Pitstops lasting several hours have hindered two leading contenders in the TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR from gaining momentum less than 24 hours into the race from Le Havre to Martinique. Yoann Richomme and Corentin aboard Paprec Arkéa suffered a significant setback after striking a navigation buoy off the Cherbourg peninsula. This incident resulted in damage to the outrigger deck spreader and starboard foil.
Returning to Le Havre for repairs, their technical team swiftly initiated replacement procedures with parts brought in from Lorient. After an intensive overnight effort, Paprec Arkéa rejoined the race early this Monday afternoon, albeit nearly 300 nautical miles behind the leading team, MACIF Santé Prévoyance.
In a parallel development, defending champions in the ULTIM class, Banque Populaire XI, encountered difficulties with their port rudder. Skippers Armel Le Cléac’h and Seb Josse diverted to Lorient, where a dedicated pit crew awaited to conduct repairs. They docked around 0600hrs local time, successfully replacing the rudder and addressing smaller issues before resuming their race around 1145hrs. As of Monday afternoon, they were trailing leaders Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas on SVR Lazartigue by just over 220 nautical miles.
Class40 teams will face a mandatory pitstop in La Corüna to avoid dangerous weather conditions from two converging low-pressure systems, which could produce wind speeds of over 45 knots and large seas. Leading the Class40 fleet are Guillaume Pirouelle and Cedric Chateau on Seafrigo Sogestran, just over a mile ahead of rivals Achille Nebout and Gildas Mahé on Amarris.
The first night of racing tested all participants, including the 18 IMOCA duos and 42 Class40s. Sam Goodchild, aboard MACIF Santé Prévoyance, reported leading by nearly 15 miles ahead of Charal’s Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière. With a challenging ridge of high pressure ahead, his team faces strategic decisions about sail selections and optimising performance through shifting weather conditions.
Conrad Colman on MSIG Europe is also en route to a pitstop, planning repairs 37 miles from Roscoff largely related to an autopilot malfunction. Meanwhile, close competition exists among the daggerboard boats, exemplified by Fabrice Amedeo’s FDJ United Wewise and Louis Duc’s FIVES Lantana Environnement.
The leaders of Class40 are expected to reach La Corüna this Wednesday, potentially delaying their return to racing until the weekend. Some teams are facing mechanical issues, including Italy’s Luca Rosseti and Matteo Serricano, while the all-female duo of Mallorca’s Aina Bauza Roig and France’s Axel Pillaine currently sit in 15th. Meanwhile, Ireland’s Pam Lee, teaming with Jay Thompson from the US, reported moving into 32nd position and are looking to optimise their sailing angles after the initial upwind struggles.
As the race unfolds, Pierre Quiroga and Gaston Morvan aboard Wewise hold a commanding lead in the OCEAN 50s category, more than 50 miles ahead of the rest of the fleet as they pass the latitude of Lisbon.
The tracking in live is here : https://www.transatcafelor.org/cartographie
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