Image: Credit: Guillaume Pirouelle, skipper of Sogestran - Seafrigo

 

“Between everything being fine and everything going wrong, there’s not much difference.” Sidney Gavignet (Le Cigare Rouge) perfectly sums up what the solo sailors in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe have been experiencing since their departure from Saint-Malo. On the Atlantic, the speedometers are flying, the sensations are intense, and the sailors are demonstrating the full extent of their talent. After two particularly fast days, the six fleets continue their progress towards the southwest, each with its own challenges.

Ultim and Ocean Fifty: staggering figures

Among the Ultim trimarans, the miles are ticking by faster than coffees in a newsroom on election night. Proof: Tom Laperche (SVR-Lazartigue) has racked up 775 miles in the last 24 hours! Still in the lead, he's approaching the Azores and should leave Corvo, the smallest island in the Portuguese archipelago, about a hundred miles to his east. In his wake, the other leading Ultim trimarans have also maintained impressive speeds, despite passing through a trough between 10 p.m. and midnight. This disturbance temporarily reduced speeds from 35 to 25 knots, forcing everyone to make a series of maneuvers. Armel Le Cléac'h (Maxi Banque Populaire XI) explains: " We crossed a relatively inactive front, but with a fairly clear transition between the southerly and northerly winds.

 

There was quite a bit of work to do, and on these boats, it's always energy-intensive. Since then, it's intensified." We're sailing downwind, around 30-35 knots, with a sea in every direction. It's not exactly comfortable!  » A tough blow, however, for Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild). Shortly before 5 a.m. this Tuesday, the skipper, then in fourth place some 400 miles north of the Azores, reported major damage to his port foil. The skipper is doing well and the situation is under control. Supported by his shore team, he is working to secure the damaged appendage and assess the damage, while his routing team examines the various options for the next steps. For the other leading boats in the class, attention is already turning to the upcoming weather forecasts. The gaps remain small, but what follows could well resemble a Grand Prix where tire choice is as important as top speed. Two options are emerging: stringing together gybes in a north-northeast flow or cutting across a ridge, risking a temporary loss of ground, to find wind further west. “ We’re waiting for the new weather models to update our scenarios. What’s certain is that we’re not going straight to the Caribbean. There are still transitions, shifting winds, and moments when we’ll slow down considerably. Up until now, we’ve mainly been focused on pure speed. The future looks more uncertain.  ”

 

The Ocean Fifty class is no exception. The spectacular top speed recorded by Basile Bourgnon (Edenred) on Sunday night into Monday morning gives an idea of ​​the speeds reached by these 50-foot trimarans. And above all, the sensations they provide. “ To give landlubbers an idea, it feels like we’re sailing on gravel. It’s so fast that it vibrates all over.” When I saw the number 43.1 knots go by, it made me smile, but at the time I wasn't feeling cocky because, in addition, at night I couldn't see anything, I didn't know where I was going to stop! “Since then, the pace has remained high, but the young skipper is managing to recover without slowing down, thanks in particular to the ergonomic choices made inside Edenred to make life on board easier. The next challenge: the small front crossed last night by the Ultim trimarans. The Ocean Fifty and IMOCA trimarans will in turn have to contend with a wind shift of nearly 180 degrees, before negotiating a narrow pressure corridor that they must avoid leaving to avoid losing precious miles.”

IMOCA and Class40: arms are working, brains are working hard

For his part, Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande MAPEI) is experiencing the setbacks that sometimes accompany a solo transatlantic race. Between a water leak at the stern of his monohull and a broken stove, the Italian has plenty to keep him busy outside of maneuvers. " Frankly, it's tough! I'm starting to have some minor rhythm problems. There are a couple of small issues. It's not serious, but it takes a lot of energy. Making small repairs isn't easy.  " Still in second place despite losing his lead, the Italian would like to get back into a better rhythm. After correcting a course that was initially too southerly, he explains that he's struggling to get the best out of his boat in the fickle wind. " Right now, I'm battling with the boat a bit. I'm having trouble getting it moving. The wind is very changeable. But I'm pushing hard to try and not keep falling further behind."  

 

The prospect of soon finding downwind sailing again gives him good reason to be optimistic. Among the Class40s, the tactical spectacle is captivating. More than 260 miles already separate the most extreme lateral trajectories. Some are favoring a more northerly route, others have chosen to sail further south, and everyone is trying to guess where the best passage will be when the situation evolves. Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestran – Seafrigo), for his part, has opted for a middle route, intending to pass north of the Azores without straying too far from them. On the water, the Norman sailor alternates between enjoyment and vigilance. " Sometimes, when you have the right angle with the sea, it's effortless. And then, sometimes, when the wind shifts a bit, you get some spectacular nose-ups! But there are moments when the speedometer just keeps going in the surfs. It's pretty awesome!  " Which makes rest periods particularly precious. In the darkness, gusts of wind can be surprising, and sleep is snatched in short bursts, monitored by the various alarms on board. A particularly tricky meteorological equation remains to be solved. " The weather files don't quite agree, and with each new update, they change quite a bit. There's this large low-pressure system with several centers, so it's rather difficult to know. We'll make do with what we have, trying to adapt to the latest information. I don't think anyone really knows for sure where they'll be going." It's as if the weather models have decided to play rock-paper-scissors amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Marco Guerra (Imagin'Act-Socomec) has returned to dry land. Beset by keel problems, a leak, and electronic malfunctions, the skipper sailed to Port-la-Forêt for a technical stopover. A forced halt while the rest of the fleet continues its progress southwest.

 

Vintage: Wisdom doesn't preclude cold sweats.

In the Rhum Mono class, Sidney Gavignet (Le Cigare Rouge) had a night he would have gladly done without. Under spinnaker, in 25 to 30 knots of wind, his autopilot disengaged. The boat broached, forcing the sailor to react immediately. He had to regain control, switch to the backup system, and manage to lower the sail before regaining some semblance of calm. In his haste, he even fell through a cockpit hatch that had been left open. The result: some rib pain and a good scare. The incident reminded the sailor of the limitations of his older-generation monohull. " My boat isn't one that likes being pushed too hard. That's the mistake I made last night.  " A lesson that lends even more weight to the little phrase he often repeats to himself: " Take care of yourself.  " However, there's no question of giving up on his ambitions.

 

Facing competitors with very different boats, he intends to play to the strengths of his own, without trying to force it to do what it wasn't designed for. Ireland is also preparing to welcome two other sailors, in very different circumstances. Anthony Marchand (Actual Ultim 4) is due to arrive this afternoon, after damaging his central rudder when it came into contact with an external object, causing a critical blockage of the steering system. His team will then be able to intervene in sheltered waters before a decision is made on the continuation of his adventure. Francis Joyon (Vintage Multi Oceans) is also heading towards the shores of Île Verte, but aboard the cargo ship Maersk Columbus , which rescued him on Monday around 11 p.m. after his capsize. The skipper is safe and sound and should be disembarked in the coming hours. For all the competitors still at sea, the schedule looks about as relaxing as moving to the eighth floor without an elevator. And there are still a few floors to climb.

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