Dalin is working his way east, closest to the rhumb line as he negotiates the south of the high pressure. His Verdier design is well suited to upwind conditions and he is making decent speeds of around 15 kts. The foiling group is breaking into the new system and are picking up speed.
And with every day that passes on a Transatlantic race which is proving quite atypical – as in many respects was the last Vendée Globe which of course saw a memorable regrouping in light winds in the Pacific – the takeaway on this last big race before the upcoming 10th edition of the solo non-stop round the world race is prepare for and expect the unexpected.
Frustrated
But as much as anything it is how the skippers deal with the conditions which have been unusual. Briton Sam Davies is enjoying the chance to spend more time with her Initiatives Coeur, getting into marathon rather than Atlantic sprint mode.
“We are obviously a little bit frustrated because nothing has gone as planned,” admits Davies (Initiatives Cœur in 13th). “But that’s just a bit of the magic of ocean racing, it brings us closer to a pace similar to that of the Vendée Globe.” She has been enjoying the benign weather and a routine which, finally, has been more settled.
“We have certainly had a little more uncertainty than usual, it has forced us to think differently,” points out the winner of the last two solo Transats Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkea, 9th).
But all the time there are the little head-to-heads, or groups pacing each other. The duel between Britain’s James Harayada in 10th on Gentoo Sailing Team and his French nemesis Violette Dorange (Devenir) continues unabated. The 23 year old, like the young British sailor, is very much a ‘glass half full’ sailor, “It’s super interesting weather-wise, there’s a real match going on between the three packs, it’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out !”
“In fact they (Dalin and Herrmann) are the only ones to have crossed the front, they achieved what we all wanted to achieve,” reflects Richomme. “Charlie has a much smoother route ahead. It seems difficult to catch up with him, he could arrive two to three days ahead of us! "
BORIS LIGHT WINDS
Hubert Lemonnier, race director, explains this morning that Boris “has light winds all day and night” while Charlie progresses “on a long upwind leg towards Cape Finisterre”. Lemonnier currently estimates the leader’s arrival some time around Sunday lunch time.
Down to the SE are the 14 IMOCAs looking for the way out setting up to pass the Azores and get into stronger conditions of a low pressure system. The dog days are over for them.
“After three days of downwind, we are going to approach a depression, it is accelerating, we have to position ourselves well to pass it,” explained Davies last night. "It is no longer stationary and is moving towards the East, we will finally be able to escape.”
“Normally, we are out of the woods, we have just changed the weather system,” Richomme explained a little later. "We set off for a fast reach south of the Azores before turning upwind to Les Sables d’Olonne."
DAGGERBOARDS MATCH
This third group holds a middle position, 12 skippers, most of which are boats with straight daggerboards. “The choice that had to be made recently, whether to follow Boris or Charlie,” explains Violette. “A North option saves two days on routings but seems very risky. The middle road, Charlie’s, is more the choice of reason, the safest route.”
And it is within this group that some of the best speeds have been seen, after his lightning strike early in the race Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce, 20th), located to the north of the group, covered 370 miles and with a reduced sail plan Oliver Heer (Oliver Heer Racing, 25th) 325 miles!
“These are good averages for boats with straight daggerboards,” says the Race Director Lemonnier. Two skippers took penalties yesterday: Scott Shawyer (Be Water Positif, 18th) for broken engine seal and Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée, 14th) for sending his starting trace late.
A sudden pilot problem gybed Scott Shawyer's Be Water Positive unexpectedly in the small hours of yesterday morning causing his boat to be knocked flat. He then lost his A3 sail when the furler exploded. During this situation his engine was inadvertently knocked into gear momentarily, causing his engine seal to break accidentally. He reported this immediately to Race Direction and was given a 70-minute penalty, which he itook last night
Swiss German Ollie Heer is on good form, “All is good on board, I am really enjoying this sailing. I am in such a good mood. I am happy to be out here and doing some miles on my boat. I did have a few frustrating times when I was broad reaching, without gennakers it was very painful seeing the fleet slipping away. Since then the breeze has gone up and forwards and I managed to get back into the fleet. It is not that easy still and it changes all the time. I have one rule now, if the forecast is not bullet proof just try to stick to the rhumb line, don’t do any crazy stuff, if I do that it is mostly reaching in light winds. I have wind in the 20s and it will stay until tomorrow and then we will have many days in the light. I have my J1 and the boat sails nicely with that in the light but due to my mainsail batten damage I was not able to repair all of them, and so I am sailing with a reefed mainsail – which might cost me a bit – but I am confident I can stick with the fleet and make sure I can make this happen.”
Whatever the case, in the words of the skippers in recent hours, most sailors are just happy to be out there even if the conditions are not as they were expected to be and it is going on for longer. Variously they are refining specific skills, fine-tuning their settings, and to think about managing a long, ultra marathon race. Dorange cherishes the simple pleasure of having succeeded in putting the spinnaker solo in the race. Richomme admits sometimes chatting with friends on WhatsApp and following the tennis at Roland Garros, Davies savoured her the two days. “Boat organised, sails set, battery charging… It’s a grea here,” she wrote yesterday afternoon. But times are a changing…….
