Transat Jacques Vabre
The duos are happy at sea, well almost … Conditions improve at the exit of the ridge (zone of weak and erratic winds), in addition, the fastest have already been able to return to honorable speeds, while much of the Class40 fleet still stumbles in this windless area. The gaps are becoming significant and the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre fleet now spans 700 miles.
Ultimate: heading south
Since yesterday, the five giants of the seas have been able to break out of the high pressure ridge and move south again. In the last 24 hours, they were able to cover 665 miles, up from 160 the day before. They currently glide at 25-30 knots with a northwesterly wind, ideal conditions for these flying machines. Last night, what was at stake was the Cape Finisterre pass, synonymous with a few hours on the bridge. “That night we had to climb between Cape Finisterre and the DST. We had to do several gybes, it was quite dense. “François Gabart explained in the radio session this morning. Now is the time to glide through Portugal in a regatta atmosphere as the crews continue to advance together!” We have seen someone in AIS all the time from the beginning, it’s great, it’s always interesting to have boats close by, it allows us on the one hand to have landmarks on our boat that we are discovering, but also to challenge ourselves because we always want to go faster than them! Said SVR skipper – Lazartigue. On the qualifying side, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild retains first place, with a 17-mile lead over its runner-up, Sodebo Ultim 3, and 60 miles over Banque Populaire XI, which fight since yesterday to recover the miles lost in a small fruitful option.
Ocean Fifty: The Hunt Begins
The 50-foot multihulls are now heading south as well. Erwan Le Roux and Xavier Macaire continue to lead the way. Competition is a must on board, Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, in Solidaires En Peloton – ARSEP, tried to explain in a context of whistles linked to the speed of the ship. “We are in competition mode with Primonial, it is a regatta! Now we will continue beating to keep up with Erwan (Le Roux)! “And yes, the two Koesio captains are going fast, but they are only 35 kilometers ahead this morning. The games are not done, especially as there will be other strategic decisions to be made in the next few hours. Go down the coast or head to the Mid-Atlantic? The decision must be made before the latitude of Lisbon.
Imoca: a divided fleet
The monohull fleet now spans 245 miles. In the lead, follows Apivia, who has once again managed to widen the gap with its competitors (43 miles). Behind Charlie and Paul, the fleet stretches across the Bay of Biscay, in small groups of two, three or four ships, trying to hold on to keep the yellow and black Imoca from escaping. “We are not very far from our competitors, so we try to stay hooked to continue the adventure with them!” explained Sébastien Simon (Arkea Paprec), currently sixth in the standings. “Let’s not despair because after passing Cape Finisterre, the noose tightens!” And yes, the exit of the spine allows the leaders to move on, but the pursuers still have the opportunity to catch up, the road is still long . Those who struggle the most this morning are Antoine Cornic and Jean-Charles Luro (Ebac), who are struggling to navigate from the south. In a crew note received last night, the skipper said: “It is mentally difficult to see friends leaving and us powerless for various problems. The road is long and we are fighting like crazy to move the ship forward ”.
Class40: still in turtle mode
The 40 feet have now moved to the Atlantic coast, but speeds are not improving either. For now, only the former, La Manche #EvidenceNautique and Volvo, located further south, manage to touch the air. However, today should mark the end of this nervously complicated situation. In fact, the 45 Class40s should have an easterly wind again at the end of the day due to the ridge destructuring. 100 miles west of the peloton, Polka Dot is the only one who chooses a different option than all of them. In fact, Alex Mehran Jr and Merfyn Owen have decided to “go to the putty” looking for low pressure systems in the west. They should find winds of 30 to 35 knots upwind tomorrow when they approach a minimum. In a word from the edge “We are very far from the rest of the fleet! The routes began to point us to the west to try to keep us in the breeze, especially with the new low pressure systems that are supposed to pass. It was a difficult decision to make because no one was doing it in any fleet. ” We’ll see if the option pays off for the American -british duo
Qualifying
Ultimate
1. Maxi Edmond de Rothschild
2. Sodebo ultim 3
3. Actual Ultim 3
Ocean Fifty
1. Koesio
2. Solidaitres in Peloton
3. Primonial
Imoca
1. Apivia
2. LinkedOut
3. Initiatives-Coeur
Class40
1. La Manche #EvidenceNautique
2. Volvo
3. Lamotte creation module
