Transat Jacques Vabre. Wind at last for everyone [Vidéos] – Transat Jacques Vabre
Downwind in a north-northeast corridor of about fifteen knots, the Ultimes descending towards Madeira with gybes. At this little game, Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, who have been sailing their multi for two years now, seem to have mastered the exercise. In the lead, they advance the duo of “Sodebo Ultim 3, Thomas Coville and Thomas Rouxel. At 30 knots on average, the fight is intense. François Gabart, who put his son “SVR Lazartigue” in the water last July, explains: “The challenge is to slide gently around the anticyclone, a great classic. Then get into it a bit so as not to go too far and at the same time not stop in a light wind so it will be quite a bit of sliding, we will try to find the right reference point and progress gradually ”. Indeed if the goal is to go fast, it is also necessary to go to the right place….
The duo of “Koesio”, Erwan Le Roux (triple winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre) and Xavier Macaire, have not made many mistakes since leaving Le Havre. In the lead, this Wednesday, they are taking the Ocean Fifty fleet along the Portuguese coast. Thibaut Vauchel-Camus and Frédéric Duthil, stalled in their wake, are on the attack: “We’ve been downwind for a dozen hours, it’s not unpleasant after the brake in the backbone, and now we have opened the chase. at Koesio! “They all appreciate having found some wind:” The wind has picked up a little, 20 knots and gusts to 24 knots so not much … But it’s already a little more tonic. East wind passing north-northeast. We will continue to whip to follow Erwan’s pace ”. In a few hours, for the 50-foot multihulls, an important decision emerges in relation to the Azores high: “50/50 between going for the middle of the Atlantic or going along the coast, while waiting is max south. “, Added the skipper of” Solidaire en Pelotons – Arsep “. After the calm, the management of Cape Finisterre and its DST, make way for another choice: not easy this Transat Jacques Vabre.
They were restrained from their blow after the Breton point: Charlie Dalin and Paul Meilhat had made a successful breakaway and gained 25 miles ahead of the fleet before the ridge trapped them and allowed their opponents to return. Never mind, the two men of “Apivia” digested, worked and here they are again ahead of their competitors when negotiating Cape Finisterre. A new 40-mile breakaway: Dalin and Meilhat are ahead of a duo made up of “LinkedOut” (Thomas Rettant – Morgan Lagravière) and “Initiatives Coeur” (Sam Davies – Nicolas Lunven). Sixth at 70 miles, Sébastien Simon on “Arkea – Paprec” said: “We expected to have more wind but it is still very soft, from time to time the boat flies then after it touches the water, we progress as we can. In the short term, it is the passage of Cape Finisterre with some gybes to be negotiated and then we will see according to the weather files ”. The northeast wind will be fairly strong on the cape and we will have to hang on to stay in contact with the leaders.
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“The wind is not strong but we use the slightest gust to grab the smallest meter. We’re on top of it, ”said Emmanuel Le Roch, fourth, before the fan started up and his“ Edenred ”increased the pace to try to stay with Nicolas Jossier and Alexis Loison, who are doing a great job from Le Havre. course to the outposts. Antoine Carpentier, 17th at 58 miles from the leaders but shifted to the east, explained that the start of the course had been complex: “The gaps triggered to be substantial! The wind is disconcertingly unstable, both in strength and in direction, which has hit us hard ”. At 4,100 miles from the finish in Martinique, there will still be a lot to play for, starting with the passage of Cape Finisterre, which they should negotiate by Thursday noon. But beware, the first to catch the gale could quickly increase their lead. And in the west nothing new? Well yes, an American-British duo, Alex Mehran Jr and Merfyn Owen, decided to give it a go in the depression. Relegated to the back of the fleet, the two co-skippers of “Polka Dot” are trying their hand at poker: to watch with one eye…