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16.08.2010 Back to news
Farewell Ireland, Cherbourg calls!
 | © JC.Marmara / A.Courcoux / Le Figaro |
“The 10-15 knot wind will be dead astern, and so competitors will be gybing downwind in the Celtic Sea and the English Channel over the 250 miles between the Fastnet and the Ouest Lizen Ven cardinal mark, north of the Ile Vierge,” explained Sylvain Mondon, meteorologist of the Solitaire (Météo France). “Prior to that, it is almost certain that the 45 miles between the start in Kinsale and the Fastnet Rock will be upwind, in a west-south-westerly flow (before the cold front goes through, with a shift to the north-west): the start will therefore be very important for getting to the downwind highway as soon as possible.” Race director Jacques Caraës went as far as saying that “the first competitor to hoist their spinnaker at the Fastnet will have the upper hand.”
Which means, as ever, that each minute of the race will be critical in terms of the final result. The wind files do not agree on the wind strength over the course: the American files show no more than 10-15 knots of wind, while the French files are forecasting… a further 10 knots of wind strength!
Our skipper is philosophical: “The big tide gate will be in the Alderney Race at the corner of the Cotentin Peninsula, where, as often happens, the timing of our arrival there and the state of the tide could leave some boats parked or more likely pushing tide. But we should have enough wind to get through, so even if we are all hoping for our own Trafalgar to claw back some ground from Armel and the top of the leaderboard, the weather conditions indicate a speed race, and so it is unlikely that there will be large gaps between boats by the finish in Cherbourg. Well, that’s the theory, but we know that the reality can be quite different, so… whatever happens, as ever, one has to race well!”
This leg is expected to be a fast one, and according to the most optimistic routing predictions, it could be over in 48 hours, with a finish during Wednesday, while the official programme had anticipated a Thursday finish… But again, beware the differences between theory and practice.
Groupe Bel is currently lying in 9th place, 2h16’23’’ behind race leader Armel Le Cléac’h. Kito has rookie Anthony Marchand (Espoir Région Bretagne) hot on his heels, a mere 3 seconds behind him. There are but three hours between the leader Britair and Bernard Stamm’s Cheminée Poujoulat in 18th place. In other words, there is not much in it between boats, and the competitors are well rested and highly motivated… watch out… it’s going to be quite a battle!
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