and Open multi, for which an extended route is planned, with a passage near Fastnet rock (Ireland);
• two tribute classes dedicated to Canadian sailing legends Mike Birch and Gerry Roufs, with vintage multihulls and open mono-hulls from 45 to 70 feet.

“I have always heard of the Quebec Saint-Malo and I am excited at the idea of ​​trying my hand at this new adventure”,commented Alberto.“Its peculiarity consists in being an ocean regatta beginning with a coastal leg, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River: it’s like taking part in two regattas in one. This competition also promises to be very tough in terms of route but, unlike the Transat CIC, I won’t be doing it solo: ​​I will have Pablo Santurde del Arco and Luca Rosetti at my side, and I am sure that we will work very well together”.