At the head of the Class40 fleet today on the Transat Café L’Or, with less than 1000 miles to go to the finish in Martinique, the leaders Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin (SNSM Faites un don) maintain a margin of about 40 miles in the north. However, their course angle appears less than optimal, while second-placed Guillaume Pirouelle and Cedric Château (Seafrigo-Sogestran) are slower but gaining as the course converges.
Computer modelling still predicts a slight advantage for Seafrigo-Sogestran at the finish, but the trade winds in the south are fading.
Corentin Douguet (SNSM) expressed, “Whether we’re in the lead or not, we’re going to fight to the very end. We are entering a crucial 24-36 hours to see how we can position ourselves towards the south. Currently, we are most concerned about those to the south: Seafrigo – Sogestran and Les Invincibles. They have a good position. From one routing to the next, it can vary greatly. We have our plan, and we hope it works out, but it has been an unusual period with a significant break in the trade winds.”
In second place, Cédric Chateau (SEAFRIGO – SOGESTRAN) commented, “The temperature has risen considerably. Aside from these elements, we are pleased with our position. We faced quite a few squalls last night with significant wind changes. We feel that the next nights will present challenges. For example, we had 17 knots for two hours but then dropped to 10-12 knots for three hours. We will have to push the boat to its limits as the finishes in Martinique could be very close. SNSM have placed some distance between us.”
Third-placed William Mathelin-Moreaux (LES INVINCIBLES) stated, “Morale is good; we’re happy with our position. The end will be intense, not due to wind but because of competition. It’s important to stay focused and not make mistakes.”
Fifth, Fabien Delahaye (LEGALLAIS) reported, “For the past two days, it has been clear we don’t have much of an escape route outside this high-pressure system. Last night, our speeds dropped significantly, and navigating was tough. We are now heading south of the high-pressure centre with a southerly wind, close-hauled in light winds, waiting for a shift to east winds to take us towards Martinique.”
The best international, non-French team, Italians Andrea Fornaro and Alessandro Torresani (Influence 2), are currently ninth, just ahead of compatriots Luca Rosetti and Matteo Serricano (Maccaferri Futura), who are tenth with notable separation.
Pam Lee and Jay Thompson, sailing for Ireland and the USA respectively, reported being the fastest in the fleet today. They have managed to find a corridor of breeze, moving down their position. Pam remarked, “We have had a chance to make a smooth transition around a calm area, allowing us to regain some places. We still have to stay agile with our routing as conditions can change quickly.”
Overall, the upcoming days are set to be decisive as competitors strategise based on changing winds and course positions.
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