07.11.2007 Back to news
Something worth trying to the East?
 | © Gilles Martin Raget |
After the “lively” passing of Cap Finisterre, yesterday morning, calm conditions have returned around the Transat Jacques Vabre fleet, and the situation ahead is looking quite complicated with a large calm area stretching from Portugal to the Canaries. Kito and Sébastien are heading East, an option they will be sharing with Gitana Eighty (3rd) and Cheminée Poujoulat (6th). Safran continues to open the way with up till now a course heading west, however, when they checked in at 16:00, Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier were changing their route to the East. As for VM Matériaux (4th) and Ecover (5th) they are continuing towards the West, while Michel Desjoyeaux and Emmanuel Le Borgne, on board Foncia (2nd), are maintaining their impressive straight line, heading full South.
Radio contact with Kito at 10:00: "We're under a little more stress. We are following the way in which the data is changing with great care. There would seem to be a possibility to the East in the medium-term, however, in the long-term it is difficult to know, since none of the data is coherent enough, so we're racing on a 24 to 48 hour basis. It is clear that things will happen in the next few days, since there will by very little wind and, in general, this is when the leads are established. We already saw this at Ouessant (Ushant) with Safran. Our little shift to the East is both dangerous and no doubt timely. We believe it's the right thing to do. It is not a comfortable option since we like being with the others, but we prefer to play by what we feel, and if the other racers have a better angle to the West, this should come round to us in the next few hours.”
Message received from on board at 15:30: “Hello. The fine weather off the coast of Portugal has allowed us to recover a little from the eventful start of the race, but if the race is "Bel", it is far from being won, nor lost! Our shift to the East has not had the desired effect - perhaps during the night – the course is long and it will not be on a long tranquil ocean. The Trade Wind was ruined by the Azores low (I tell you there are no seasons any more) and ideas diverge as to how it will build up again next week. We are expecting calm waters towards the Canaries, and a possible grouping of the fleet. In short, we will have to be patient and especially vigilant. Tchiz to all, Kito."
| Read more | |||||||||
| All the news |
|
|
|
||||||
