The Transat Québec Saint-Malo (TQSM) is the oldest ocean race from west to east, non-stop and crewed.
Every four years since 1984, ocean runners set off on the St. Lawrence River, between Quebec and Lévis, to take on the challenges of navigating the St. Lawrence and its pitfalls, currents and tides, crossing the Atlantic from the north and avoid icebergs and finally enter the English Channel through intense maritime traffic and strong currents. The departure on June 30 will celebrate 40 years of navigation and sharing between Quebec and France.
Most of the 29 participants are European skippers but the Canadian teams competing include Atlas Racing’s Gilles Barbot. Perhaps the star of the event, abord El Unicorno, at aged 72, Quebec skipper Georges Leblanc will weigh anchor on his boat one last time to begin the Atlantic crossing. It’s a safe bet that the septuagenarian won’t be back in four years. Leblanc made his first crossing in 1996, at the age of 45.
The arrival of the sailboats in Saint-Malo is scheduled for around July 9, approximately ten days after departure.
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