The Class 40 fleet on the TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR is arriving in La Coruña, with Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin (SNSM, Faites un don) taking the lead as they crossed the finish line shortly after 0800hrs UTC. By afternoon, nearly half of the 42-boat fleet had arrived, seeking shelter from an approaching storm.
In the Ocean Fifty class, the lead shifted this morning when Basile Bourgnon and Emmanuel Le Roch (Edenred 5) temporarily outpaced their rivals near the Canary Islands. However, Pierre Quiroga and Gaston Morvan, the consistent frontrunners in the category, regained the lead by just under one nautical mile.
The IMOCA class saw a strong performance from Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière (Charal), who established a solid lead. Meanwhile, Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas in the ULTIM category have been making impressive speeds of up to 40 knots, navigating past the Canaries while they competed against the Ocean Fifty leaders.
In the Class 40 division, Douguet and Tréhin narrowly beat Guillaume Pirouelle and Cedric Chateau (Seafrigo-Sogestran) by a mere 21 minutes, while Achille Nebout and Gildas Mahé (Amarris) finished closely behind in third. Douguet commented on their victory, stating, “Overall no damage to the boat, we won, what more could you ask for? I’m delighted to be in La Coruña; I have nothing but good memories here.” His co-skipper Tréhin also noted that the tough first 24-hour period prepared them well for the Caribbean adventure ahead.
The Spanish team of Pep Costa and Pablo Santurde (VSF Sports) finished fourth, expressing satisfaction with their performance amid stiff competition among five or six boats vying for victory.
In the IMOCA division, the strategy employed by Beyou and Lagravière was pivotal as they advanced into downwind conditions, creating a lead of 16 nautical miles over Ambrogio Beccaria and Thomas Ruyant (Allagrande MAPEI), who are closely followed by Sam Goodhild and Loïs Berrehar (MACIF Santé Prévoyance).
Throughout the day, Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas were celebrating their remarkable speeds with the ULTIMs, despite facing slower conditions as they passed west of the Canaries. They maintained a comfortable lead over Thomas Coville and Benjamin Schwarz (Sodebo Ultim 3), with Armel Le Cléac’h and Seb Josse making significant progress to catch up on the leaders.
As for the Ocean Fifty class, lighter winds near the Canaries have caused a slowdown among the leaders, with only 12 miles separating Wewise from Thibault Vauchel Camus and Damien Seguin (Solidaires en Peloton) in third place.
The tracking in live is here : https://www.transatcafelor.org/cartographie
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