Since the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre on Sunday 27 October, the fleet has split in two. The southerners led by the Multi50 Solidaires En Peloton - ARSEP and the supporters of the West, led by the Bestaven/Jourdain duo on Maître Coq. The first ones are currently sailing along Portugal and should soon encounter a windless zone. The second should be somewhat shaken by the depression north of the Azores before heading south as early as Friday.
CLASS40
In the Class40 class, Aïna Enfance & Avenir (Ayleric Chappellier / Pierre Leboucher) is in charge. Sailing conditions are technical in the Bay of Biscay for the 23 crews still racing (4 abandonments in Class 40): wind between 12 and 15 knots, choppy seas... In total 160 miles separate the first from the last.
"The sea is not conducive to speed, it's a bit of a boat-breaker. We stay together because we have no choice of edges, we follow the wind shifts. We go south when we can, otherwise we go west in the shifts to keep up the speed." explained Fabien Delahaye (Leyton) perfectly at the lunchtime session this afternoon, currently 5 miles from the leading duo Chappellier/Leboucher on Aïna Enfance & Avenir.
Made In Midi (Kito de Pavant and Achille Nebout), 3rd in the fleet, has shifted to the west and is sailing alongside the older IMOCAs.
"We have no problems on the boat, we were quite careful the first day, because we don't know the boat after all. We are satisfied and surprised to be so well classé?! But we have no illusions. The boat is not very efficient downwind."
For all of them, it will be upwind to Madeira, before the trade winds.
MULTI50
Leading since the start last Sunday, the Vauchel-Camus/Duthil tandem is starting to slow down as they round Cape Saint-Vincent. A godsend for Groupe GCA - Thousand and One Smiles and Primonial, who have already caught up with 10 miles this morning. Will they be stopped by the ridge installed on Madeira until Gibraltar??
IMOCA
Beyou, who had taken the lead in the fleet in the previous days, has since left it to PRB, who is holding out against the flying IMOCAs. Kevin Escoffier and Nicolas Lunven are resisting the catchy Charlie Dalin and Yann Eliès (Apivia), but they know that as soon as they catch the trade winds, things may get tougher.
10 miles from the fleet, Charal fights with Initiatives C?ur and Banque Populaire: the three crews stand in 1.5 miles. Big match also between Corum L'Epargne, Arkea-Paprec and Groupe Apicil. But like the Multi50s, the ridge further south could well rewrite the maps.
In the west, we take our chances, as Boris Hermann explains: "The overall forecast and the different models made us believe that there was a possible gain in the west. Malizia is a very reliable boat that gives us confidence. Sea state was not a variable in our choice." According to him, the routing indicates that they would arrive before the Southerners. "In théorie?!" said the skipper of Malizia II - Yacht Club de Monaco.
Advens for Cybersecurity, which has chosen to head west, is dragging its feet a little, penalised by its 4-hour stop in Cherbourg. Now at the latitude of Cape Finisterre, Thomas Ruyant and Antoine Koch, have made a good comeback of part of the IMOCA fleet.
Note the stop at the MACSF stand in Brest and then in Lorient since Wednesday due to a sudden heeling at the start of the race.
