Transatlantic race begins after delays due to severe weather Eighty-four have crossed the start line, one plans to hit the button on Wednesday, and 46 more are gathered apprehensively in the French Channel port of Le Havre. The 84 are the mini-racing boats, just 21 feet long, which have at last been released from Douarnenez for their race across the Atlantic. They had been waiting since the scheduled start date of 13 October as severe weather fronts came in wave after wave. The race village had been dismantled, some of the competitors went home waiting for the race committee to confirm the start date, but the singlehanders have at last pointed their bows for the staging post of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, 1,257 miles away. The second leg to Pointe-â-Pitre is another 2,764 miles. Not all will make it but this is the race which launched the international career of (now Dame) Ellen MacArthur. Expecting to start on Wednesday, having been virtually on standby since 7 October, is the 131-foot trimaran Spindrift 2, co-skippered by Swiss billionairess Dona Bertarelli and French multihull expert Yann Guichard. The 14-strong crew hopes to set a new record for the Route of Discovery run from Cadiz to San Salvador, commemorating the voyage made in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. Keeping an eye on the weather, which could see more strong winds coming in over the weekend, are the competitors in the doublehanded Transat Jacques Vabre race from their assembly port of Le Havre to Itajai in Brazil. Most are due to start on Sunday but the two MOD70 trimarans will be held back to synchronise the fleet arrival in Brazil.